When I was a college freshman, Budweiser truly was the king of beers. Most of the time, my drink of choice was either Natural Light or Milwaukee's Best (aka "beast"), both of which were godawfully cheap and amazingly easy to guzzle. From time to time, though, my friends and I would pool our resources, clean out the couch cushions and prevail on an older friend to pick us up a sixer of the famed Bud. And, to be honest, between its diuretic effects and bread-like flavor, Budweiser proved itself to be a handy celebratory tipple.

As time went on, my tastes matured and I began experimenting with other supercheap brands like Mickey's, Genesee, and Miller Genuine Draft. Still, part of my heart always belonged to the king, and even now, years later, I sometimes feel the urge to crack open a Bud. Of course, I generally sip a bottle of bock or hefeweisen until the feeling passes. Still, I was shocked when I read about the possible purchase of Budweiser. Never mind its German name, Budweiser is still the iconic American beer.

On the other hand, iconic American names seem to mean less and less nowadays, when General Motors uses the "Vauxhall" name overseas, Chrysler was owned by Daimler, and most electronic components are made in China. For that matter, InBev, the Belgian firm that has announced a takeover bid for Anheuser-Busch, also owns signature beers from numerous other countries, including Canada (Labatt), Germany (Beck's), the Czech Republic (Staropramen), and the United Kingdom (Bass). While I can't speak for all of InBev's 200 brands, I can absolutely state that Staropramen is as good as it ever was (which, by the way, is pretty damned good).

Those of us pinching pennies would be well advised to view the word "organic" with skepticism, as it often represents a higher price without other significant benefits, either in nutrition or sustainable agriculture. I would point to the new trend, "organic" hard liquor, as an example.

Anheuser-Busch is one company attracted by the higher price points of "organic" goods, recently unveiled an organic vodka, Purus, made from organic Italian wheat and water from the Alps. It claims to filter Purus through 1.7 million square meters of active charcoal (which makes no sense, since filtration is measured in volume, not area).

This follows the company's success with organic beers Stonemill Pale Ale and Wild Hops Lager. In a generally stagnant alcohol climate, organic beer sales grew by 29% in 2006. Organic wine was also up by 13%

At $35 or so a bottle, I question that Purus is the vodka for me. Distillation is distillation, and water from the Alps is still good old H20. If I want to minimize the environmental footprint of my beverage, I'll drink something crafted closer to home, that didn't need to be shipped halfway around the world to quench my thirst for a green buzz.