Back in the good old days before Prohibition, the US had hundreds and hundreds of wonderful local breweries--all making a variety of interesting styles. However, after Prohibition, all the but the largest of these were forced out of business. The giants who remained began making cleaner tasting beers (i.e., watered down bland beer). This documentary from the History Channel is a celebration of the bland brews that are now very popular in America and throughout the world. Learn about Yuengling (who, inexplicably, manage to make some beers that are decent), Anheuser-Busch, Miller, Coors and other brews that epitomize the typical mass-produced American beer--where flavor seems less important than advertising.
If you haven't guessed, I am a bit of a beer snob! However, my biggest problem with this show isn't because I dislike these beers but because the show is so dull. The narration seems a bit stodgy and non-critical, though it is informative in giving the history of the biggies. But it also plays like an industrial film--made to be shown at a beer producers' convention or to stockholders. In other words, it seems like a giant commercial for the top three producers--offering no critique and nothing but ridiculous platitudes and glowing language. While informative, it's also pure propaganda and dull. Can't the History Channel do better than this?!
If you haven't guessed, I am a bit of a beer snob! However, my biggest problem with this show isn't because I dislike these beers but because the show is so dull. The narration seems a bit stodgy and non-critical, though it is informative in giving the history of the biggies. But it also plays like an industrial film--made to be shown at a beer producers' convention or to stockholders. In other words, it seems like a giant commercial for the top three producers--offering no critique and nothing but ridiculous platitudes and glowing language. While informative, it's also pure propaganda and dull. Can't the History Channel do better than this?!