Guinness, Carling, Caffreys etc - Why?

Question

OK, everyone has their own taste, but why are Guinness, Carling etc so widely drunk when they're such bland drinks?

I'm serious here. If you drink any of these regularly, why do you do it? Do you genuinely think it's the best beer around, or is it cos its cheaper, or what?

Answer 1

Although there are tastier stouts than Guinness I would not call it a bland beer and Guinness Special Belgian Export is a rather good beer!

I agree that the general population go for bland rubbish most of the time though, but that just leaves more Rochefort & Westvleteren for me so ssssshhhh!!!

EDIT: I think there's either a Carling lover or a Guinness hater giving many of us the thumbs down here so just for you... Carling c**p and Guinness is OK

Answer 2

I really like Guiness, but here in Texas there is a local brew called Shiner.

They make Shiner Black (and it is shipped to various places around the US). It's nice and stout like Guiness but SO much smoother!

Answer 3

I drink Guinness because I like the flavour; I'm not always in the mood for the local home brew (Molson Canadian) when I'm wanting beer.  Obviously it tastes better when it's fresh, but Guinness doesn't have a brewery in Ontario, Canada.

Carling is c**p; we used to drink Black Label in college because it was dirt cheap.  

I have almost 20 years of drinking experience; in short, I know what I like.  You like what you like.  I don't order something to be trendy or to impress someone; I like what I like.

Answer 4

Guinness is gorgeous!

Answer 5

I am not a regular drinker of these beers but I do enjoy a Guinness from time to time.

Because it has quality and mass appeal. It is an original that has a nice malt & roated malt charater that is not overly carbonated. Guinness stouts are smooth and not offensive. Plus it has history and time-history to build a market. The same can be said of other popular beers.

Yet I must also admit that marketing does have an influence on the choices people make.

Also just because a person does not like or value a particular beer does not make it inferior. Many new beer drinkers think  a good beer is/must be over-powering in flavor but that it is not a good definition of quality.

I enjoy the fact that we have a large variety of choices from the "bland" to the intense.

Answer 6

I drink Guinness as a first choice unless a real quality European lager is on draft- such as Staropramen, Becks, Bitburger, etc.

I would never drink Carling- as you say, it is bland. I don't mind the occasional pint of Caffreys, but it makes my head sore!

I generally drink Guinness because it is a pleasant way of drinking for me. The flavour is second to the fact that it self manages- I cannot turn into a "lager lout" or angry drunk on it, as it is quite heavy, and fills you up, so it is hard to put colossal amounts away in a short space of time. I have found many of the so-called premium lagers such as Stella, Export and so on are the worst beers out there for hang overs. Grolsch is excepted, as it is another "clean" drink.

I can't see why you would find Guinness bland. It is a distinctive, and not unpleasant, flavour. I also like the lack of gas, in that it doesn';t have me burping and farting when I drink it.

Hope that helps. What non-bland beer do you drink then?

Cheers!

Answer 7

One man's bland is another man's GUINNESS!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, I don't drink beer, but I think Carling's just has Chav-appeal.

Answer 8

Guiness is the only stout that's really marketed internationally, so if that's the style you like it's often your only choice. It gets a huge boost from the wannabe-Micks that think they can bolster their claims to Irish heritage by drinking Irish beer (these are the same people who think Boondock Saints is the greatest movie of all time).  The same thing applies to Caffrey's, but I've never had (or heard of) Carling.

Answer 9

I am a Guinness fan.  I don't really care for lagers, especially the big American beers (If Bud is the King of Beers, I'm glad we kicked out the monarchs in 1776!).  It has a richer flavor than a lager, you're the first person I've ever heard describe it as "bland."  It's also lighter than most other beers, which is why it floats on top of Smithwick's in a Black & Tan.  At the same time, it's filling.  When drinking Guiness, I snack less on pub grub.

I prefer microbrews, especially Magic Hat, but Guiness is a quality beer which is more widely available.

Answer 10

Well i'm mostly irish so I find it insulting that you've added Guinness to that list!

First of all Guinness isn't even lager, its Stout. Its thick, creamy and very dark. It takes like burnt embers mixed with coffee and a strong hoppy taste. Often you can taste the malty flavours, it has a nice strong and instantly recognisable flavour.

Also,Guinness has always been a premium drink, so theres no need to go down the 'cheap' road.

Sorry to hear you think its bland, maybe my ideas have helped. We should have a few rounds of Guinness to discuss this further.

  

Answer 11

I think those drinks are relatively tasteful compared to the American macro lagers (bud, labatt, coors, etc...) and in many cases, Guinness is probably the "portal drink" than introduces people to a new taste of beer. If they do acquire a taste for a somewhat bland beer (that actually has more taste than the macros), they might start getting into the craft or international brews.

For me, I drank labatt for perhaps a week after my 21st birthday and was introduced to a Guinness Extra Stout. Guinness was my new favorite until I found a Beers of the World store near me and it all blossomed from that point. Now I'm into the English barleywines and Belgian quadrupels.

Answer 12

I don't think you can put Guinness in with Carling. You can't call Guinness bland whatever else you might call it. Carling is just industrialy produced rubbish.

Answer 13

if everyone like the same things it would be a funny old world.........

stick to your alcopops mate

Answer 14

I don't drink them on a regular basis, I much prefer Imperial Stouts. You have to admit however...they do have more flavor than your average mass-produced lager.