The advice isn't about beer snobbery, it's about fitting in. The author is spot on with his recommendations.

Amstel Light is an extremely common and perfectly respectable choice for the mid-ranking employees of my clients and partners when I take them out to a bar. (Senior decision makers generally get a dinner where it's wine and scotch all round.) Natty light, PBR and Keystone are not acceptable and will lead to comments, raised eyebrows and a sense that you don't quite belong.

Edit: It is, of course, all about branding and not a bit about the beer. Amstel has made themselves 'premium'; PBR did the opposite. If you're a connoisseur, as your profile says, then you can avoid the issue altogether by ordering a good craft beer. That's still keeping it classy. You'll just need to exercise more.