Beer Bust

An anomaly: last week I arrived at Hobby airport early and dropped in to their food court to slake my thirst. They had several brands of beer in an ice tray, the usual Bud, Miller, etc. and a few which they consider “imported” like Samuel Adams from Boston. I picked out a “Fat Tire” an “import” from Colorado. The cashier rang up $4.75 and I thought, oh well, it’s the airport upcharge. After downing that I was still thirsty so I thought I might lower my standards in the name of economy and get a Bud. I checked their price chart on the wall to see how much I would save and was amazed to see “Imported Beer: $4.75; Domestic Beer: $5.25!”

Bizarro lives!

Now sad news for beer connoisseurs. As I have pointed out earlier, most Japanese beer brands are now made in Canada for U.S. consumption as is Fosters, an Australian brand. Scotland’s most famous brew, Guinness, is now a “product of Canada” as shown in little tiny print after the surgeon generals warning. I think that a bottle of beer with a large label showing “St. James Gate, Dublin” should be produced there. Why have all these brewers sold out their integrity? To save the cost of transporting their beer across the ocean. But – are U.S. companies incapable of following recipes to make the same beer as the breweries in Canada? Duh. Then they could not proudly announce in big letters on their containers “Imported”, pulling the wool over the eyes of the unsuspecting public. It’s not that my taste buds are so sensitive that I could tell the difference between a Scotch Guinness and a Canadian Guinness, but I am incensed at the deception that is taking place and will never buy a Canadian fake of an imported beer.