The Session 56- Cheers to the Big Boys

The 56th edition of The Session (I have no participated in all of them, but am glad I have gotten involved), was hosted by The Tale of the Ale, and we will be looking to say cheers to the big guys:

Anyway I want people to pick a large brewery or corporation that owns a lot of breweries. There are many to chose from. Give thanks to them for something they have done. Maybe they produce a beer you do actually like. Maybe they do great things for the cause of beer in general even if their beer is bland and tasteless but enjoyed by millions every day.

Well, I am grateful for the big brewers.  Those who own multiple brands, put out more beer than Africa has water.  I am grateful that they taught me what bad beer tastes like, how marketing programs can revolve around a false sense of what beer should taste like ("ice-cold", "triple-hopped") and how to get scantily clad women in every commercial. As for all of these fun and exciting lessons that they taught me, I do feel that Anheuser-Busch get some things right.

First off, they have quality control down to a T. If you can make that much beer taste exactly the same, all of the time, that is pretty impressive.  Sure there isn't much taste to it, but still impressive.

Second, in the summer of 2006, Bloomsburg was hit with what we thought was a 100 year flood (apparently it was a 5 year flood, as this year was much worse than that one). The town was shocked to a standstill.  The town was without drinkable water, and what came in to help was truckloads of Anheuser-Busch water in cans.  Crazy, I know. (If I can get a picture of it from my in-laws, I'll post it.) The water did not save the town, but it was a huge relief.  I am sure that they provide services like this to may disaster areas, and don't blast their name all over the news.

Finally, as many forgettable commercials and marketing campaigns that the big boys have had, A-B came through with some commercials that can be cherished: