Throughout these last few months of classes in Beer 101, there has been one very strong constant between all the different presenters. They all had similar thoughts on beers created by companies such as Budweiser. Besides the fact that they all compete with this massive Fortune 500 company, these craft beer sellers all said one simple thing – that they have massive respect for companies like Budweiser.

I never thought that they would have respect for them. I thought they might even despise them because of the massive power they have in the beer industry  or that they have the ability to buy any craft beer brewery they want. Well, no, all of those answers are wrong. They have respect because of one simple thing – how their beer is created.

In previous posts, I have gone into detail on the multiple processes of how beer is made. Now, this is something I never really understood before taking these classes, but there is a lot that goes into it, and that’s where companies like Budweiser excel and is exactly why they deserve the credit they do. They are able to brew the same exact batch each and every time they put together a beer.

The craft brewers I have talked to say that this is the hardest thing to do when brewing beer. There are so many different factors that can cause it to taste different each time they brew a barrel. Even if they are using the same exact ingredients as the time before, most say the batch will always have a slightly different taste than the time before. But not with Budweiser.

Budweiser has 12 different locations across the United States. I bet you didn’t know that water was such a factor when creating beer, right? Well, these craft beer sellers say it’s incredible that breweries like Budweiser can use water from all over the United States and still manage to make the beer taste the exact same. This replicated filtering and processing allow beers like Budweiser to be clear, something craft beer brewers say is pretty incredible.

Having a beer that is clear like a Bud Light or other beers created by Budweiser is something that is a trick of the trade. Beer being clear means the brewers aren’t hiding any impurities or other aspects that were used to create the beer. From what I have learned, this takes talent, and that is why they deserve the respect they do.

Now, craft beer lovers, don’t get upset. There is no hate here for craft beer, but there is no hate for large companies either. I think each type of brew has their own differences and talents, which is what makes drinking beer fun. I would say craft beer gets much more freedom, almost like an art form. I would also say that Budweiser is much more business oriented, but also an art form in and of itself.

Either way, we’re drinking good beer.

Collegian blogger Courtney Fromm can be reached at blogs@collegian.com or on Twitter at @courtney_fromm. Read more of her content on Collegian.com under BeerMe!. Leave a comment!!