Who makes without argument the worst beers in the United States? Of course it’s Budweiser, the beer with the cool horses that tastes like horse pee. Really. Budweiser tastes less like beer than apple juice does. But just in case you don’t believe that, try Bud Light. Or Michelob. Or any one of a number of beers produced by Budweiser that are thoroughly indistinguishable in their awfulness. How is it possible to brew beer like this over such a long period? And, incredibly, to persuade some suckers to pay a premium price for it?

Beats me. But heres the deal: Budweiser is just part of a giant beer conglomerate named Anheuser-Busch InBev NV. And that entity wants to merge with SABMiller, another beer brewing behemoth, to create an really enormous conglomerate that would dominate the global beer market. They want this merger because they aren’t selling enough beer around the world even though together they account of about 65% of all beer sales.

Nope, their share has been dropping because drinkers are showing a growing preference for real beers, i.e., craft beers, locally produced brews, and because their tastes have been shifting to wines and some of the small batch whiskeys. In other words, things that actually have taste. Things that aren’t called Budweiser.

Now, I have to admit that some of the dozens of brands now part of AB InBev and SABMiller aren’t bad. They aren’t Budweisers, of course. But not one I’ve tasted holds a candle to Smuttynose or Elm City brews or lots of other craft brews I could stretch this column out by naming. If I’m dining out, why waste money or trash like Budweiser — or, to be truthful, Miller or Beck’s or Foster’s or Bass, etc. — when there are so many fine beers waiting? Or a nice cabernet? Or some Woodford Bourbon?

By the way, that proposed merger — which awaits a lot of government action — would allow those companies to fire more employees in the name of efficiency, raise the price on their beers and still find no compelling reason to increase the quality of what they already own. So, I haven’t been able to come up with any good reasons to support the merger. I’m hoping regulators will concur.

The good news, I guess, is that no matter what happens, Budweiser still sucks and I won’t be going anywhere near its over-priced terrible products.