Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

New Book Answers the Question of Where the Beers Are That Grandpa Used to Drink
PRWeb ^ | 09-08-06 | PRWeb

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 Seattle’s Rainier, Detroit’s Stroh, Baltimore’s National Bohemian and G. Heileman’s Old Style, once anointed as "Chicago’s Beer."

"When it came to gaining favor with the Windy City’s 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. Chicago’s 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 ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: beer; chicago; pabst; schlitz
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 141-160161-180181-200201-207 next last
To: Ax

The Stroh family called it quits around 1999 after Miller started another price war. They were also dealing at the time with a strike. The family decided to call it quits. Pabst now owns the label but it's brewed by Miller.

Stroh went national (or almost) after they took over Schlitz in the early 1980s and used their distributorship network to move from a regional to a national. Stroh, however, never got a good handle on making the big jump.

The hop nose and slight bitterness of their flagship brand Stroh, of which I did like, turned dramatically for the worse (my opinion) after Pabst took over.

It's all detailed in the book.


161 posted on 09/08/2006 5:46:03 PM PDT by toddlintown (Six bullets and Lennon goes down. Yet not one hit Yoko. Discuss.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 139 | View Replies]

To: sushiman; 1rudeboy
Nice way to practice medicine, too. Most of the hospitals down here in the South are church rooted establishments so I doubt a drop of beer comes past the food service supply dock.
162 posted on 09/08/2006 5:48:02 PM PDT by oyez (The way to punish a providence is to allow it to be governed by philosophers. --Frederick the Great)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 134 | View Replies]

To: CJ Wolf

Put the wife out.


163 posted on 09/08/2006 5:48:05 PM PDT by toddlintown (Six bullets and Lennon goes down. Yet not one hit Yoko. Discuss.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 152 | View Replies]

To: toddlintown

And not only does it look like brake fluid......

164 posted on 09/08/2006 5:50:39 PM PDT by labette (The land of the Free and the home of the Brave just a little while longer please.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: toddlintown

Too bad. It was some good beer. "Fire Brewed at 2000 Degrees."


165 posted on 09/08/2006 5:51:56 PM PDT by Ax (Cheer, cheer, for Old Notre Dame.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 161 | View Replies]

To: redheadtoo; toddlintown; fat city; steveo; billorites
Vintage Oly commercials:

Moving

It's the Water


166 posted on 09/08/2006 6:00:11 PM PDT by They'reGone2000 (<---And it's Bush's fault)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 83 | View Replies]

As a small boy in Southern Cal in about 1950, I remember "Burgermeister" ads on the radio, sung to the tune of "Clementine".


167 posted on 09/08/2006 6:05:01 PM PDT by Zman516 ("Allah" is Satan, actually.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 160 | View Replies]

To: oyez

I was hospitalized for two months for a hernia over here in Japan some years back . The hospital had a convenience store right next door to it . Once I was able to walk around , some of my patient friends and I would walk on over to the store and buy beer and sake and bring it back to our rooms . We even had a couple of parties in the lounge area at night when only a few young nurses were around . In fact they used to join us ! Of course the hospital had a NO ALCOHOL rule , but it was very loosely enforced . Now if a Doc had found beer in my room , I would have been chided . ;)


168 posted on 09/08/2006 6:07:43 PM PDT by sushiman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 162 | View Replies]

To: hotshu

A bartender is polishing shot glasses in an empty bar. The door opens and the bartender turns around to see a guy take a seat at the bar."What can I get for you, said the bartender." A Jax beer said the customer in a hairlipped voice. The bartender said, also in a hairlipped voice, sure, one Jax beer coming up.
The second person comes in the bar and says in a normal voice, I'd like a Jax beer. The bartender says , sure , one Jax coming up, in a normal voice.

The first customer, obviously in a slow burn, asks the bartender, "Were you mocking me?" The bartender said, "No, I was mocking him."

You had to be there.


169 posted on 09/08/2006 6:14:08 PM PDT by billhilly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 108 | View Replies]

To: garyhope
I was an American army brat going to high school in Munich, Germany when I learned to drink beer, real bier. When I came back to the US I spit the first drink of American beer out, I thought there was something wrong with it. It tasted awful.

Yep, loved those German biers:). The exports we get here are the dregs of the real German beers, so we can't really get good stuff here. I do like Sam Adams though.

170 posted on 09/08/2006 6:15:32 PM PDT by calex59 (Hillary Clinton is dumber than a one eyed monkey with a brain tumor(credit to Harley69))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 157 | View Replies]

To: bigfootbob; redangus
Man oh man...growing up in the Cincy area in the 50's/60's it was beer heaven. Locals beer fresh and well made. Hudepohl, Schoenling, Burger, Red Cap Cream Ale, Little Kings, Weideman...WOW!

And each year one of them was the "Official" beer of Reds Baseball...great beer, great baseball and great advertising.

"Crosley Field and Reds Baseball brought to you by Hudepohl/Schoenling/Weideman/Burger beer!"

That made many a hot summer day/night all the more enjoyable. And Hudepohl draft beer is still a delightful memoty.

171 posted on 09/08/2006 6:20:53 PM PDT by Khurkris (When the levee breaks there'll be no place to hide.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 103 | View Replies]

To: toddlintown

I can't get through the whole thread, but I sure hope someone mentions "Rolling Rock in the ponies". :-)


172 posted on 09/08/2006 6:34:31 PM PDT by speekinout
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd
I remember in 1981, a six pack of Iron City was $2.05 down at Parkview Liquors. And we also got two cents per bottle on the returns. If we scraped together three bucks, we had a six pack and a pack of Marlboros for Monday Night Football. Aaah, yes, the good old daze.


173 posted on 09/08/2006 6:52:15 PM PDT by Viking2002 (Islam is to Western Civilization what ticks are to a dog.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: toddlintown

Bump. Sounds like a good read.


174 posted on 09/08/2006 7:10:30 PM PDT by lesser_satan (EKTHELTHIOR!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: toddlintown
The Beers in Cincinnati area alone, in Gramps time put the swill available today to shame. Wiedemanns Royal Amber comes to mind
175 posted on 09/08/2006 7:25:30 PM PDT by nkycincinnatikid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: atomic_dog
Schaefer is the one beer to have
When you're having more than one.
Schaefer pleasure doesn't fade
Even when your thirst is done.
The most rewarding flavor
In this man's world
For people who are having fun.
Schaefer is the one beer to have
When you're having more than one.

176 posted on 09/08/2006 7:30:00 PM PDT by Publius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: dc27
"Didn't Lucky Lager have the riddles on the bottle cap?"

Pearl did that, too - rebuses on the underside of the cap.

Don't know whether they still do it - haven't seen a Pearl bottle in years.
177 posted on 09/08/2006 7:35:43 PM PDT by decal ("D For DUmmie")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 121 | View Replies]

To: billhilly
"Jax beer, on the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf coast, had the funniest commercials ever."

Remember the commercials with "Andrew Fabacher," the Jackson lookalike?
178 posted on 09/08/2006 7:38:19 PM PDT by decal ("D For DUmmie")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: All

You know, I'm pretty sure Strohs is still around. Ive seen it in the past couple of years.


We used to drink Milwaukees Best, which was good if you were already a little buzzed and wasn't really paying attention to the taste.

Other than MGD, the worst beer Ive ever had must be Stoneys...Don't know if that one is still around, but it was terrible...it reminded me what beer would taste like if it was made from potatoes.


179 posted on 09/08/2006 7:42:51 PM PDT by Armedanddangerous (Paranoid? I'm carrying a Glock 17, an extra magazine and a knife, why would I be paranoid?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: dread78645; Ruy Dias de Bivar

Sad to say that Miller Fort Worth brewes a lot of the old beers around here. I think they even do Lonestar.


180 posted on 09/08/2006 7:53:07 PM PDT by neb52
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 143 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 141-160161-180181-200201-207 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson