Years and yeast: a history that has a distinct taste and stands on its own

This week, the beer review squad welcomed a new member, so we decided to write a special edition. Instead of a plain old beer review, we are excited to bring you a history lesson! We tasted four of America’s most important beers, and we are going to share how they shaped American beer culture, as well as our reviews on them. If you are of age, feel free to crack one with us. If not, sit back and enjoy the history lesson.

Budweiser – American-style Lager (5.0%): Released in 1876, Budweiser was the first beer to be nationally distributed in the USA. This was the steppingstone that led to the massive brewing conglomerates of today, such as Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors.

As it is an American classic, we have all indulged in the King of Beers before. It has a bready smell and is very thick. It has more flavor than a light beer, with us giving it a seven out of 10 in terms of flavor intensity. Nothing special here, but a solid staple and a good option to mix up the selection in the fridge.

Coors Banquet – Golden Lager (5.0%): Though Coors was founded in 1873, it was not until the late 1970s that the beer was widely distributed. For the first 100 or so years of its life, Coors distribution was limited to the West, making it the grandfather of the “limited release” beer. This is a popular trend with craft beers today, where smaller breweries may only put up a specific number of cans or crowlers for sale at a given time. Coors Banquet is a personal favorite of the team, so we thoroughly enjoyed doing this tasting.

Banquet has a more subtle smell, with grain notes as opposed to the breadiness of Budweiser. Once again, this beer is more flavorful than a light beer, but it does have that classic Coors taste.

It is crisper and more refreshing than the Budweiser and has more noticeable carbonation. Coors Banquet is a beer for every Johnnie and Bennie.

Miller Light – American-style Pilsner (4.2%): Light beer is far and away the best-selling type of beer in America. Miller Light was not the first version on the scene, but it was easily the most successful. They used ad campaigns in the 1970s to target specific audiences and blew up, bringing light beer to where it is in the market today.

As a light beer, it was no surprise to us when Miller Light came across with less smell and flavor and more carbonation than the other three beers in this review. It was noticeably thinner in consistency and much lighter in color. We also noted a slightly coiny aftertaste. Our review: it’s a light beer.

Fat Tire – American Amber Ale (5.2%): To be honest, Fat Tire was not our first choice to fill the fourth spot of this beer review. Nevertheless, it has a great story. Fat Tire was a major player in the early world of craft beer, which has become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s also an amber ale, which is not a beer style that is seen often, despite how warm and approachable it is.

We found Fat Tire to have a good blend of grainy and bready scents, and it was very smooth to drink, with low carbonation. It was deliciously warm and malty; if you want your beer to hug you, drink Fat Tire.