Beer bland like Wonderbread
I’ve been working my way through Marian Ogle’s “Ambitious Brew: the History of American Beer,” which is really the history of the American macrobrew. That works for me because I was interested in the book in part to find out how the dominant American beers came to be so uninteresting despite the brewing traditions of our English and German ancestors. I found it hard to believe the magic yeast from a German castle smuggled across the Atlantic in an immigrant’s pocket (as told at the Miller brewery) was intended for a Miller Lite-like beer.
Ogle describes the early brewing process and prohibition in some detail. That’s where I thought flavor-lite beers were born. Truth be told, it was the much-exalted American consumer who launched bland beer:
As the rest of the food industrialized in the late-40s and 50s, Americans in their Wonderbreadiness found beer too flavorful and hoppy. CAN YOU IMAGINE? Beer sales slumped and breweries dumbed down beer to meet consumer demand.
In an encouraging sign that the pendulum is swinging the other direction, Beer Advocate reviews the new recipe Michelob, which now (again?) is brewed with all grains. You gotta start somewhere, right?
July 11, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Something went seriously wrong with the American palate in the 50’s as evidenced by some of the great cookbooks from that era. I knew it ruined the food but I did not realize it was the near ruination of our brewing industry.
I see the growing number of brewpubs in this country as a sign that the American consumer’s palate is becoming a bit more discerning. I hope the trend continues.
August 3, 2007 at 5:38 pm
[...] I picked up this beer to participation in “Session #6” on fruit beer. I was curious about it. And, Ms. BeerGeek’s coworkers were claiming it was the greatest thing since sliced bread (see post on Beer like Wonderbread). [...]