Ali’s Team Pick:
Beer and United States politics go hand in hand, both in the current Obama campaign and in my heart. I love both of these wonderful things, which is why this infographic by Mike Shannon and Will Feltus on National Journal is so fascinating. The duo has analyzed Scarborough Research data, which includes interviews with over 200,000 U.S. adults and it turns out that some beers have more Democratic drinkers, while others are enjoyed by a more Republican crowd. You are also more likely to vote if you drink hard cider than if you drink Busch. Who knew beer drinking was such a partisan activity?
After reading this chart, I feel like I need to rebrand myself. Who knew three of my favorite beers (Blue Moon, Leinenkugel and Samuel Adams) were the particular choice of Republicans? But hey, I can take comfort in two things. 1) At least I’m likely to vote and 2) I’ll take a good microbrew over the others any day.
Where do you fall on the chart and does it give you feelings? Vanessa was particularly bummed that she’s a Republican because Samuel Adams said so and vows to switch to her very favorite beverage, non-alcoholic chocolate milk. Laneia talked her off the ledge by recommending Fat Tire. Riese is confused about Amstel Light, as is Hansen about Heineken. Rachel thinks drinking barley wine means you’re queer, and I just think everyone should drink some beer and go vote. I myself am about to enjoy some Shocktop.
cover image via maltintel.com
I think it’s really interesting that all of the “lite” beers are on the Republican side (or center). I wonder why that is.
because they prefer things that say they’re better for you even though they really aren’t
They’re also bland, pervasive, and unchallenging. Perfect for people who want to go along with the status quo and not try anything new.
FWIW, my boyfriend’s family all drinks lite beers, and they’re strident liberals. (I think the BIL is a moderate Repub though.) They just live in the South.
Right? Maybe there’s just a geographic correlation going on. The particularly long hot summers in the Sun Belt and South would encourage the drinking of “Lite” (ew) beers. Not in midwinter perhaps, but the seasonal difference could still be statistically significant…
Geographic correlation that’s strongly tied to availability, for sure! On the shelves, it’s almost all Corona/Heinekin/Coors, which I think are like water even if they’re not “lite”.
I don’t know how much seasonality plays into it, but this last visit *was* over Labor Day. I think at Christmas we just drank wine and mixed drinks anyway.
Haha I’m all over this map.
For a brief moment I was worried that this article was spurred on by the fact that when I met Sara Medd the first thing I said to her was, “Oh my god. You drink Corona? That’s sad.” The 24 hour beer snob shame spiral that followed was lesson enough.
OMG Vikki, that moment will haunt me into eternity won’t it?? Can I please clear my name publicly that I am actually an official Stella girl?? My camp preparations were a little rushed and I made the unfortunate mistake of grabbing not-my-first-choice of brew. My shame spiral has now been immortalized on the internet and I hence forth vow to never be caught in public with a Corona ever again.
love is love and beer is beer
all are equal
and such is my idealistic vision
Corona is a beachy, campfire kind of beer, anyway. At least that’s where I was when I was a beer-virgin trying to figure out why everybody was downing theirs.
Girl, you do you! no shame for drinking what you drink. Personally, I find it a red flag when someone is overly judgmental or condescending about someone else’s beer.
Huh. Blue Moon’s in the wrong spot… but Sierra Nevada’s kellerweizen recently made a new home in my heart and fridge, so that’s good.
Also, I don’t know where I fall because Abita’s not on here! I imagine it’s pretty centered since it’s a southern beer (possibly just Louisiana?) but also it seems that mostly cool people drink it, so…
Abita’s definitely available in FL, don’t know about elsewhere… Turbodog forever!
There is definitely Abita in Ohio too. I just bought some Purple Haze from my local grocery not too long ago.
Purple Haze is my favorite!
The Internet says it’s available in 46 states. My out-of-state friends sometimes have trouble finding it, though, so I wasn’t sure how popular it was elsewhere.
interesting fact: molson-coors is responsible for molson, blue moon, coors light, miller lite, miller high life, carling, and that magical awful piss called keystone light. all the same company. interesting that one of them is left-leaning and the rest all fall into republican waters.
I literally laughed out loud at “Any microbrew” on the top left, because yes. Shiner Bock’s presence on the right makes me a little sad; however, it’s not terribly surprising considering the regional availability.
HOORAY BEER (that’s enjoyed by forward thinkers). ;)
Shinerbock is confusing to me, I love that stuff! Maybe cause it’s from Texas?
It’s regional availability contrasted with what is also available in that region means Shiner is getting imbibed by lots of conservatives. When I lived in Texas I got so turned off by Shiner due to everyone hailing it as nectar from the gods and it often being the nicest beer you could get. Happy to be back in a much more heavily beered region.
Yeah, like was pointed out already, a lot of the big-name beers you see in your grocery store are all owned by the same big corporations, some domestic, some foreign.
PBR is conspicuously absent.
yeah, why is there no mention of PBR? PBR with a little orange juice is my go-to drink. it’s cheap and yummy!
In the PNW Pabst is a staple, not sure how they managed to leave it off. Also, Rainier anyone?! I’m on the microbrew train all the way, but this chart is dead to me.
never been prouder to be a stella artois girl
see the stella one really surprised me, considering over here in Britain it has the nickname ‘wife beater’. It doesn’t attract the sort of people likely to give a crap about voting.
Yes all the way :)
This just goes to show that some excellent Midwest breweries need to make their beer available to other parts of the country. Yes, Boulevard, I’m talking to you!
Yeahhhh Boulevard! My current east coast coordinates don’t allow for much Boulevard enjoyment. :(
As an unrepentant beer snob who sticks to microbrews as much as possible: I am pleased.
Hi. I like beer – regardless of how I vote just simply because it is beer.
Julie!
Hey I agree with you I don’t care how “manly” or “feminine” or repub, dem or what ever the fuck beer it is perceived to be. We can probably both agree that smirnoff is not the way to go.
oh my i probably creeped you out with the shout out of the first name.
Any microbrew or hard cider. I’m pleased.
I’d love to see one of these done for belgium.
Also fairly happy to see heineken drank by democrats, sad to see amstel on the right, also sad to see no belgian beers, cos if you’re not getting belgian ales in the US, you are really missing out.
We are missing out! Belgium is where I first fell in love with beer and a) I can’t find my faves in the U.S. and b) when I do, somehow they just don’t taste the same. :0(
Right, my mission if i ever actually make it to A-camp, pop over to brussels, pick up lots of belgian beer, bring very little else to camp.
Oh there are plenty of Belgian beers here. You just have to know where to find them. :) Chimay, St. Bernardus, Strubbe, Alvinne, Achouffe, and Rodenbach, to name a few, on tap right now at my favorite little bar down the street. You don’t even want to know what the bottle selection is like.
Yes. I am spoiled for beer.
Where is this magical place you speak of?
Louisville, Kentucky
it still seems a little sad that those are only in very select pubs… i can pickup chimay in the supermarket, which is awesome. (Also duvel, leffe blonde and brun, i *think* i’ve seen rodenbach too, as well as a couple of lambics).
Shiner is my beer of choice buut that might be because I’m from originally Texas… I’m definitely not voting republican.
Agreed, and I’m originally from Texas too. I’ll gladly drink Shiner (especially Shiner Black). Hell, even Lone Star when it’s paired with whiskey. But I’m not going anywhere near a Republican candidate.
I’ll third that!
Oh man, Lone Star! Haha I miss it now that I only drink PBR because I moved to California.
I’ll go near a Republican candidate to smack them. Totally worth getting taken down by security personnel.
As a Canadian, I find the relative placement of Molson and Labatt utterly inexplicable.
<3 Shocktop.
A lot of these are definitely regional and that’s why they’re Republican-leaning (well, at least Yuengling and Lenie’s).
I’m allergic to beer! But hey, cider. And my ex liked Sierra Nevada so I suspect she would be very pleased by its placement.
Hey, the gluten-free beers count as microbrew. At least, I don’t know of one that’s made by a big brewery.
(My beer snob little sister routinely ignores her gluten intolerance in favor of her beloved microbrews. She says she didn’t realize Omission was GF until it was pointed out to her, it was that good.)
Glorious thing–I’m allergic to sorghum and buckwheat, too, which are major components of gluten free beers. Although something like Omission mighttttt work (I get nervous with things that are brewed with barley? But then I drink hard liquor which is distilled from things I’m allergic to, soooo).
I definitely understand your hesitation! A friend of mine is SUPER SUPER gluten intolerant–she had to ditch her entire kitchen, and now tests all her food at restaurants and such–but she can handle Omission just fine. But then again, I hear it’s possible to be glutened without symptoms, at least if you’re celiac.
GF and also allergic to sorghum and buckwheat? That super sucks; at least you have the liquor. :(
Ok, Leinies is from Wisconsin…definitely not Republican! Everyone drink that here.
Yuengling is regional?
Ish? You can’t get it everywhere. I keep thinking it’s a Wisconsin beer cause my friend from Wisconsin loves it, but it’s a Pennsylvania/Southern beer (those are the two bottling plants). Actually it never gets to Wisconsin. And now I’m really confused.
Anyway it’s not distributed nationwide, so I’m right even though I was wrong? Weird.
You’re definitely right. My bro-in-law hauls cases of Yuengling back here to TX from Alabama when they visit family since it’s not available in state. I had it for the first time in D.C., nom nom.
I’ll bring the Magners to the next A-Camp.
Sierra Nevada is from my hometown and I used to go to their brewery all the time. I am very proud of its placement. :D
That is pretty accurate for my family. Mom likes Guinness and Stella, I like cider, and Dad tends to keep cheap whatever-lite on hand. I’m not really sure how my big bro votes, but do I know he likes ales from our local breweries.
Apparently, spending all of my money on great microbrews has paid off. I fall solidly in the voting democrat category. Win!!
yay! Hard cider is on the level! Pshew. Thought it might be a tory drink for a second.
I have to be careful with beer now (wooooeeeeee) but happily pear cider is on draft at a lot of places i frequent, so I am able to be mildly inebriated as well as the next person!
PEAR CIDER IS MY FAAAAAAVORITE
Have you had the Foxbarrel pear? Or blackberry?! To die for, and I usually don’t like sweet beverages.
Fun fact: The cider snobs apparently refer to pear cider as “perry.” Also there is an amazing distillery in Wisconsin that does both apple and pear ciders that I highly recommend, if you’ve ever got the chance, called Aeppeltreow.
Also also cider 4eva!
Excellent! Rhymes with ‘sherry’. I live in California, but I’ll keep an eye out. We have an amazing local distillery that does meads and ciders. Mmmm.
PERRY FTW
actually, pear cider and perry are distinct things iirc. Pear cider is still made with apples, it just has pear infused, perry is made from just some very specific pears.
I don’t think so? My cider of choice is Wyder’s. I had a pomengranate cider one time, but it was way too sweet and kind of strange tasting. Blackberry sounds good though!
People keep recommending it to me! I’m gonna have to pick some up. I love the pear magner’s tho.
Cider fans unite! :) you guys are all awesome. Most people think my cider is 1) water or 2) corona. :/
YAY! I don’t really like most beer (gasp) but recently discovered cider and I’m very glad. I really like Woodchuck, and I’ve also tried angry orchard.
I’m glad that my love of cider knows that I’m more likely to show up and vote democrat. :D
Oh good, Portland lines up with expectations. Corona and any microbrew. But where’s the PBR, Rainier or Hamm’s?
I think I’ll have to try some Sierra Nevada.
I feel like this is regionally skewed, but I won’t pretend I’m angry that Northern California (Sierra Nevada + Tons of Microbreweries + Ace Hard Cider) is a region that is really Democratic and more likely to vote.
Also I will rep my unabashed love for Consecration and Pliny, both the Elder and Younger, from Russian River Brewery.
Though my Republican father drinks Sam Adams, even though he has access to some of the best beer in the world.
Oh you’re speaking my language now. Russian River’s Consecration is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
All beer is gross, but when lacking other options – Stella Artois and Guiness. Nice to know where I stand.
It’s odd that Corona is firmly Dem and Corona Light is GOP.
I love Sierra Nevada and have several varities in the back frig right now!
Screw beer, drink ALL the vodka!
Definitely agreed but ALL the whiskey needs to be considered.
Wisconsin should probably just have its own graph.
So… Where the fuck is my Newcastle?
Aww, you guys have no idea what beer really is about! Belgian beer is what’s good for queers! Yeah, all of them, whatever the one you get! ;)
First of all the taste is awesome. I personally recommend Chimay or Rochefort if you like strong beer, or fruity stuff like Kriek and Kasteel if that’s more your taste. On the political side, Belgium is one of the only countries in the world where voting is mandatory. Plus, we have a gay prime minister. So I guess that puts belgian beers at the top left corner of the chart?
Oh, f*ck, maybe it counts as microbrew?
Doesn’t matter, go get some! :p
Also, I have to tell the world this one truth: Stella Artois is NOT a refined brevage, no matter what AB inbev says! :p (although it’s still a nice drink to have after a long day’s work)
People who love good beer are generally my people (queer or not), so I can vouch for the accuracy of this chart!