Though we're not big Anheuser-Busch drinkers, it still stung when InBev bought the St. Louis company -- just as it stings again to learn that Anheuser-Busch no longer has the best-selling beer in the world.
After more than five years in the top spot, Bud Light lost the number-one spot to the Chinese beer Snow. It was a long time coming, and it might have actually lost the top spot in 2007. But it was confirmed recently when Snow reported its yearly results.
Snow is a pale lager that is by all accounts pretty similar to Bud Light in flavor or lack thereof. On the snobby Beer Advocate site, Bud Light is ranked a D- in taste. Snow, which looks like it comes in a rejected Surge can, has an F rating. Commentators labeled it "bland," "watery," "soap" and "smells faintly of steamed broccoli and cauliflower."
It's a small consolation to know that most Chinese have the same bad taste in beers as Americans. But the fact that Snow was even in a position to take the number-one spot is disappointing.
Just three years ago, the four best-selling beers in the world were all American brewed -- Bud, Bud Light, Millers and Coors. Now only Bud and Bud Light are in the top five.
A pessimists could say America is
falling behind but I say au contraire, we're just saving our domination
for other things.
For instance, McDonald's -- which is truly American
owned -- is the number-one restaurant in the world by a large margin.
Yum! in Louisville holds the next two spots with KFC and Pizza Hut. Snickers and Hersheys are the two best-selling candy bars in
the world.
Snow
may be number one for now but when it comes to influencing food and
beverage culture -- for better or worse -- we're still number one.
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If Bud Light or Miller Lite were available in China, Snow (which tastes like crap) would not surpass. The Chinese do not let these beers into their markets.
I agree with red husker...why do so many people have to be "beer snobs"? Bud light and coors and budweiser and all these mainstream beers taste good to the majority of the world or they wouldn't sell so well.
So maybe THEY are the ones who dont know what a good beer tastes like!! ever think of that?? and as far as these idiots who say they like "craft beer", there is no such thing anymore. The term craft beer means it is not mass-produced and is crafted by smaller brewers. Well, the largest "craft" brewer is boston beer (sam adams) and they brew and sell over 5 million barrels a year so they "mass produce" also just not on as big a scale as bud b/c not as many people like it. If the demand was there, they would need to outsource the work to Bud b/c they have the capacity.
Snow Beer is a terrible beer. You look at the can suspiciously after the first sip, thinking it might be some no alcohol trick.
Drinking a warm one as Dalian (above) suggests would not be possible for a Western beer drinker.
just want so say some thing "great job"
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An interesting post, merely because living in China I can think of at least 6 types of Snow beer in the local corner shop for starters, then there are Snow owned but non-Snow branded beers, all while Snow breweries in different parts of the country produce widely varying stuff despite a common name. Tsingtao are similar in this regard - Tsingtao has 2 breweries in Qingdao - one (the old one) is regarded as heving much better water than the other. Exported Qingdao (5% ABV) is extremely unusual to find on the mainland (mainly 4% ABV or 3.1% ABV) and much better quality than the domestic stuff.
Most Snow beers lack a depth in taste and have to be drunk cold simply because they tend to taste a bit rotten if warm (though Chinese often do drink them warm, or even slightly heated for the elderly, because of a phobia of consuming cold liquids).
China's got some great beer but they're difficult to find. Harbin Draught is my favorite but there are some excellent ones out there for really cheap. Americans are used to drinking out of cans but the Chinese urually go for bottles.
I dont mind rather you eat Big-Mac or Foie Gras, that you drink Coor's light or Grolsch ...
But man, its not an offense to try other things once in a while ! Telling people are snobs because they drink micro brewery or imported beers ?!? You are snob yourself for drinking one and only one brand of beer ... grow up !
I Live in china, and I must say, I do enjoy snow beer. Its the best chinese brew, though, oddly, it can be hard to find - I have to get yanjing or tsingtao delivered to my house but all I really want is a case of snow.
Actually snow is quite a good beer, when its served COLD from the large glass bottle (which are only available in select Snow-producing cities... thus, its fresh).
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someone made a beer crappier than Bud Light. And that can looks like its target audience is 18 year olds, who are going to buy the cheapest can of dog piss they can find anyway.
It is not surprising that a american beer, or now Chinese, is number one.
First in Europe, every country has many brands. Every region eat specific food that goes better with a specific beer.
Second, american beers have low alcool content. You can drink 10 american budweiser before feeling disy, try that with a Belgian beer with 12% alcohol/vol ! The ratio there is 3 american beer for 1 Belgian beer ...
"On the snobby Beer Advocate site, Bud Light is ranked a D- in taste"
I hate beer snobbs, they all think they have this great tasting beer that no one has ever heard of. My friend is one of these people. Always trying to get us to try it, sorry but it tastes like ####.
I don't mind budlight. I love coors light. Anything else tastes like shit.
I could care less about lagers, ale's, micro brews or even people who brew their own beer at home, im sorry but your beer and your house smell like feet.
snobby friend took us to this restraunt, that imports beer from all over the world. I said Ill have a coors light, they said they don't serve that $@#$ here. I said then im not buying the #@#$@ your serving.
He says "for better or for worse".choose a practical shower curtain to decorate your bath room
obviously he understands the implications of being number 1 in junk food. learn to read
"Just three years ago, the four best-selling beers in the world were all American brewed -- Bud, Bud Light, Millers and Coors. Now only Bud and Bud Light are in the top five."
Bud and Bud Light may be in the top two but they are no longer American owned! Nor is Coors, Pabst, Miller . . .
Support your Local Brewery! Keep those tax dollars in your schools, your roads, your police, your fire department.
The bonus? You may actually discover the taste or real beer!
I love how the author ignored the fact that the sales figures reported are for the Snow Family, Bud Light is still the number 1 best selling single brand of beer in the world. To be more fair let's take the Bud Family of beers, Budweiser/Bud Light/Bud Light Lime and see if Snow can still make it's claim....It can't.
i think the author was trying to be funny and not make himself feel better. why make yourself feel better as a writer? ds your smugness is overwhelming the stench of your ignorance.
Congratulations, someone made a beer crappier than Bud Light. And that can looks like its target audience is 18 year olds, who are going to buy the cheapest can of dog piss they can find anyway.
Haha, well, America's never made the best tasting beer, "selling" is another story.... but I'm betting InBev must taste better than "Snow".
It probably also sells better because there are billions of Chinese drinking it - probably can't export this out of Asia without printing chemical warnings across the can.
He says "for better or for worse"
obviously he understands the implications of being number 1 in junk food. learn to read.
hopefully sales of bud light are down because more people are getting away from that god-awful beer and instead are drinking more craft beers!
I think this also shows that American beer tastes are improving, as they seem to be drinking less national brands and more microbrews.
"we're still number one"
> you're funny :) a third of the american population obese, yum! whatever makes you feel #1.
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