When I was little in SoCal and my dad took me into bars (I would get a Roy Rogers) I remember the signs saying Western Beers (like Olympia, Coors, Brew 102) and Eastern Beers (Budweiser, Pabst, & Hamms). As I recall the Eastern beers cost more.
OMG brew 102.. that was the cheapest beer you could buy, had a uncle buy it buy the case at the distributors for family camping trips...