It’s time once again for that annual college basketball betting bacchanal known as March Madness, or — as several of your Imbiber’s embittered former love interests refer to it — “I’m dumping you, you sports-crazed jerk!” time. Admittedly, like millions of other guys across this great land, I’m guilty of going a tad overboard with the bracket pools, booze-addled trips to Vegas and, on at least one God-forsaken occasion, taking out a second mortgage because I had a strong hunch Gonzaga would win it all. But, for the most part, it’s just harmless fun … at least, it was until &$%#% Gonzaga lost to Wyoming in the first round of the ’02 tourney and I was subsequently forced to declare personal bankruptcy.
During this year’s seemingly nonstop televised coverage of the NCAA tournament, you’re going to be bombarded with commercials touting Budweiser Select — “a new kind of beer brewed for a crisp taste that finishes clean,” according to a company press release. Bud and Bud Light are the world’s top-selling labels, and Select is an attempt by parent company Anheuser Busch to woo “specialty beer” drinkers who typically shy away from mass-produced domestics. Not a bad idea in such a competitive market, but is Select truly a special beer? Not really. With the exception of the upscale-looking bottle, the Imbiber’s Official Tasting Panel (me, my roommate and Lou, the hirsute unemployed dude who lives next door) couldn’t detect anything that significantly sets this newbie apart from its Bud brethren. Select tastes like a combination of Bud and Bud Light, which inspired a lively discussion by the panel on alternate naming possibilities — with “Blight” and “Bught” emerging as the favorites. Bottom line: None of us are getting jobs in the Anheuser Busch marketing department anytime soon (sorry, Lou). As for Budweiser Select, the new beer on the block has a flashy image, but what’s in the bottle is still your grandfather’s Budweiser. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a relationship to ruin … er, b-ball tournament to watch. I bet the house this year — literally — on North Carolina. (E-mail questions, comments or suggestions for the Imbiber to)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 18, 2005. Read the original PDF.