Comments on: Montana barley in Mexican beer

By: bullshipper

bullshipper — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:05:37 +0000

and Chuck;
i would hesitate to use the word “leader”, when you describe AB. i think i would use the word “largest”.
mighty big difference, as far as i’m concerned.
the bull

By: bullshipper

bullshipper — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:11:38 +0000

hmmm…
it’s too bad A.B., M.C., & all the rest of the big boys, don’t put the grain/malt to better use. their products are what they are…
i guess it’s advantageous for the mass producers, mass transporters, investors, and a public willing to settle for a generic, ho-hum, and inferior product. that great ale & lager beer can be produced by smaller, more product than bottom-line oriented craftsmen, at great expense; is a sad commentary on the state of “real” beer, today.
take a look at the hop situation. the people that grew them for the love of the sport (brewing); have been bought out, monopolized, and unfairly treated over the last 1/4 century. now that the mega-swill producers have control over most of the crop, it really, really rubs against all purists grain (sic). try buying more than 2 ounces of your favorite hop, these days. the craft brewing suppliers will limit you (and apologetically charge you exorbitantly) on your purchase, account of fairness for all small brewers; and only because the wrong people (again, the mega-producers) have control of it all.
pffft…i wash my hands of it. i can only hope (real) beer survives it, unlike the family farmer, dedicated brewer, and unfortunate consumer.

and NO, Samuel Adams is NOT the “best beer in America”. big budget ad campaign, is all (go figure?).

By: Chuck

Chuck — Sat, 31 May 2008 22:06:24 +0000

As the nation’s leading brewer, Anheuser-Busch is a major purchaser of U.S. agricultural products, including Montana-grown malting barley. Anheuser-Busch beers use the choicest golden barley, selected from the finest fields in America. Our purchases of millions of bushels of Montana malting barley directly contribute to the state’s economy.

The Facts

Anheuser-Busch beers use high-quality malting barley provided by growers in MT, ID, WY, ND, SD and MN.

Through Company owned elevators and commercial elevators, Busch Agricultural contracts around 19 million bushels of malting barley from approximately 750 Montana growers. For 2008, crop market value of these contracts approaches $100 million dollars.

Busch Agricultural operates 4 facilities in Montana including barley elevators at Fairfield, Conrad, Sidney and a certified seed facility in Fairfield. Capital investment exceeds $28 million dollars. These locations have 28 employees with annual payroll of $1,725,000.

Additionally, we acquire approximately 8.5 million bushels of malt from International Malting Company in Great Falls.

What could be more local to Montana.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:18:34 +0000

Good post! It’s similar to the “typical” downtowns that have been shuttered and the big-box stores spring up all over the place. Eventually, everyplace looks like everyplace else – the local distinctions gradually fade, and then are gone. Same with beer I guess. The little guys are where its at.

OTOH, Mexican beer should get considerably better in the future!

By: 45IBU's

45IBU's — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:38:14 +0000

Well said.

I hope they don’t serve that great Montana barley brewed beer in a clear bottle!

Travis