Fruity Ass Beer for Fruity Ass People

The question is who's gotten stupider, the mass market or the mass distributor?

Going against the grain in courting the young cocktail crowd, beermaker Anheuser-Busch Cos. is launching a new "brew" to go head-to-head with classic mixed drinks — traditional suds spiked with caffeine, fruit flavoring, herbal guarana and ginseng.

Fruity beer? Okay, maybe. I've always been a fan of the Belgian lambics and they're about as fruity as a beer can get. But where is A-B going with the root extracts and caffiene? It seems like combining beer, fruit soda, and Red Bull.

And how "fruity" is the name? B-to-the-E? Hip-hop market? But in their defense, "Crunk" was already taken.

Maybe this is what the new generation wants to drink. Something trendy. A little bit new age energy drink, a little bit old school brew. Of course, who ever accused A-B of old school brewing technique?

And maybe I'm completely wrong on this one, but I'm probably not.