Remember, Albany is still not the capital of Georgia.
I. Introduction
Today, as we introduce the world to our scrappy little
show, we find ourselves reviewing a beer that grew up with Generation-X, first
market tested in 1985 and nationally distributed the following year. This quadrupally cold-filtered American adjunct
lager was originally marketed as a draft-quality beer built on the bones of
Miller High Life; the Champagne of Beers on tap, but with superior portability. Today, however, it sells itself as the
anti-microbrew, hanging its hat on slogans like, “Its time for beer to quit
acting like wine,” and “It’s time for a good-old macro-brew.” And while it hearkens itself to a by-gone age
when seemingly all-American macros were built and bottled in the bounteous bosom
of the blue-collar upper Midwest, insisting that, “Its time to drink beer
imported all the way from Milwaukee,” in fact few beers are less attached to a
particular geographic location, having originally been brewed in North Carolina,
but now brewed in Georgia, Texas, Colorado, California, Ohio, and yes,
Milwaukee.
Today, on Pickled Eggs & Cold Beer, we’re talking about Miller Genuine Draft.
Today's theme - Blind Blake's 1929 "Diddie Wa Diddie"
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| Mr. Clayman, Dr. Smith, and Mr. Treash |
BeerAdvocate: 2.27 of 5
RateBeer: 1.62 of 5
Untappd: 2.49 of 5
ABV: 4.6%
Origin: This unpasteurized, cold-filtered American adjunct lager was developed in the mid-1980s as a response to declining sales of Miller High Life. Originally produced in Eden, North Carolina, as the MillerCoors empire consolidated in recent years production has been distributed across several other breweries (Albany, Georgia; Fort Worth, Texas; Golden, Colorado; Irwindale, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Trenton, Ohio).
Ingredients: Water, Barley Malt, Corn Syrup (Maltose), Yeast, Hop Extract, Hops
Cost: $; a 12-pack (the only quantity available at Wal-Mart, the only place we could find it in our area) was around $8
Appearance: Translucent, bright yellow, very few bubbles
Aroma: Virtually none, but probably easily skunked in the bottle since it is clear glass
Flavor: Inoffensive, nothing really of note
Mouthfeel: Watery, aftertaste almost a mineral water aftertaste
Authenticity, Marketing, and Other Factors: Is exactly what claims to be.
Overall: Mr. Treash gave it 1-Star, Mr. Clayman and Dr. Smith gave it 2-Stars; Overall? 1.67 Stars
V. Plugs
As always, please support local breweries and live music - in particular, please check out :
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| Armour Vienna Sausage Chicago, Illinois |
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Festival in Bristol, Virginia and Tennessee
Wolf Hills Brewing, also of Abingdon, Virginia
VI. Recommended Reading and Viewing
Chris Morris. September 15, 2015. "The original Miller Genuine Draft plant to shut down." Fortune.
E.J. Schultz. February 17, 2015. "Rewind: When Miller Genuine Draft, Not Bud, Was 'Macro': During the 1990s Craft Boom, Miller Tried to Make Big Cool." AdAge.
Ronald Theriot. December 23, 2010. "Louisiana Beer Reviews: Miller Genuine Draft." YouTube.
VII. Selected Advertisements
c. 1986
c. 1987
c. 1991
c. 1993
c. 1993
I cannot stop seeing MGD in the stores now. Target has it for $9.99, but it is only $8.99 at Harris Teeter.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, when I was in Australia in the late 90s and early 00s, your options for American beer consisted of Budweiser, Coors Banquet, or MGD.
The simple majesty of Miller Genuine Draft, the Holy Roman Empire of American beers.
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