I finally found a six-pack of Budweiser’s new American Ale at Spec’s. It cost me $6.49, the same price I pay for Saint Arnold’s. As you can see, it’s a deep brown color. I hate to admit it, but it tastes great. (More filling!) It’s not like I am going to pass over Saint Arnold’s Christmas Ale to get to this stuff, but it’s by far the best beer I’ve ever tasted with a Bud label on it.

As I reported in “Texas Wants Beer!”, local beer geeks like Scott Birdwell are giving the product some begrudging praise. Bill Metzger, publisher of Southwest Brewing News and a leading light of the microbrewery movement told me he had tasted Bud’s American Ale in Saint Louis at a special tasting.

“It’s pretty adventurous for Anheuser-Busch This is much more highly hopped than their lager. And you know, whatever you think about Anheuser-Busch, everything they brew is flawless,” Metzger said. He doesn’t see Bud’s American Ale as a challenge to craft beer makers. “It’s a more flavorful product that will appeal to a much larger audience.”

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Metzger and most craft brewers see Bud American Ale as a training wheels beer that will eventually lead American beer drinkers to experiment with other flavorful brews at the same price point. And that’s good business for everybody. -- Robb Walsh