Answers.Body: <p>The answer may be in the question you asked:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>it’s brewed in enormous quantities</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>If you look at the aggregate cost, it is indeed almost certainly the most expensive beer in the world to brew and age, because they make so much of it. The total cost for brewing Budweiser probably far exceeds the cost of brewing any other single recipe, year over year. </p>
  
  <p>Per bottle, however is a different story.  Budweiser isn't particularly cheap, from a bill of materials perspective, but it isn't exceptionally expensive either.  However when it was introduced, it <em>was</em> extremely expensive.  <a href="https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/corn-rice-brewers.71412/#post-741021" rel="noreferrer">At retail it cost the equivalent of $17 a bottle today.</a> The cost savings today are largely due to efficiencies in integration, scale, and processes.  </p>
  
  <p>So is it still true that it's the most expensive beer to produce today?  On a per bottle basis, certainly not.  That doesn't mean, however, that they're cutting corners on production, but as the comments noted, simply taking whatever legal liberties are available to them when making that claim.  </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-05-18T18:18:06.347Z
Answers.Text: There are two answers here both partial (a) that it’s a clever use of language and b) that it was once true)  which together make this is a great answer
Answers.UserDisplayName: dothyphendot
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Answers.CreationDate: 2020-05-17T01:01:35.597Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-05-17T01:01:35.597Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Xander
Body: <p>On bottles of Budweiser it claims that:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>We know of no brand produced by any other brewer which costs so much to brew and age. </p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p><a href="https://images.app.goo.gl/k2ATS2kpfYZkre9J6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Photo</a></p>
  
  <p>This seems implausible both from the point of view of economics (it’s brewed in enormous quantities and sold cheaply), and given it doesn’t involve any special additional ingredients, ageing, or hand production. <strong>Why do they claim this and how are they allowed to?</strong> </p>
  
  <p>Note: I can see that it may hinge on what “brew”, “know”, “producer” means but unlike, for example “possibly the best beer in the world....” , it makes an objective claim. </p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-05-11T14:14:39.437Z
Comments.Text: They don't say "there are no brand" but "we know of no brand". Also "which costs so much" could be just "costs exactly same"
Comments.UserDisplayName: Jan Ivan
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-05-11T14:22:11.597Z
Comments.Text: Do you not think “so much”  means more, not “ some particular amount”? At best the latter would be a deeply unconventional use of language!
Comments.UserDisplayName: dothyphendot
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-05-11T15:29:17.953Z
Comments.Text: I think you are right, there are many words that leave them an "out" to claim whatever they want. "We know of no brand" what does that mean? AB was the largest brewer in the USA at one time and they did put a ton of money into their processes, equipment and distribution and don't forget advertising! So, in that fact they did spend a lot of money. But for the actual ingredients? No, it's very cheap to make their beer
Comments.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-05-11T15:32:44.840Z
Comments.Text: But they say to “brew and age” not to produce, market, and distribute. I’m just curious as to whether there is, or was ever, any factual content to this or if it just nonsense.
Comments.UserDisplayName: dothyphendot
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-05-11T22:42:27.757Z
Comments.Text: "we know of no brand" There is lot they do not know, like how to brew a beer for today's sophisticated and discerning  beer drinkers. I.E. A GOOD beer. **Caveat:** They know very well how to market and advertise to the lowest common denominator.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Alaska Man
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-05-13T16:58:09.233Z
Comments.Text: I'd assume it's a case of using careful language to skirt legal restrictions. Budweiser would certainly have a robust legal team, and wouldn't have gone forward with this copy if it would cause them problems.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Cdn_Dev
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-05-13T18:10:12.790Z
Comments.Text: So the consensus is that whether or not it were ever true, the claim is definitely not true now, but is sufficiently ambiguous for them to get away with. I’d happily accept that as an answer. Has stated my curiosity!
Comments.UserDisplayName: dothyphendot
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-07-07T05:33:14.643Z
Comments.Text: You say "it doesn’t involve any special additional ingredients, ageing..." but it does. It is aged ("lagered"... it is a lager beer) on beechwood slats. And @Alaska Man, sometimes "sophisticated and discerning"* sounds like *"pretentious and vain*". I love craft stout beers and IPAs but when I want a cold light lager on a hot summer day, I choose Budweiser. Whether or not it is a **good** beer is totally personal but I don't think advertising alone make it  **the number one selling beer on the planet**; apparently the majority of beer lovers on the globe think it doesn't suck.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Jimmy Fix-it
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-07-09T20:47:03.897Z
Comments.Text: @JimmyFix-it there is a big difference between, “costs more to produce than some” and “the most expensive to produce”. My question was about the latter. I wouldn’t have noticed the claim if I didn’t drink it...
Comments.UserDisplayName: dothyphendot
Tags: <history><brewing><breweries>
Title: Is Budweiser really the most expensive beer to brew?
UserDisplayName: dothyphendot
ThreadText: # Is Budweiser really the most expensive beer to brew?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2020-05-11)
  
  On bottles of Budweiser it claims that:
  
  > We know of no brand produced by any other brewer which costs so much to brew and age.
  
  [Photo](https://images.app.goo.gl/k2ATS2kpfYZkre9J6)
  
  This seems implausible both from the point of view of economics (it’s brewed in enormous quantities and sold cheaply), and given it doesn’t involve any special additional ingredients, ageing, or hand production. **Why do they claim this and how are they allowed to?**
  
  Note: I can see that it may hinge on what “brew”, “know”, “producer” means but unlike, for example “possibly the best beer in the world....” , it makes an objective claim.
  
  **Tags:** history, brewing, breweries
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: They don't say "there are no brand" but "we know of no brand". Also "which costs so much" could be just "costs exactly same"  
  > **username_0**: Do you not think “so much”  means more, not “ some particular amount”? At best the latter would be a deeply unconventional use of language!  
  > **username_2**: I think you are right, there are many words that leave them an "out" to claim whatever they want. "We know of no brand" what does that mean? AB was the largest brewer in the USA at one time and they did put a ton of money into their processes, equipment and distribution and don't forget advertising! So, in that fact they did spend a lot of money. But for the actual ingredients? No, it's very cheap to make their beer  
  > **username_0**: But they say to “brew and age” not to produce, market, and distribute. I’m just curious as to whether there is, or was ever, any factual content to this or if it just nonsense.  
  > **username_3**: "we know of no brand" There is lot they do not know, like how to brew a beer for today's sophisticated and discerning  beer drinkers. I.E. A GOOD beer. **Caveat:** They know very well how to market and advertise to the lowest common denominator.  
  > **username_4**: I'd assume it's a case of using careful language to skirt legal restrictions. Budweiser would certainly have a robust legal team, and wouldn't have gone forward with this copy if it would cause them problems.  
  > **username_0**: So the consensus is that whether or not it were ever true, the claim is definitely not true now, but is sufficiently ambiguous for them to get away with. I’d happily accept that as an answer. Has stated my curiosity!  
  > **username_5**: You say "it doesn’t involve any special additional ingredients, ageing..." but it does. It is aged ("lagered"... it is a lager beer) on beechwood slats. And @username_3, sometimes "sophisticated and discerning"* sounds like *"pretentious and vain*". I love craft stout beers and IPAs but when I want a cold light lager on a hot summer day, I choose Budweiser. Whether or not it is a **good** beer is totally personal but I don't think advertising alone make it  **the number one selling beer on the planet**; apparently the majority of beer lovers on the globe think it doesn't suck.  
  > **username_0**: @JimmyFix-it there is a big difference between, “costs more to produce than some” and “the most expensive to produce”. My question was about the latter. I wouldn’t have noticed the claim if I didn’t drink it...  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2020-05-17. Score: 7 | Accepted answer
  
  The answer may be in the question you asked:
  
  > it’s brewed in enormous quantities
  
  If you look at the aggregate cost, it is indeed almost certainly the most expensive beer in the world to brew and age, because they make so much of it. The total cost for brewing Budweiser probably far exceeds the cost of brewing any other single recipe, year over year.
  
  Per bottle, however is a different story. Budweiser isn't particularly cheap, from a bill of materials perspective, but it isn't exceptionally expensive either. However when it was introduced, it *was* extremely expensive. [At retail it cost the equivalent of $17 a bottle today.](https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/corn-rice-brewers.71412/#post-741021) The cost savings today are largely due to efficiencies in integration, scale, and processes.
  
  So is it still true that it's the most expensive beer to produce today? On a per bottle basis, certainly not. That doesn't mean, however, that they're cutting corners on production, but as the comments noted, simply taking whatever legal liberties are available to them when making that claim.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: There are two answers here both partial (a) that it’s a clever use of language and b) that it was once true)  which together make this is a great answer  
  
  ---
  
  