Friday, May 30, 2008

Beer Belly

Flipping through my Runners World magazine, I notice several advertisements implying that if you are one who enjoys an active lifestyle, Michelob Ultra is the beer for you. I started thinking about this clever marketing ploy by Anheuser-Busch, and it's pretty clear that our overtly obese population has bought into this idea of beers with 'light' labels. Often, I have customers (who half the time don't look like they enjoy an active lifestyle, but rather have a heaping plate full of sweet potato fries dripping with grease and a couple extra sides of ranch dressing in front of them) irritated because I don't have any 'light' beers on tap they are familiar with. I suggest other beers that are low in calories, but I sense their suspicion as they gaze at the tap handle and seem to think "Well it doesn't say light." Oh, my bad, you must know everything about nutrition because you saw a Miller Lite commercial.

Usually those who consume beers with the 'light' labels drink several of them in one sitting. I guess they would have to in order to get a buzz, since they're usually 3.2% domestics (one of the joys of living in Oklahoma). It really defeats the purpose of drinking a light beer if you have to consume twice as much to get the alcohol consumption you're looking for. Unless you're on weight watchers or some other strict diet, the likelihood that you're keeping track of calories is slim. So that extra 10 or 20 calories you're saving with your light beer probably isn't doing you much good in the long run.

I was going to post different calorie contents of beers for this blog, but then I decided that it really doesn't matter. I'm not going to drink a beer based on the calorie content, and I don't advocate that practice. If you're going to drink a beer, you may as well drink one you're going to enjoy.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Drink better, drink less!!!
-Chuck

Kyle said...

Once upon a time...

The fine German's brewed a "low carb beer". Reinbacher. Top of the line of the Low Carb beers, bottom of the barrel for the German brewers. I haven't seen a bottle in about 4 years but that doesn't mean that some low carb nut job doesn't have some stashed away somewhere.

If you really are looking for the healthy solution, I suggest Wild Turkey 101 and Diet Rite. I realize there is no beer involved, but you obviously wouldn't be drinking "Low Carb" beer because you like beer.

But if you are looking for a cold one that might not add to your waist line, I'd suggest stopping by Ranch Acres and picking up a sixer of Pigs Eye Lean. It would be my top choice in the category.

Speaking of The Ranch.
$4.99 for a Sixer of Boulevard Irish Ale.

WHAAAAAAAT!?


That's right kids. get on down and pick up yours today.

Anonymous said...

Try some Dogfish Head 120 min. IPA it only weighs in at a meager 450 calories per 12oz. serving. Of course it is also carries a 21% ABV.
I love people (douche bags) that ask for "six point" "light" beers. Honestly, there is no such thing. People fail to understand that alcohol is directly related to the amount of grain that goes into a beer. Miller Lite, Coors Light, and Bud Light, or any of the Ultra beers are only 4.2% abv outside of Oklahoma. Here in Oklahoma they are a whopping 4% abv! Wow .2% of a difference in alcohol.
Here is a little unknown math problem that not too many people know about: 3.2% alcohol by weight X 1.25 = 4% alcohol by volume.
Kyle your shameless promotion makes me laugh. Like Chuck said, "Drink better, drink less."
-Tim

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