Our first fight :(

September 25, 2006 5:02 PM

My boyfriend is really confused about American beer. He's banned from this site but he still reads it sometimes, so please give us some advice.

He's British but he'll be moving here in a few months so we can get married. We're talking about how our finances will work - he'll have to wait a while for work authorization, so we're gonna be really poor for a few months. He says he'll be inexpensive. I quote: "We'll buy cheap food, and cheap beer." I suggested maybe we should forgo beer altogether until our incomes improve but obviously that is not an option. He seems to think we'll buy urine-like beer such as Bud Lite or Natural Light in large quantities at low prices. I suggested maybe we could buy higher quality beer at slightly higher prices in slightly smaller quantities, because I really can't bear to see him drinking Bud Lite. Am I so off base here? Is it really worth it to drink total crap in the interest of saving money? This man hasn't had the American 19 year old Natty Light beerbong experience, so I'm afraid he doesn't understand the cultural implications of drinking nasty cheap beer. Please help me explain. Maybe he'll get here and realize they taste like stale water and it won't be an issue, but I'm worried! Please help!

Can this relationship last? :/

posted by thirteenkiller to food & drink (59 comments total)

(Okay this is not actually a fight)
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:03 PM on September 25, 2006

I love beer as much as the next guy, but perhaps if money is really going to be THAT tight perhaps you should consider that you won't be drinking much at all? Resolve the issue by deciding to only drink on special occasions or something?
posted by casconed at 5:05 PM on September 25, 2006

See, that's what I'm saying! Spend a little more on not totally crappy beer, and just make it last a bit longer. But he wants to save money by buying the cheapest beer possible.
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:07 PM on September 25, 2006

This problem will go away. Nasty beers in the UK are years better than nasty US beers. Two cans and he'll forget about it.
posted by bonaldi at 5:17 PM on September 25, 2006 [1 favorite]

Appeal to his latent sense of superiority as an ex-pat Brit to not drink the worst of American beer. If he insists on the American experience how does Bourbon measure up bang for buck if you are economising?

As a Brit I can safely say that we are terrible when it comes to drinking fizzy alcoholic water (Carling, Fosters et al, "driving lager", yuck) but even at summer camp most of the student, and therefore strapped for cash, Brits turned their nose up at Bud Light et al after one can/bottle as it really does taste of nothing (and a lot of the cheap beers are 3.5% aren't they)?

If the taste and or the culture arguments doesn't convince him then drink the good stuff yourself and then steal his weaker stuff near the end of the night. He'll either upgrade sharpish or answer your last question in the negative.

On preview what bonaldi and Civil_Disobedient said (except for the drinking water comment).
posted by Gratishades at 5:19 PM on September 25, 2006

Skimp on the food money or switch to wine. Negro Gato, from Chile, is tasty & only $5. Much higher alc. content which I guess is what he wants since he's not aiming for taste. Also most decent beers like Sierra & Sam Adams are only $2-3 more for twelve.
posted by poodlemouthe at 5:19 PM on September 25, 2006 [1 favorite]

I'd worry more about the ban than the beer.
posted by namespan at 5:19 PM on September 25, 2006

Hmm...in Seattle we're spoiled and can get quite good beer for reasonable prices. I can think of three options for you...

Try to set up a cheap CO2 system and purchase beer by the keg. You'll need a CO2 tank and the riggings to connect the keg to the tank. Also you'll have to keep the keg cold, with winter coming up you can leave it outside or in the garage or on the porch. You might pick this up inexpensively from a bar or tavern going out of business or contact the local homebrew club. Believe it or not some homebrewers have so much of this stuff lying around they might give it to you. After initial outlay you'll be spending less than a dollar per pint.

Consider homebrewing or joining a homebrew club. If you brew yourself it will cost money up front but after that it is very inexpensive per ounce. Plus homebrewers are eager to share their creations. You also might be able to buy an all-in-one-kit...look for a homebrew shop in your city.

Most microbreweries will sell you beer by the ounce in your own to-go container. Get a good mason jar or cider jug and you can often find beer for around $.10 per ounce.
posted by vito90 at 5:23 PM on September 25, 2006

I don't know if it's available in your area, but Yuengling beers are priced about like Bud ($8 or $9 a 12-pack in my supermarkets), and are miles better. Not superlative stuff, but the best compromise of cost for quality that I know of.

Then again, sometimes I do enjoy a Stroh's ($6 a 15-pack). But I wouldn't make it an everyday drink.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:24 PM on September 25, 2006

as others have said, drink tap water. if he needs the alcohol, get some stronger stuff, ie cheap liquor, there are plenty of choices at your local liquor store, and get it over with. getting drunk on beer, cheap or not, takes longer and it's more expensive in the end

and I love how a question about cheap beer turns into the new episode of the the Pretty_Generic MeFi soap opera (fights about cheap beer sound so-so, the "I'm gonna get myself a hooker, tell me how" is still my favorite)
posted by matteo at 5:26 PM on September 25, 2006

There are plenty of decent beers around for around the same price as budlight. It depends whereyou live but yeungling is often the same price as bud and a very respectable beer. In new york saranac is similarly cheap and has some excellent varieties. Of the bottom end beers miller high life can be a nice beer sometimes; it is bland but inoffensive. The cultural implications of drinking nasty cheap beer are that people will think that you are poor. But you are poor. If he is interested in getting drunk and doesn't care about drinking beer, boxed wine will be cheaper per unit of alcohaul than all but the cheapest malt liquer. If you are not into wine you probably won't even be able to tell that you are drinking bad wine.
posted by I Foody at 5:28 PM on September 25, 2006

You can make very good beer for very little money in ingredients and a small investment in time and initial equipment. Try going to a local homebrewers' meeting - I'm sure you will be able to find someone to teach you.
posted by exogenous at 5:28 PM on September 25, 2006

I don't really know what this question is asking, but Shlitz and PBR (both made by the Pabst Brewing Company) are generally considered less-disgusting but still-cheap beers (cheaper than bottled water...). They're not GOOD, but they're quite chugable.
posted by muddgirl at 5:35 PM on September 25, 2006 [2 favorites]

By the way, if you want to make your British boyfriend keep loving you dearly, don't put your beer in the refrigerator. Keep it in the basement or somewhere else cool and dry.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 5:45 PM on September 25, 2006

I suspect your bf has Jimmy Buffet beer sense, "The warmest beer I ever had was just cold enough." I would not count on him tasting nasty US beer (Pabst Blue Ribbon?) and giving it up because of the taste. He drinks to catch a buzz and for the taste. If cost is your issue, add a half of a shot of pure grain alcohol to his beer and he will be ready to go after 2 to 3 beers.

Otherwise, homebrew is a good alternative.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 5:50 PM on September 25, 2006

You know what? Schlitz is not a bad suggestion. The beer, not the malt liquor. Also, Huber Bock; that's from Wisconsin, we had it in Michigan and I assume you can get some in Indiana. That's like $6 per case. And worth every penny!
posted by rkent at 5:54 PM on September 25, 2006

I 3rd the yeungling (love their black and tan), also, I get Mackeson's XXX stout from Trader Joe's for $4.99 a six pack.
posted by 445supermag at 6:06 PM on September 25, 2006

I find the problem with college beers is less of the taste (indeed when pounding beers back the taste is something that can hinder the experience), and more about the weak alcohol content. When you're 18 being able to drink 6 beers and still feel good makes you feel cool ... when you get older you feel as if you're wasting money. Budweiser is one of the best beers in the cheap beer department. For some reason I am impartial to Miller Lite if it is a strict yard beer setting but if I had to chose Budweiser does have a pretty strict QA department (they freeze beers so they can test to make sure they aren't changing quality over the decades). A kegerator is a good idea but I have yet to see it outside of a frat house.

If we're talking really bargain basement (I don't find Miller Lite, Bud Lite, Budweiser to be significantly cheaper to local microbrews, perhaps a dollar or so?) -- Keystone trumps Natty Lite (and as a plus, Keystone Ice -- the heavy and somewhat more gross beer is the same price per 30!). It also something like $12 for 30. When I was running a come and go place in college I stocked up on these. They're smooth when you're not. Plus you'll keep the beer snobs from raiding your fridge and the chance of frat kids spontaneously emerging from your basement increases several fold.
posted by geoff. at 6:14 PM on September 25, 2006

There used to be popular T-shirt: "Life is too short to drink cheap beer." This is wrong. Life is exactly long enough to drink cheap beer, to savor it even. Life is too short to be a pretentious ass.

Cheap beer is great in its place. When you come in from running or mowing the lawn, a really cold Keystone Light is a thing of beauty. Regional cheapies are also worth exploring. Even something so foul as Black Label can be rendered palatable if you put it on ice.

The other alternative is to begin the evening with decent beer and move to the cheap stuff as you get less selective about all kinds of things. A six of a microbrew and a case of piss can make an enjoyable evening.
posted by LarryC at 6:15 PM on September 25, 2006 [4 favorites]

Forget the budweiser and go all out with a couple of 40's.
posted by utsutsu at 6:16 PM on September 25, 2006 [1 favorite]

With poodlemouth: Yep, my wife got me switched over from, not kidding here, Coors and PBR to Chardonnays. I'll never go back. Ofcourse when hanging with the mates, I'll chug whatever the bastards are buying me! Good luck!
posted by snsranch at 6:23 PM on September 25, 2006

Yup, if you want to get drunk, get cheap hard liquor and pound it neat. If you want something bubbly, get a 40 of OE ($1.50 for the alcoholic equivalent of a 6-pack, and it tastes way better than Bud).

All this talk about homebrew is nice, but hey, unless you're really making it in the bathtub and bottling it in bottles you've collected off the street, it's probably more expensive than malt liquor.
posted by rxrfrx at 6:35 PM on September 25, 2006

Thirding lager.

High Life is cheap and could be worse. I don't mind drinking it at all, honestly.

There is also Old German and Lion's Head, depending on your area.
posted by Loto at 6:42 PM on September 25, 2006

(and a lot of the cheap beers are 3.5% aren't they)?

Natty Light is 4.2%! As the adage goes, some beers are for sipping, Natty is for chugging.
posted by ludwig_van at 6:45 PM on September 25, 2006

As Monty Python once said, "American beer is like making love in a canoe: fuckin' close to water."

That said, if he insists on going the cheap beer route, I second the Pabst suggestion. Schlitz is OK, as well.
posted by brundlefly at 6:52 PM on September 25, 2006

Again for Yuengling, and I'd like to add: J.W. Dundee's. I don't know their distribution area, but I know that in NYC I get J.W. Dundee's Honey Brown Lager for cheaper than Yuengling, and it tastes great.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 6:57 PM on September 25, 2006

I don't know about the rest of the country, but here, only 3 hours drive from the Budweiser plant, Natty Light is about half as expensive as Bud Light.

That Honey Brown isn't terrible.
posted by sonofsamiam at 7:37 PM on September 25, 2006

I go for Schlitz or Black Label before I drink a Bud or Coors, but my favorite is Schaefer. When I get it, old dudes in the liquor store give me a sideways look and wistfully say, "Schaefer... I didn't know they still made that."
posted by peeedro at 7:42 PM on September 25, 2006

I would like to nth the Yuengling and suggest that, if getting wasted is your particular goal, you introduce your boyfriend to the fine American beverage known as:

The Jello Shot
posted by jason's_planet at 8:20 PM on September 25, 2006

Get a Costco membership. Even if that doesn't bring your good beer expenditures down to cheap beer levels, Guinness at a buck per, if memory serves, you'll also score cheap tortilla chips, boca burgers, whathaveyou. food.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 8:24 PM on September 25, 2006

Well, I figure I'll toss in my dissenting opinion, for what it's worth...

Cheap beer is an acquired taste, and in my opinion, one worth attaining. Now, if you're just looking to get hammered, by all means, go for the booze. Old Crow being my weapon of choice in this department (a decent, but not great, bourbon at $15 for a 1.75L plastic bottle is just too funny to pass up.)

I used to be a beer snob, and it got expensive, so I acclimated myself to the cheap stuff. Here's how it works: On your next couple of pub crawls, get something good, and preferrably heavy for your first couple of rounds. A good porter will work nicely. Now, after your two-to-three round allowance of good beer is up, switch to cheap beer. That's it. Drink all you want, it's cheap. You won't be loving it in one evening, or filling your fridge with it the next day, but slowly grow accustomed to it. At this point, I'll admit that I actually really LIKE Bud and Miller, though Falls City is much better and cheaper if you can get it.

As an aside, I still appreciate a good beer, as well. Probably more so, having a lower reference point. On special occasions, such as Tuesday nights, I'll go for something nicer, and I enjoy any chance I can get to make it to my local microbrew (Bluegrass Brewing Company is within staggering distance of my house). And if you're looking for a good compromise between quality and price, my choice is usually Killian's. For me, that one kind of hits the sweet spot, though your mileage may vary.

Also, I feel I should disclaim that I'm from Kentucky. Cheap beer is all but tradition around here, and I've never felt trashy ordering it in public. Sure, I won't be ordering Old Milwaukee at Ruth Chris's or anything (or anywhere else, for that matter - we all have standards), sometimes you just have to bury your pride in a shallow unmarked grave and head down to Hooters for Miller Time. To grab a quote completely out of context, This may hurt a little, but it's something you'll get used to.
posted by RobotMonkey at 8:45 PM on September 25, 2006

If you're genuinely and truly concerned about the future stability of your relationship based on the quality of beer your intended will have access to then the answer to your final question is no, the relationship will not last.
posted by nightchrome at 8:57 PM on September 25, 2006

If thirteenkiller's location information is accurate, she can't get Yuengling locally — it's not available in the midwest.
posted by IshmaelGraves at 9:00 PM on September 25, 2006

What's the word?
Thunderbird
posted by caddis at 9:21 PM on September 25, 2006 [1 favorite]

"cultural implications of drinking nasty cheap beer"

He must be desperate if he's marrying you, who can't see past his Consumer Product Profile.

Anyway. When I want a "nasty" cheap beer I prefer Stroh's, $6.79 per 15-pack at the Rite Aid up the street. I've tried oodles of cheap lagers (actually they're usually pilseners), and I recently bought Stroh's when Budweiser Select was on sale for the same price. Stroh's actually has some decent flavor, color and body (unlike, oh, Falls City), even if it ain't fire-brewed anymore.

When I want a "craft-brewed" cheap beer I shop at big discount liquor stores that have a wide selection of domestic and foreign ales and lagers under $10 per six-pack (the figure "$7.99" keeps coming to mind), that'll often have sales (a box of 12 for $10.99, e.g.); I also check what's on sale at the local Kroger's supermarket, where I just found a six of Goose Island Honker's Ale for $6.49 (not bad but I could saved 50 cents and bought the Red Hook ESB, also on sale, which I like a tad better). When I'm watching the sales and my pennies I can do okay for roughly a buck a beer (when I can afford that much).

But I drink an occasional "craft-brewed" Real Ale (TM) not because of the "cultural implications" but because I like the taste. (Hoppy and bitter usually, my usual favorites are IPAs in summer and Imperial Stouts in winter.) But when I want to impress some beeyatch I'll savoringly sip Steel Reserve 211 from a brandy snifter -- to see how she reacts.

And RobotMonkey, Old Crow is easy to drink but it's only 3 years old and 80 proof. Step on up to Very Old Barton: it's 6 years old, only a few cents more a bottle, and the 86 proof is silky straight up.
posted by davy at 9:21 PM on September 25, 2006

ok ... right now i am enjoying my 3rd bass' pale ale, which was 8.99 + tax and deposit for a six pack ... in other words, you can actually get english beer in america and not have to drink our cheap beer, at least because of unavailability ... also, there are many microbreweries who offer excellent english and german type beers for 7 to 9 bucks a six pack

not cheap enough? ... ok, then we're talking about cheap, mass produced american beers, which go from 4.50 to 6 for a six-pack, roughly

disregard anything with the name "lite" or "light" in it ... those are watered down and you might as well drink tap water

budwieser isn't bad ... pasbt blue ribbon is also drinkable ... these are two beers that haven't undergone the degredation of quality that has been the curse of the american beer industry in the last 30 years

i hate miller high life ... they put it in clear bottles which skunks the beer and it absolutely sucks

rolling rock is not available everywhere, but it is an excellent beer

if you're going to drink malt liquor, the only malt liquor worth drinking is mickey's, preferably in the big mouth bottles, which are hard to find ... but the 40s are everywhere ...

stroh's used to be good, but i can't find a six pack of it anywhere and i only live 140 miles from detroit, too ... last time i got ahold of some, it wasn't what it used to be

coors is seriously overrated ... it used to have a mystical reputation in the midwest because you couldn't get it here ... now that we can, it no longer has that rep

i really don't know that much about other cheap beer brands, because i pretty much avoid it ... (the whole thing about cheap american beer is that it tends to be weaker than other beer ... it used to be that some states prohibited sales of anything stronger than 3.2% beer, i'm not sure if that's true anymore ... so even if a good beer is 2 bucks more, you're getting as much buzz for the buck)

sam adams ... i used think this was pretty good, but it tends to be in the 7 or 8 buck range and you can get better beers for that price ... and i think the quality's gone off lately

sierra nevada pale ale and porter are unique and worth trying ... 7 or 8 bucks

there is also canadian beer, which tends to be lager, tends to be better and stronger for only about a buck more than american brands ... i recommend labatt blue ... and you may be able to get a decent price on a 12 pack for that ...

another thing about liquor in the states ... some states allow stores to carry small "airline" bottles of hard liquor with a couple of shot's worth ... it would be a shame if he didn't try jim beam bourbon ... this is sipping whiskey ... it should not be gulped and it is sacrilege to mix it with anything

if you wanna get smashed there's plenty of cheap whiskey and vodka around ... you may pay for it the next day, though

and i suppose that he should try southern comfort, too ...

in most liquor stores in america you will see cheap wines such as thunderbird, richard's wild irish rose, md 20/20 and boone's farm ... do not buy them ... they taste vile and if you get drunk on them, you will be VERY sorry you did
posted by pyramid termite at 9:27 PM on September 25, 2006

Could you try brewing your own? After an initial investment for the "hardware," it should be pretty cheap.
posted by wandering steve at 9:28 PM on September 25, 2006

Many box wines are good on the rocks; reds are better for that if you want to taste your beverage. Similarly, I prefer the flavor of Steel Reserve 211 to Old Milwaukee, for what it's worth, because 211 has flavor. When all I want is to get drunk nothing beats Heaven Hill vodka from the freezer.
posted by davy at 9:29 PM on September 25, 2006

Of course if the bird is not to your taste, and you must have a malt beverage, then a 40 of Colt 45 (in a brown paper bag please) is your answer.
posted by caddis at 9:29 PM on September 25, 2006

A 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor, which in many circles is the standard serving for one drinker, has the same amount of alcohol as five shots of whiskey. Its effect on the human system can be violent, murderous. "Throwing back a 40"--drinking it down in great gulps, as is the fashion--feels like the equivalent of someone standing behind you with a baseball bat, teeing off on the back of your head every time you take a swallow. You leave your brains on the pavement when you walk away. If you can walk away.^
posted by caddis at 9:31 PM on September 25, 2006

Thanks for the recommendations, Davy. I'm also a fan of Bartons, quite tasty as well. I know Falls City isn't great beer, or really anything special, I'll admit. I got started on it because it was always my grandad's favorite, so perhaps it's the sentiment that I enjoy more than the beer, but for whatever it's worth, I like the stuff. I haven't had Stroh's in years, but I probably ought to give it another shot - I vaguely remember liking it, but have only had it on a couple of occations.

And I'll also reiterate to the others in this thread that Red Hook ESB is really good. You've all heard my tastes, so an endorsement from me may not mean much, but seriously, it's good beer :)
posted by RobotMonkey at 9:33 PM on September 25, 2006

caddis, methinks you're trying to kill the guy ...
posted by pyramid termite at 9:47 PM on September 25, 2006

Unfortunately, you get what you pay for in beer. Good English, or English style bitters and lagers cost real money. Sam Adams is very good beer and due to its popularity it sells for a little less than other similar brews. All of the really cheap beers taste like they have been passed through a horse. Since you are in the midwest you might look for Leinies which are cheap yet at least try to achieve a palatable taste.
posted by caddis at 9:47 PM on September 25, 2006

Unfortunately, you get what you pay for in beer.

agree ... leinenkugel is acceptable

but hey, as long as we're going for cheap and godawful, there was this beer called weidemann's (sp?) that was so damn cheap that the stores that carried it wouldn't even bother to sell it in the cooler ... it was sold in cardboard 12 packs for about the same price as a 6 pack of an inexpensive american beer would cost ... even in my pre-beer snob days of mainstream american beer drinking, i thought the shit was pretty rank

but it was cheap and got you smashed ... i seem to remember that shaeffer's sold for a similar price ... there was also another bad beer that was sold in cardboard boxes in 12 packs that was similarily cheap, awful and banned from the coolers

during winter, it worked out ok ... me and my bud would drive to the end of 34th street by the church and the railroad tracks, stick the 12 pack in the snow bank and by the 3rd beer, it would be reasonably cool and we didn't mind the taste so much

i'm pretty sure if one looked around one could find similar "bargains" in most sections of the country ... i don't know ... i drink more for taste these days
posted by pyramid termite at 10:11 PM on September 25, 2006

ps - the name of the other beer was altes ...
posted by pyramid termite at 10:12 PM on September 25, 2006

Any good bars nearby? A chap with a British accent can get good tips as a bartender, or undocumented bottle-washer.

And oh yeah -- free beer. Good beer. On tap. Daily, even.
posted by turducken at 10:46 PM on September 25, 2006

"Cheap beer is an acquired taste"

I find that the easiest way to acquire a taste for cheap beer is... being unemployed. When you're broke, you just want a buzz. (Miller High Life is my unemployment beer.)

Actually, I grew up in a cheap-beer family, in a cheap-beer county. Want to know the truth about cheap-beer drinkers? They're beer snobs, too.. Pabst drinkers think Schiltz drinkers are crazy. Schlitz drinkers think Old Milwaukee Drinkers are losers. Old Milwaukee drinkers are tired of people trying to buy them Milwaukee's Best. It just goes round and round, with Busch, and Altes, and Stroh, and all the others.

Anyway, thirteenkiller, let your boyfriend drink cheap beer, and tell him to go for it. To fit in with us American barbarians, he not only has to drink cheap beer, he has to drink each brand at least once, so he knows what his favorite and least favorite brands are, so he can insult other cheap-beer drinkers' favorite brands, as required by tradition. It's the American Way.

This country was built on cheap beer! Everybody should have a cheap-beer phase in their life. It builds character.
posted by faster than a speeding bulette at 11:32 PM on September 25, 2006 [2 favorites]

I'm with you 13k--drink better beer in smaller quantities. Pair it with smaller quantities of more delicious food. Best wishes to you and hubby. I fondly remember my very first compliment on the Blue.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 12:10 AM on September 26, 2006

Alcohol consumption is based almost entirely on what the product looks like and what the social implications of drinking the product are. Taste comes in at a distant third. A prime example of this is the current "Super Premium Vodka" wars over whose neutral grain alcohol is the neutralist.

For beer it's the same, Heineken once tried to change their bottles from green to brown* in order to stop them from skunking and improve the flavor, but the new bottles sold so poorly they had to go back the green ones, hence Heineken's in the states are always skunked.

So the way for you to make sure your boyfriend drinks cheap is to get him to identify with a social group that drinks cheap beer. If he is into hip hop, you can get him to drink 40s, if he into indie rock he can drink PBR. If he thinks he is a good old boy he can drink whisky and rye. The worst would be if he is a Pretentious Yuppie in which case he will want to drink the mediocre and extremely overpriced Stella Artois.


*Miller High Life is never skunky, and if you think it is you don't know what a skunked beer smells like. Miller has a patented process of isomerizing Hop Alpha acids that prevent them from being skunked.
posted by afu at 12:15 AM on September 26, 2006

I second the steele reserve. After scaling back from Sierra Nevadas, It's O-K.
posted by prodevel at 3:53 AM on September 26, 2006

steel reserve even*
posted by prodevel at 3:54 AM on September 26, 2006

He must be desperate if he's marrying you, who can't see past his Consumer Product Profile.

FFS, I'm not that serious.
posted by thirteenkiller at 4:31 AM on September 26, 2006

Beer Machine
posted by London Irregular at 6:13 AM on September 26, 2006

ah ... so miller has a dog piss in it first so the skunks won't get it ... got it

sorry, but something's really bad about that beer and i won't drink it
posted by pyramid termite at 6:41 AM on September 26, 2006

He's banned from this site but he still reads it sometimes still has a sock puppet account that he uses regularly

Fixed that for you.

If he's a man who likes to drink, more beer is often better than better beer. If he's a beer conneisseur then less is better, buy beer on sale or -- best of all -- learn to make it yourself. Then you can drink the sort of beer you like, have it be cheaper than all but the cheapest beer, spend time together doing something fun, and have the illusion of a full fridge during lean times because it will be full of beer. Buy the fixings now when you're not so broke. If it were me, I'd drink cheap beer, personally.
posted by jessamyn at 7:18 AM on September 26, 2006

As a Brit living in the US I couldn't stomach cheap American beers for a while when I first got to these shores. Now, I fare much better. I really, really like good beers and I'd rather spend the money and have a couple of really nice beers at home, but when I go to a party (unless it's a fancy do) it's Miller High Life or MGD all the way. In fact I'm known for it and some of my US friends now follow suit and we try to out do each other in the crappy but drinkable cheap beer stakes (whereas we'd only order good beer in a bar if we have the choice...) My point is this: it's great to drink really good beer, but shit beer has a time and a place and sometimes it's really really nice to drink a real donkey of a beer - as long as it's cold! I fully support the Yuengling idea and I'd go for Miller over Bud. Having said all that, my recommendation for a cheap beer that tastes good and gets the job done is Ballantines.
posted by ob at 8:00 AM on September 26, 2006

"I find that the easiest way to acquire a taste for cheap beer is... being unemployed."

Amen brother - preach it!

If you are even in Texas you must have the national beer of Texas - Lone Star. It's to Texas what Pabst is to the northwest.
posted by jopreacher at 9:11 PM on September 26, 2006

Indiana, huh? Can you still get Labatt and Molson down there? Or Moosehead? Because, at least up in Michigan, the best cheap beers are Canadian (be careful with the price point on Labatt, as they're only 11.5 oz, the fuckers).
Aside from that, PBR is an honest drink, as is the High Life. Avoiding the "lites" is the way to go, as there's nothing there. 'Course, some people who sniff at Miller Lite also drink Stella, which is just as dilute.
But here's yer best bet: Microbreweries in Indiana. At growler sizes (you own your own growler, right?) microbrews are cheap and tasty. Aside from that, Huber and Point Special (both in the Chicagoland area though I'm not sure about Indiana) are excellent for the price.
Me? I love life. As such, I love beer. It's really rare for me to find a beer that I hate, but most of those ARE microbrews. Especially the sweet stouts or fruity bullshit beers that they hawk to women and tourists. So macrobrews can be quite a solace. I know that people look down their noses at me for drinkin' Bud at the bar, but if it's on special, they can get fucked. Heinies are skunky, Leinies are sweet, but the rest of the oft-cheap are tasty and refreshing.
Oh, and if you can get it, go for Great Lakes Brewery, who are from Cleveland, I believe. The absolute best stout around (Starboard). Their ales are tasty too. But you should never have to spend more than $7 for a sixpack ever.
posted by klangklangston at 9:34 AM on September 29, 2006

There are no "cultural implications" of drinking cheap beer. Most men who drink beer regularly generally stop being beer snobs in their 20s. If it's cold and has alcohol in it, that's pretty much good enough. This does not mean you can't enjoy or prefer a nicer beer, but regular ol' american beer is just fine.

In fact, in some cases regular ol' american beer is better, such as

1. summer beers. Summers belong to watery american beers, and occasionally heineken type lagers. You can only drink so many hoppy beers in the summer time.
2. Ordering a drink in a dive. You can order a microbrew in here, sure, but you shouldn't. it ain't proper.

The absolute best cheap beers are PBR, the elusive PBR light, and Olympia. Miller light is the first runner up, followed closely by the Budweiser team.

The best place to buy cheap beer is FoodsCo or your local ghetto "wholesale no membership required" market. They will have a wider selection of cheap brews, unlike Costco, which only carries your mainstream cheapies (bud, coors, miller) and fancier swag.

Realistically, the difference between a cheap beer and a "good" one is only going to be two bucks at best -- particularly if you're buying at Safeway or somewhere where they regularly discount beer. If you guys live near a Trader Joe's, then the difference will be very little. If you guys live near a Rainbow Grocery, then you might actually save a little, and you'll have the fun of drinking discontinued beers that no-one has ever heard of.

Either way, much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with the posters suggesting the curtailing of drinking altogether, if you really want to save money. Alcohol ain't cheap, even if you get cheap alcohol. Start researching events where you can get it for free now (art openings, house parties, weddings, sponsored events, etc etc).
posted by fishfucker at 11:00 AM on September 29, 2006