I felt the need to say something in defense of the Miller Lites, Budweisers, Coors Lights and all the rest. Which some may find funny, because if we go out and that's what you order, I'm likely to make fun of you. But let's be honest - Big Beer deserves a little respect.
Do craft beers keep your local pub in business? Doubtful at best.
Do they provide any sponsorship for events you care about? Unless it is a beer-specific event, then rarely
If you are tight on cash, will you be happy to settle for a less expensive beer rather than go without. Most people do.
When you first met beer, were you and craft beer an exclusive item? Not for most people.
At sporting event do you drink a macro brew? Most of you probably do - even those of you that shell out the big bucks on craft beers for the first couple that you drink.
What about distribution - craft beers will sometimes partner with big breweries to increase their distribution abilities (Leinenkugels with Miller-Coors).
For all of beer's fine history, it has always been the beverage of the masses, and what beers make up the vast majority of beers consumed? Not craft beers.
I'm not saying that craft beer needs to try to be like its big brother - goodness no. And I'm not saying it's what I want to drink. But I think we all owe it a lot of respect. And I think it is well past time for craft beer lovers to stop insulting big beer just to help emphasize how wonderful it is. Talk about the differences, by all means. And I'm not saying the jokes and the insults about Macro brews should stop (I won't stop), but craft beers are a legitimate part of the industry in their own right, and do not need to put down their larger, more common counterparts to gain legitimacy.
