So why do people brew their own beer.  Sometimes from the outside it can seem like a lot of work but once you know what's happening and how to control what you're getting, it becomes one of those obsessive pursuits.  Brewers either want the best of a particular style or want a beer that they can't find to buy when they want it - or believe they can do better! For others it's an act of revolution. For a corporation with shareholders to answer to, the product that they produce must have a sizable target audience or a significant enough demand to create an appropriate profit v the investment needed to manufacture it.  And there we've put our finger on where the problem comes from for me.  I spent many a year in the corporate structure that was committed to cost cutting even at the expense of quality.  You don't want some bean counter dictating what goes into your beer or how it's made.  Once quality is traded for a margin and what tastes good becomes the decision of a focus group of "likely buyers" it's over.  And the Bud, Miller, and Coors drinkers? That's exactly what they've signed up for. And worse, they've been convinced by ad campaigns that drinking a light lager that has only a passing interest in brewing will make them trim, sexy, youthful, exciting people.  I'd rather be a person who is happy with myself as I am already.  I know and accept that there are no easy answers. Certainly a corporate beer isn't going to be a factor in changing my life. That phrase "corporate beer" makes me thing of "government cheese" that was provided to the needy and school children between WW2 and the 60s.
But I'm more than okay with me and I'm really happy with my drink!
Love who you are.  Love what you drink.  I'll help out if I can!

Chris

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I love Guillermo Del Toro's work. Asking me for a  movie recommendation around Halloween will get an enthusiastic two thumbs up for The Woman in Black!  From Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth to Pacific Rim, The Strain, and the upcoming Crimson Peak his work is just exciting and so well crafted.  This bio about him was a very enjoyable read.  Word is that he wants to adapt HP Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" for the big screen - a  job that I doubt anyone else would have the vision to execute on (and having read this work a few times I have NO idea how it would come together).  I love how GDT has embraced the work of  Lovecraft and the other classical and romance horrors authors.  Anyway, just putting that out there for what it's worth.  Nothing to do with beer, brewing, food, or anything else on this site, but that's what the cool links page is for!