Shawn Vest wrote:by those same line Ben, fine dining establishments should carry great box wine because the ads are good
I keep a box of wine at home, for when I don't need a bottle, specifically because the technology is good and better wines are starting to become available.
But that's a side issue.
A great restaurant won't serve McDonalds, but my kids are 5 and 3 and request McD's or BK based on what toys they saw on ads. My five-year old has been coming up with Christmas wish lists for two years running based on ads on Noggin and Nick.
Adults are just as susceptible to the onslaught of advertisements for Bud Light and will order it without thought.
I still can't fathom a logical reason for diet sodas.
Even drink snobs will like some drinks because they are
supposed to... a couple of years ago I realized Taaka triple platinum tasted better than Ketel one. I tried to buy my father-in-law beefeater once and he turned me down, he reluctantly admitted he prefered the taste of Gordon's and ordered Beefeater out of embarassment the time before.
So by no means am I suggesting one should be ashamed of preferring a certain beverage.
My point is just that Anheuser Busch has used advertising in their quest toward market domination, and their most advertised brand is mainly known for its advertising properties, not its flavor.
Falls City, Hudepohl, Wiedemann's etc. have successfully been eradicated, and now the Michelob specialty line is coming after a craft brewer near you. (Literally at Slugger Field, where you have to settle for a Grolsch or Red hook because they are owned by you-know-who)
I think a fine restaurant can serve Bud Light if they choose, and if the chef actually likes the stuff more power to them, but if the goal is to provide the finest dining experience, a beer list of suggested choices and a sommelier with the pairing choices would be an improvement. If Bud Light is there, its because of its advertising-generated ubiquity, not because the chef really thinks its an ideal drink to complement the meal.
If anybody thinks Bud Light is the ideal accompaniment to a fine meal, let them correct me.