Top selling beers around the world:

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 12:53 pm

Interesting:
http://www.timescolonist.com/selling+be ... story.html

I'm surprised Blue still comes out on top for Canada. It was almost a decade ago that Inbev starting promoting Bud a lot more here.

Personally, I prefer Blue Light over Blue... simply because it tastes less bad.

And those poor Brits are still stuck on Carling!

Philip1 · Post by **Philip1** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 1:04 pm

Carling is the favourite beer of binge drinkers in England. In Northern Ireland they go for Harp, Carlsberg, or any cheap stuff from Germany in a tin. Gambrinus is the most popular in the Czech Republic despite having several much better local brews such as Budvar and Pilsner Urquell widely available. When I was in Prague last year I noticed at one of the pubs I was in that Pilsner Urquell was considerably more expensive than Gambrinus. That might be the explanation for the greater popularity of a rather bland (though not too bad) beer in a relatively poor country. I'd never even heard of the #1 German beer. I think the market there is very regionalized.

cannondale · Post by **cannondale** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 1:25 pm

Not on that list but worth mentioning, Jupiler is the best selling beer in beer Mecca Belgium.

Goes to show that the tendency to drink insipid beer (or to succumb to mass marketing for that matter) is a ubiquitous global phenomenon.

phirleh · Post by **phirleh** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 2:55 pm

cannondale wrote:Not on that list but worth mentioning, Jupiler is the best selling beer in beer Mecca Belgium.

Goes to show that the tendency to drink insipid beer (or to succumb to mass marketing for that matter) is a ubiquitous global phenomenon.

I always imagine there must be at least one person who lives in Westvleteren who would like nothing more than an ice cold Budweiser.

A photo in Westvleteren

mh007 · Post by **mh007** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:04 pm

Something must have changed within the last year, because I remember hearing that Blue dropped to third behind Budweiser and Canadian. Only thing that could have changed that that makes sense to me is the massive price drop in Ontario for Blue...

Either way, the top beer in any country is never worth drinking over the alternatives...

Philip1 · Post by **Philip1** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 4:30 pm

mh007 wrote:Something must have changed within the last year, because I remember hearing that Blue dropped to third behind Budweiser and Canadian. Only thing that could have changed that that makes sense to me is the massive price drop in Ontario for Blue...

Maybe those insipid radio ads that try to convince the masses that Blue is "the good stuff" really do work.

TBS lists its "most popular brands" as follows:

Coors Light
Molson Canadian
Budweiser
Labatt Blue
Carling
Bud Light
Keith's IPA
Lakeport Pilsner
Brava
Corona

I assume that's in order from biggest seller to tenth.

Ralphus · Post by **Ralphus** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:47 pm

I saw Denmark's choice was Carlsberg and it reminded me of a tasting we did a few years back, called "The worst of the worst".

Two of us went to the LCBO and each picked up 10 samples of what we thought were the 10 worst tasting beers. 20 unique entries. It included everything from Busch, to corona, to maximum ice. Entries were randomized and served blind. I'm sure you have already guessed the ending here. Carlsberg "won" the competition by a landslide. An absolutely atrocious beer. It wasn't even close.

On a side note.. it was actually good fun.

Torontoblue · Post by **Torontoblue** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:01 pm

Posted in the wrong thread for some stoopid reason.

Philip1 · Post by **Philip1** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 2:40 pm

Ralphus wrote:I saw Denmark's choice was Carlsberg and it reminded me of a tasting we did a few years back, called "The worst of the worst".

Two of us went to the LCBO and each picked up 10 samples of what we thought were the 10 worst tasting beers. 20 unique entries. It included everything from Busch, to corona, to maximum ice. Entries were randomized and served blind. I'm sure you have already guessed the ending here. Carlsberg "won" the competition by a landslide. An absolutely atrocious beer. It wasn't even close.

On a side note.. it was actually good fun.

If it was a couple of years ago then it was the Carlsberg that was made by Labatt. They've stopped that. Now it's the proper Carlsberg imported from Denmark. It's still not very good but at least now it is drinkable. The old Canadian-made stuff was horrendous.

Ralphus · Post by **Ralphus** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:44 pm

If it was a couple of years ago then it was the Carlsberg that was made by Labatt. They've stopped that. Now it's the proper Carlsberg imported from Denmark. It's still not very good but at least now it is drinkable. The old Canadian-made stuff was horrendous.

That would explain it as it was the Christmas of 2008 or 2009, I think. Good to know!

mintjellie · Post by **mintjellie** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:51 pm

My impression of Carlsberg was that it was a competently brewed and inoffensively bland continental pale lager.

S. St. Jeb · Post by **S. St. Jeb** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 12:40 am

So there are millions of people out there drinking Bud Light believing they are drinking beer!

Steve Beaumont · Post by **Steve Beaumont** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 12:36 pm

That data is antiquated: Blue hasn't been the best seller in Canada for some time. A couple of years ago, Bud took over as numero uno up here, and that was only recently eclipsed by...(drum roll, please)...

Coors Light!

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 3:57 pm

Steve Beaumont wrote:That data is antiquated: Blue hasn't been the best seller in Canada for some time. A couple of years ago, Bud took over as numero uno up here, and that was only recently eclipsed by...(drum roll, please)...

Coors Light!

I thought that myself, but then wondered if it had just been Ontario.

Honestly it's not surprising. Coors light is probably the most inoffensive brew.

Bud isn't bad (though I find it a little soapy), but try drinking a Blue or Canadian at anything above near-freezing temperatures and it's just gross!

Kel Varnsen · Post by **Kel Varnsen** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:52 am

Meh this doesn't really bother me that much becuase I really don't care what other people like. Plus is it really any more shocking than the fact that the best selling burger in Canada is probably sold at McDonalds?