Has the King of Beer been overthrown?

The Wall Street Journal reports that sales of craft beer -- defined as beer made by independent breweries using traditional methods -- now surpass those of Budweiser. Slate does a great job of recapping this article here.

The story advances several theories to explain Bud’s fading fortunes. Reading this, though, inspired me to rummage through a pile of old notepads, seeking some half-forgotten jottings. Finally, I found them -- notes from an April lunch with Anheuser-Busch brewmaster George Reisch. His comments were interesting then; now, they seem even more relevant.

He briefly defended Budweiser as an American lager. People who don’t like it, he said, really don’t like that flavor -- and no one is required to like every flavor.

Then he made several comments about craft beer that, in retrospect, shed some light on the King of Beers’ shaky hold on its crown.

“What will sustain it,” he said of craft, “is the experience people have. We are not selling beer, we are selling experience.”

He also urged people to consider beer as part of a meal -- a subservient part. “Food is a bride,” he said. “Beer is the bridesmaid.”

A successful beer, he said, is imbued with a story; served in the proper glass; and is integrated into a meal: “The food is what always brings it together. The food is like the mom who brings the family together.”

In each of these areas, I’d argue, craft is drinking Bud’s lunch.

Story? Craft beer is a product made by artisans. Bud, a product made in factories.

Glassware? Craft ales are served in pint glasses, chalices, goblets. In ad after ad, Bud in a can or bottle.

Food? I’ve attended Reisch’s beer dinners and he does a masterful job of highlighting how certain A-B beers enhance numerous dishes. But at the many craft beer dinners I’ve attended, the range of flavors -- and thus the possibilities for pairings -- is far greater.