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When news broke yesterday that President Obama will drink Bud Light when he meets with Henry Louis Gates and James Crowley, the response was swift and negative.
Some accused Obama of pandering to Joe Sixpack, or the "average" American. Others took an opposing tack, criticizing the president for picking a beer that, despite its red-blooded American reputation, is made by a foreign company (Belgian corporation InBev bought Anheuser-Busch last year).
But the most passionate criticism was aimed at the beer itself. "This light-beer position is even less excusable than, I don't know, torture," wrote the Washington City Paper. Other voices on the Web were eager to explain why: The Village Voice's food blog panned Bud Light as "flavorless swill," while the Awl called it "a combination of frog urine and carbonation."
But as Obama's press secretary asked at the news conference where the infamous beer selection was announced, "What's wrong with Budweiser?" Bud Light is the best-selling beer in the U.S.--somebody likes it. Now, who's going to tell us, in measured and eloquent detail? And who's going to defend it?
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I'll defend Bud Light Lime. Is that an option?
Ugh. Bud Light? Really? My sister in law was in town last weekend and Bud Light is the only beer she would drink. She also put ketchup on her steak after insisting that it be cooked to the point that there was "no pink in the middle! I don't want it to 'moo' at me!"
I'm not saying you have to go with a microbrew or hipster swill like PBR in a can, but geez, how about Fat Tire, or at least Sam Adams, fer cryin out loud.
But, well, maybe the guy just like Bud Light. Who am I to judge?
The thing about Bud Light is that it can be drank socially on hot days when you're likely to need to drink a lot of liquid, without necessarily getting you drunk. Further, we all know we weigh too much, and if we're likely to be knocking back a few, why not avoid some calories where you can?
I enjoy Sam Adams, and find some MicroBrews of high repute to taste absolutely awful - like drinking carbonated bread. If its 80+ degrees and I'm going to be spending all day around beer, I'll take a Bud Light anytime, or even just a plain old Bud.
By the way, this little bit of Acronyming always sticks in my mind:
Because
U
Deserve
What
Every
Individual
Should
Enjoy
Regularly
Perhaps my anti-Bud Light stance goes back to the first time I ever got drunk: It involved a 6 pack of Bud Light and a flask of MadDog 20/20, and I wound up falling into a camp fire and singing my eyebrows off.
Anyway, if you need light summer beer, I like Miller High Life and Coors Light a lot more than Bud Light; and as the first commenter noted, Bud Light Lime is pretty good (although I am loathe to admit it.)
The beer ads have gotten to me - I expected that last "R" to be "Responsibly."
Back in Ye Olde Days, before AA, I loved light beer. Could pound much more of that, faster than, say, Guiness. I mean, if all you want is to get fucked up (and you can't do hard liquor), then light beer is best.
I never drank it for the taste.
Are those plastic bottles? That's a good reason not to drink it if it comes in plastic. Course if it gets ugly at the beer summit no one can smash one and cut somebody.
Nothing worse than a president and a harvard prof trying to seem normal by drinking regular guy stuff. Are they serving hamburger helper too?
Brian
Support a Belgian-owned beer? Nay nay, stick with Sam Adams, owned and brewed in the US of A. no out-sourcing.
Is it Bud Light or Budweiser? Big difference.
That's like asking "who will defend McDonald's?" Who cares that it's the best selling? It's swill, it's foreign-owned, and there's only about 1000 better American-made beers.
Oh c'mon!
In response to the original question, I will simply respond: "Not I."