Pet peeve time!
From some site whose authority I’ve no way to confirm:
What is a Domestic Beer?
Answer:
In the world of beer, there are basically two trains of thought– domestic and imported. Any beer brewed within the borders of the United States would be considered a domestic beer, from the major commercial labels such as Budweiser and Coors to the smallest batch of microbrewed beer created in an amateur brewer’s basement.
I mean, isn’t this everyone’s understanding? We were out for pizza with friends last night, and our waitress informed us that there was a special on during the Celtics/Lakers game: $2 domestic draws. “Cool,” I thought. Sign me up for a Fat Tire, please. Long story short, the bill comes, and my “domestic” draws were $4 a pop. I knew in the back of my head when I ordered that “craft” brews were probably not included under the “domestic” umbrella, but I went ahead and ordered out of principle.
I like to support places that take the time to appreciate the distinctions in the food and beverages they serve. If you’re going to use a term like domestic, understand what it means and train your staff to tell guests that microbrews are not included with domestic beers during a drink special. Better yet, don’t use domestic at all, and just tell people that Miller Lite and Coors Light are on special, or that all mass market draft beers are on special. I mean, we ordered our beers immediately after she’d told us about the drink special; wouldn’t that have been the time to say, “Oh, the Fat Tire isn’t included among the domestics.” The pizza sucked last night, too. Feh.