How did beer get so popular? It isn't even very good.

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momeNt

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2011
9,290
352
126
Beer isn't popular.

If you look at gallons consumed, it probably isn't even in the top 5. Too lazy to look it up, but I bet it is as follows.

Water
Tea
Coca Cola
Coffee
Mammal Milk.
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
106
alcohol combined would rank among those.

coca cola would not

still probably would rank
 

momeNt

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2011
9,290
352
126
alcohol combined would rank among those.

coca cola would not

still probably would rank

Coca Cola - the singular drink is like 140billion liters per year. Beer is like 130billion. I just looked it up.

Water and Tea are #1 and #2, i believe coffee is #3, and Milk is #4.

Coke might be #5. But beer is definitely not.
 

KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
50,231
118
116
Coca Cola - the singular drink is like 140billion liters per year. Beer is like 130billion. I just looked it up.

Water and Tea are #1 and #2, i believe coffee is #3, and Milk is #4.

Coke might be #5. But beer is definitely not.

Where are you looking? I have not seen a single site with beer outside of the top 4 and most have it top 3.

If you look only at the US then soda pop will probably rank first or second, because you guys are obsessed with the stuff for some strange reason, but regardless I would expect beer to be third in the USA and worldwide, just swapping out soda pop for tea when going worldwide vs. USA.

KT
 
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momeNt

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2011
9,290
352
126
As of 2006, more than 133 billion liters of beer. - Per wikipedia.

Over the past four years, global consumption of liquid
dairy products has reached a compound annual growth
rate of 2.4% — with consumption hitting an all-time high of
258 billion litres in 2008

http://www.tetrapak.com/se/documents/Dairyindex_1.pdf

You guys gtfo.

Beer is NOT a popular beverage.

In 2011, The Coca-Cola Company used 293.3 billion liters of water to make 135 billion liters of product, producing a water use ratio of 2.16 liters per liter of product.

That's just Coca Cola too. Not including all the other brands of soda.

I like beer as much as the next guy. But to try and say that it is a universally popular beverage like water, tea, dairy, coffee, soda, is patently absurd.
 

cubby1223

Lifer
May 24, 2004
13,518
42
86
i'm 21, i don't get beer - if you want to not be sober then go with liquor - if not, why the hell are you drinking

If you're 21 and don't like beer it's because you're drinking the popular college beer, like Milwaukee's Best & Natural Light, and for the special occasions break out the 6-packs of Rolling Rock & Ice House.
 
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momeNt

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2011
9,290
352
126
If you're 21 and don't like beer it's because you're drinking the popular college beer, like Milwaukee's Best & Natural Ice.

I enjoy Milwaukee's best, I also enjoy cask ale served at cellar temps.

Milwaukee's best is actually my go to beer when I'm looking for a cheap buzz. When I want to sit down and enjoy a beer that's readily available I like Two Brother's and Bell's beer. (Illinois and Michigan respectively) there are many others, these two just off the top of my head.
 

cubby1223

Lifer
May 24, 2004
13,518
42
86
I enjoy Milwaukee's best, I also enjoy cask ale served at cellar temps.

Milwaukee's best is actually my go to beer when I'm looking for a cheap buzz. When I want to sit down and enjoy a beer that's readily available I like Two Brother's and Bell's beer. (Illinois and Michigan respectively) there are many others, these two just off the top of my head.

I don't even remember what the Beast tasted like, was so long ago. But it's shocking to me thinking back at what we all thought was the best beer. We had one bar on campus at UofI that I don't know how but they had a steady supply of Old Style on tap that was freakishly amazing! Anyone new we brought to the bar, they'd always go for something else on tap first, and we'd have to convince them to just order the Old Style, and after a few times they give in and order it, and are shocked themselves at how good it was at this bar.

Had the Two Brothers Northwind stout over the weekend. Can't wait for them to release Monarch again.
 
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feralkid

Lifer
Jan 28, 2002
16,887
4,995
136
I like beer as much as the next guy. But to try and say that it is a universally popular beverage like water, tea, dairy, coffee, soda, is patently absurd.


Prepare to be patently mistaken.


1. Water

2. Soft Drinks

3. Tea

4. Beer

5. Coffee
 

WhoBeDaPlaya

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2000
7,415
404
126
I will say, that most people that don't like beer tend to not like coffee as well. Especially black coffee. Pure black coffee is pretty bitter as well in taste.
Oddly enough, I love coffee (usually have a cup before bed), but don't like beer all that much.
I have no qualms with drinking it, just don't particularly enjoy it. Usually drink them at local monthly LANs (host usually stocks up on Blue Moon).
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
Beer is watery, bitter, and bland. Also, the alcohol content isn't very high. Why isn't whiskey more of a social beverage?

Pretty sure this has been said many times in the past several pages, but it should be repeated again: You've been drinking the wrong beer.
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
106
I'm getting ready for bed, but is 182.69 million kiloliters larger than 258Bn liters?

my guess is change million to billion and kiloliters to liters

so possibly no

what is the total amount of alcohol consumed anyways
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
my guess is change million to billion and kiloliters to liters

so possibly no

what is the total amount of alcohol consumed anyways

Clarification: my link was for total beer consume worldwide, not all alcohol. If thats what you were implying?

Even if less, that kind of figure definitely puts it into the top handful of most consumed beverages, I would think.
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
106
Clarification: my link was for total beer consume worldwide, not all alcohol. If thats what you were implying? Even if less, that kind of figure definitely puts it into the top handful of most consumed beverages, I would think.

a kilo liter would be a thousand liters. a billion is a thousand million. so naturally they are the same range of numbers. at least i think. so with those statistics dairy would have more. but that does not include total alcohol
 

StinkyPinky

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2002
6,983
1,281
126
I hate beer. I find it bitter and disgusting. I'm actually amazed anyone likes it, but to each their own.
 

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,665
440
126
I just think you have freakish tastes and a flair for drama. Beer isn't "made from hops". It's one small ingredient. If you go by weight, hops account for less than 1% of what beer is. Hell it's even close to that if you count just dry materials that go into it. To liken to my pasta sauce recipe again, it's like saying pasta sauce is made from salt.

And there are many different kinds of hops all with different characteristics. They can be added at different times during the brewing process and obviously in different quantities. Many traditional stouts are very light on hops and any sort of "bitter" that is there is more from the toasted nature of the grains than anything else. Not the hops. The hops are there to balance out the sweetness of the malt in those brews. Not be the primary note you smell/taste.

Hops are what add the bitterness to beer. Regardless of the percentage added. All beer has some amount of hops. Without hops it isn't beer. It's something else. The hops as you say cut across the sweetness of the malt in beer so it doesn't end up some sticky sweet syrup drink like mead. Which is exactly what mead is. Fermented malts and no hops. It's sweet. Very sweet. Although the sugar can be removed, then you are left with something even more different than that.

As you said, some hops are stronger on taste that others. But regardless of the strength, they all add some bitterness taste to the beer. Some people key up on that, especially those that first start drinking beer. I did. It was originally very hard for me to drink any kind of beer. It all tasted like bitter swill to me. I tried a bunch. It took enough times getting piss ass drunk off the stuff that my taste buds finally acclimated to the bitter taste and it didn't bother me so much. Which is why I still can't stand IPAs as the whole point of an IPA is a very strong bitter flavored beer. Some people love that super bitter taste. Some like me can't stand it. I can deal with most other beers though as the bitter taste I find balanced well with the other flavors. Which to me balanced flavors makes good beers.

As for the cilantro issue someone else pointed out. Yah, I can't stand arugula all that much either. I can eat both cilantro and arugula, and have in the past, but OMG the stuff is mostly nasty to me. Smells like shit, tastes like shit, and decent amounts of the crap will make me hurl.