Why does the American beers seem to be so light in alchohol content compared to imported beer from Europe?

Question

Why do you think they use less alcohol content?

Answer 1

Why do light European or Canadian beers have no taste compared to a good American beer. Have you even had a good American beer? I've certainly had bad European and Canadian beers.

Get over you stupid generalizations regarding American beers and actually try a good one. You'll be amazed just how good they are.

Answer 2

The American beer market is geared towards the lower classes- so to provide a case of beer (24 CANS !!!) for a mere $10 the only way the corporations make money is to use less expensive ingredients and even less of them. European beers are made from malted barley almost exclusively.....while wife beater beers like Bud/Coors/Miller use lots of corn sugar to reduce costs while still getting Jethro drunk enough to spit at a cop !
Want good beer ?? Brew your own !! I make 2 cases and a 6pack for about $15....and I choose the Alchohol content while I brew it- I make 4-5% beers for the late Spring through fall- for cold darker times I make 6-8% beers that are meant to be sipped while lounging next to the woodstove.
Pick up Charlie Papazians' "New Complete Joy of Home Brewing" ! It will teach you all you need to know- for ingredients ......go to "morebeer.com" I've been a satisfied customer for 15 years !! No sales tax ! No alchohol tax ! Just a little work !!!

Answer 3

I have drank a lot of beer all over the world, including the USA and have had some great beers there, I think the reason you have got this impression is that the bigger selling draught beers do tend to be a bit weak.
If you had a bar and wanted to sell imported beers to a select audience, you would most likely pick from the best available, these tend to be higher in alcohol, also export brews are stronger to give them a better shelf life.
There are plenty of high alcohol beers out there, so keep on tasting!

Answer 4

It's not true. If all American beer was along the lines of Budweiser, Miller, or Coors (which shouldn't be referred to as beer to begin with), then the rest of the world might have an argument. Thankfully there is Samuel Adams which counteracts that. They also hold the record for the highest ABV in a beer ever at 25%.

Answer 5

not true friend.

they are comparable along all lines, the only difference is the mainstream American beers (Coors, Bud, etc) are all lighter than something you might drink from overseas (Guiness, Harp, etc). You can easily find American beers with the same alcohol by volume as any European beer. Although I am not sure whether the Germans brew any light beers....seems like everything they send over in a keg or can comes stamped with a hangover guarantee!

Answer 6

As a young lad of 17 and well below the age limit I tried American beer and as you say, it is closer to piss before drinking than ours is after, and the price wasn't that good, so we all moved on to red wine bought in gallon bottles, the type where you rest the bottle on your upper arm and hook your little finger through a dinky little glass handle drinking with the corner of your mouth. Oh Happy Days

Answer 7

I drank in a pub in London a few years ago.Which sold an American Steam Beer on draught.I loved it and it certainly wasn't light on the head.

Answer 8

isnt american lager/beer limited to 3% alcohol, whereas our traditional English beers run anywhere from 2.3% (kestrel lager and manns brown), to a whopping 9% (plus) for the super... like special brew and tennants extra...

it, a cynical marketing ploy to persuade the yanks that they can drink... which of course remains the truth, until they get to England and europe and wonder why theyre falling over after 2 pints...

Answer 9

Because Americans can't hold their booze.

To quote a famous (beer) ad...

I AM Canadian!

Answer 10

Because they're light weights