Re: is the base beer of flavored malt beverages an ale or a lager

Steve, Your original information is correct: FMBs are not beer. I think your question is akin to asking whether Kraft non-fat cheese slices could be considered cheddar or colby. If you look at the label carefully, you'll find that they aren't even allowed to call it cheese! Same deal here. FMBs are made from a beer base only for tax purposes since the tax on beer is lower than for other bevs. As the product is all about profit and not flavor or culture, you can rest assured that they are produced from whatever sort of fermentation the producing plant can conduct quickly and cheaply. I doubt seriously that there is a common approach to producing the base that would be common to all producers. That said: I believe they carbon filter whatever the base is to remove the color and distinctive flavors anyway, so any consideration of flavor from the original ingredients or fermentation is moot. Personally, I think we all have a vested interest in distancing these things from beer to the greatest extent possible. R Ray Daniels Director of Publications Brewers Association ray(a)brewersassociation.org 773-769-1300 or 312-203-8383 (cell) See www.beertown.org to check out our newest titles: "How to Brew" (Third Edition) by John Palmer and "The Brewers Association's Guide to Starting Your Own Brewery." For subscriptions, single copy and book sales, call 1-888-822-6273.