Posted on 09/08/2006 3:33:40 PM PDT by toddlintown
Beer historian explores what happened to famous brews like Schlitz, Rainier, Schmidt and National.
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) September 8, 2006 -- Using Chicago as a backdrop, leading beer historian Bob Skilnik delves into the reasons why once favorite national and regional beer brands have faded in popularity, some banished to obscurity. BEER: A History of Brewing in Chicago ($24.95, Hardcover, 416 pages, Barricade Books, ISBN 1569803129), proves to be more than a regional history book as it also details the downfall of national breweries like Schlitz and Pabst, to once powerhouse regionals with their flagship brands such as Seattles Rainier, Detroits Stroh, Baltimores National Bohemian and G. Heilemans Old Style, once anointed as "Chicagos Beer."
"When it came to gaining favor with the Windy Citys thirsty beer drinkers after the local industry went flat in the 1970s," notes Skilnik, "a lot of out-of-town brands tried -- and a lot of brands died. Chicagos stature as a financial center, as a hub of advertising agencies, and as a convention and hotel stronghold, however, made it the stage for a number of behind-the-scene maneuverings of brewery takeovers and consolidations which also affected the national beer market, and still does."
As the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times have reported on several recent occasions, when it comes to beer, retro is in, whether the beer served is Miller High Life, "The Champagne of Bottled Beers," Schlitz as "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous," or young Pabst Blue Ribbon drinkers telling bartenders to "PBR Me!"
(Excerpt) Read more at prweb.com ...
I remember Schlitz and Pabst.
Ick.
Knowing MY relatives, they probably drank it all.
And I helped (belch).
Found them.
swill ping
Hey, what ever happened to Olympia Beer?
Rainier had some of the funniest commercials.
"Hooray beer!"
Gramps drank swill.
Out back on the side of the barn, in the bushes...
Me and a buddy would kick in a dollar each and one of us would also kick in the odd nickel.
hazily remembering those drunken daze.....
You can still find buildings (some still containing a bar) in Chicago with the Schlitz globe embedded in the facade . . . from the days when breweries owned bars.
Oly's part of the Pabst portfolio. Miller contract brews it for them.
It's tough to argue over a Utica Club, but Genesee 64 oz. will do in a pinch.
I don't know why they went under but I do remember some gay scandal with one of the owners...
Mickey's Big Mouth. Schlitz had 7-ounce "Little Joes."
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