Not the King for Me !. Review on Budweiser

Budweiser, a US-beer from the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis,Missouri, is a widely-available beer which is well-marketed not only in the US, but in UK,India and many other countries. One can only admire the superb marketing of this product. Often billed as ''The King of Beers'' it is reputedly the most popular beer of all in its homeland and is said to be enjoyed by the masses. Generally beers in the US are lower in alcohol content than those in most European countries

The beer is named after a town in the Czech Republic called Ceske Budjeovice and the German name for it is Budweis. The name ''..Budweiser'' is a locative,meaning ..''of Budweis''.

Budweiser,ie,the US brand, is,however,considerably less popular in the UK and in other countries of Europe,compared to the US,and I know few people who would give it a 5 star rating.

I first came across this beer at a US Air Force base in Oxfordshire many years ago and long before it was widely marketed in UK and other countries. Right from the outset I never thought much of it and over the years my initial impression has not changed. Indeed, if anything I think my opinion of it has worsened as I have had the subsequent highly enjoyable experience of sampling fine lagers from Belgium, Germany and the original Budweiser Budvar from the Czech Republic. In my opinion it doesn't hold a caudle to Budweiser Budvar or for that matter to the great Trappist beers from Belgium,or the fine German beers.

It is a light lager with a bright straw colour and is arguably best served ice cold.It has a malty nose but lacks punch.

Its proponents say it is clear, crispy and very refreshing;its refreshing if you like a weak, watery lager but not if your preference is for a lager with a full-bodied taste. This mass produced beer is I suppose inoffensive enough and goes quite well with a range of different foods such as lasagne, pizza, chili-con-carne, salad and curries. Perhaps that is its strong point. However, I would not choose to drink it with traditional Western pub food such as steak and kidney pie, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding or a Ploughman's lunch.

Today there are many fine lagers available in pubs,supermarkets and off-licenses in India and given the choice I would opt for one of the Czech, Belgian, German or Dutch lagers in preference to a Budweiser. Taste is, of course, very much a personal affair and those people who enjoy light lagers might I guess disagree with me and possibly choose a Budweiser, Millers or San Miguel. Not for me though! It isnt the King of Beers in my book,although I must agree its marketing is to be admired.

Thanks for reading !