Piss - Now confirmed

[Beagle]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41059610

Always knew all that 'brewed under licence' beer was utter piss. Decent American and other world beers turned into bog standard swill by Carling and the like.

 

[BurbankHibee]

Your ire would be better directed at HMRC.

 

[Jack]

Your ire would be better directed at HMRC.

Why?

Coors are deliberately brewing their pish, which has a natural variance of 0.23%, to consistently have and ABV of 3.5%. They're deceiving customers by advertising at 4%.

It's weaker, not for taste or any other reason than to avoid tax.

HMRC didn't get them I suggest Trading Standards have a go.

 

[Stu]

Why?

Coors are deliberately brewing their pish, which has a natural variance of 0.23%, to consistently have and ABV of 3.5%. They're deceiving customers by advertising at 4%.
.

Just out of interest, how do/can they get away with that, Jack? Considering Trades Descriptions Act and all that guff?

 

[Beagle]

Just out of interest, how do/can they get away with that, Jack? Considering Trades Descriptions Act and all that guff?

They get away with it because all the donuts that drink it dinnae care about taste. They drink it by the gallon to get pished. That's the market Carling is in, lager lout country.

 

[Jack]

Just out of interest, how do/can they get away with that, Jack? Considering Trades Descriptions Act and all that guff?

No idea.

While I understand there will be a natural variance to deliberately brew it under the strength advertised seems shocking to me.

I wonder how many other brewers do the same?

I remember Scottish and Newcastle 'saved tax' by changing the ABV of one of their ales a number of years ago which caused a fuss at the time.

If I recall correctly they were a bit up front about it. The ABV was originally shown on font then it wasn't. When asked they were upfront and said what it was and explained why - same tax reason.

What Coors is doing is misleading.

 

[Doc Shrink]

I quite like cold pint of Coors.

Not really bothered about a slight difference in alcohol to be honest.
Plus I can tell the missus it's low in carbs so I won't get much fatter than I am already if I have another one.

 

[hibadelic]

They get away with it because all the donuts that drink it dinnae care about taste. They drink it by the gallon to get pished. That's the market Carling is in, lager lout country.

Their goal is purely to get pished yet they choose the weakest lager available?

 

[BurbankHibee]

Why?

Coors are deliberately brewing their pish, which has a natural variance of 0.23%, to consistently have and ABV of 3.5%. They're deceiving customers by advertising at 4%.

It looks to me that Coors would brew it at or slightly above 4% if they were not going to get dinged by HMRC for going over the 4%. And it would appear to be legal to say on the can 4% even although it could be as low as 3.5% due to the natural variance. I doubt the 0.25% extra alcohol would improve the taste or the effect in any discernible way.

A cunning development here was Beck's Bier. This used to be the USA number one imported beer. I was under the impression Beck's was only ever brewed in Bremen. I used to buy Beck's regularly. A few years ago I had a bottle of Beck's and I thought it tasted different. I checked the "best before date" and it was well within. I put it down to a bad case. Later I had a fresh case and the same thing, it didn't taste right. On closer inspection of the box, the wording said "Brewed with German Quality" and I couldn't see anything saying it was an imported beer. Looking at the fine print on the bottle, the beer was brewed in St Louis using "German Quality". The cheeky bastards (Anheuser Busch) were deliberately being misleading. And they are doing the same in the UK. At BevMo (liquor store) they still stock Beck's as being an imported German beer. I take great delight in pointing out that error to the store clerks. Who just ignore me but I made my point :laff:

 

[Beagle]

It looks to me that Coors would brew it at or slightly above 4% if they were not going to get dinged by HMRC for going over the 4%. And it would appear to be legal to say on the can 4% even although it could be as low as 3.5% due to the natural variance. I doubt the 0.25% extra alcohol would improve the taste or the effect in any discernible way.

A cunning development here was Beck's Bier. This used to be the USA number one imported beer. I was under the impression Beck's was only ever brewed in Bremen. I used to buy Beck's regularly. A few years ago I had a bottle of Beck's and I thought it tasted different. I checked the "best before date" and it was well within. I put it down to a bad case. Later I had a fresh case and the same thing, it didn't taste right. On closer inspection of the box, the wording said "Brewed with German Quality" and I couldn't see anything saying it was an imported beer. Looking at the fine print on the bottle, the beer was brewed in St Louis using "German Quality". The cheeky bastards (Anheuser Busch) were deliberately being misleading. And they are doing the same in the UK. At BevMo (liquor store) they still stock Beck's as being an imported German beer. I take great delight in pointing out that error to the store clerks. Who just ignore me but I made my point :laff:

Quite right mate. I only drink imported beer and I check the label first. So it's Moretti for a quick thirst quencher or Warsteiner or any of the Bavarian brewed Weißbiers. Best I've tasted on holiday though was Zermattbier brewed in Zermatt. Absolutely superb flavour and a fair percentage of the profits go to supporting the mountain rescue teams.

 

[Jack]

It looks to me that Coors would brew it at or slightly above 4% if they were not going to get dinged by HMRC for going over the 4%. And it would appear to be legal to say on the can 4% even although it could be as low as 3.5% due to the natural variance. I doubt the 0.25% extra alcohol would improve the taste or the effect in any discernible way.

A cunning development here was Beck's Bier. This used to be the USA number one imported beer. I was under the impression Beck's was only ever brewed in Bremen. I used to buy Beck's regularly. A few years ago I had a bottle of Beck's and I thought it tasted different. I checked the "best before date" and it was well within. I put it down to a bad case. Later I had a fresh case and the same thing, it didn't taste right. On closer inspection of the box, the wording said "Brewed with German Quality" and I couldn't see anything saying it was an imported beer. Looking at the fine print on the bottle, the beer was brewed in St Louis using "German Quality". The cheeky bastards (Anheuser Busch) were deliberately being misleading. And they are doing the same in the UK. At BevMo (liquor store) they still stock Beck's as being an imported German beer. I take great delight in pointing out that error to the store clerks. Who just ignore me but I made my point :laff:

Nice story.

Bottom line is Coors are deliberately misleading punters by advertising Carling pish at 4% when at best it's 3.5% ABV. It doesn't matter why, it's deceptive.

I've been aware of brewers brewing foreign stuff from a factory in Manchester and the like for decades. I'll give you XXXX in the mid 80s as a starter!

Premium beer is a con. You've got to be as sharp as fuck when going for all these "foreign" brews.

... and let's not get started on what the definition of a craft beer is ... or how the major breweries have already hijacked the term to produce low quality high production pish on the back of 'hand' crafted low production brews.

You're only half way there ;-)

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Just to be internationally clear. XXXX isn't the Bounce censoring anything. It's a poor quality Australian brew that was introduced to the UK as some sort of nectar in the 1980s only later to be found as having been brewed from the piss from a Manchester prison!

 

[BurbankHibee]

Bottom line is Coors are deliberately misleading punters by advertising Carling pish at 4% when at best it's 3.5% ABV. It doesn't matter why, it's deceptive.

I disagree, I think it does matter and I understand why they do it. Perhaps the laws need tightened up, perhaps the manufacturer should put an approximation of the ABV on the tin ? The ABV does have a natural variance, I would assume that actual ABV to be slightly below but never higher than 4% for tax reasons. Beck's used to be a high 5% back in the day but I expect that it's about 4% now.

I've been aware of brewers brewing foreign stuff from a factory in Manchester and the like for decades. I'll give you XXXX in the mid 80s as a starter! Premium beer is a con. You've got to be as sharp as $#@! when going for all these "foreign" brews.

Well yes, but it always states on the bottle/can "Brewed Under License". Even your Stella in the UK is brewed under license now. So I'm not sure where you see how a con has occurred if they manufacturer is up front. "XXXX" and Skol were the worst lagers I have ever tasted. But I was never under the impression that they were imported from Austalia or Denmark(?).

Premium beer is a con. You've got to be as sharp as $#@! when going for all these "foreign" brews.

Not really, in the UK you just assume it is brewed under license and not imported. I didn't think people actually believed they were imported.

... and let's not get started on what the definition of a craft beer is ... or how the major breweries have already hijacked the term to produce low quality high production pish on the back of 'hand' crafted low production brews.

On this I agree. A number of decent independent breweries have been bought up by the big conglomerates so they can have a presence in the "craft beer" market. our local brewery, Golden Road Brewing was bought by Anheuser Busch last year. Sell outs !! But still, the big boys can still have some decent tasting beer in the "craft beer" market. But some of them do try to disguise who the real brewer is. You think you are buying a "craft brew" from an independent and it turns out, you're buying Budweiser. Oh well.

You're only half way there ;-)

Half way where ?!

- - - Updated - - -

Quite right mate. I only drink imported beer and I check the label first.

The imported beer selection here is tremendous and I tend to drink imported rather than domestic. Budweiser is awful and gives me skull crushing hangovers even if I have only had a few pints. I have not had a Bud in years. Sam Adams Boston Lager is probably my favorite domestic beer but it is a wee bit more expensive. Next favorite is Amstel Light which is imported. But the one I drink the most of is a Mexican beer, Tecate. It's not particularly good but it is cheap and imported.

So it's Moretti for a quick thirst quencher or Warsteiner or any of the Bavarian brewed Weißbiers. Best I've tasted on holiday though was Zermattbier brewed in Zermatt. Absolutely superb flavour and a fair percentage of the profits go to supporting the mountain rescue teams.

Lovely jubbly !! I occasionally buy the Warsteiner but it's pricey but it's worth it for a special treat. That and Pilsner Urquell. Peroni is hellish expensive here so I rarely buy that.

 

[Jack]

Yup. Half way there but seemingly a lot further along than what I'd suggest is most, who are taken in by foreign names and slick advertising.

To be honest when I'm out at the weekend, every weekend, it doesn't matter to the vast majority of drinkers who seem to be out to get as much booze down their necks as is possible.

And that's not a reflection on Edinburgh folk as for some unknown reason my bars of choice attract an inordinate number of stag, hen parties and randoms from elsewhere in the UK and beyond and they're all at it!

 

[BurbankHibee]

Yup. Half way there but seemingly a lot further along than what I'd suggest is most, who are taken in by foreign names and slick advertising. To be honest when I'm out at the weekend, every weekend, it doesn't matter to the vast majority of drinkers who seem to be out to get as much booze down their necks as is possible.

I would say most consumers don't really care where the beer is brewed. Whether it is an import or brewed under license is probably pretty low on their priorities. But I would be very surprised if people really thought the Lowenbrau (or whatever) is imported. The price is what matters most. More important than taste probably. Quantity over quality.

And that's not a reflection on Edinburgh folk as for some unknown reason my bars of choice attract an inordinate number of stag, hen parties and randoms from elsewhere in the UK and beyond and they're all at it!

I see Peroni on tap in Edinburgh from time to time, do you know if that's imported ?

 

[Jack]

No idea.