[JOR4qxYH]

I'm also kind of interested in this because with the purchase of AB Pabst became the last American owned old line mass market brewery. It will be interesting to see how they try to play up that all American angle.

[freevideom]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I've heard that back in the 1960's Schlitz beer used to be at least an acceptably decent domestic beer before turning into industrial grade cow piss in the 1970's. Is that true? I ask because Pabst has bought the Schlitz brand and they're supposedly making a huge push by bring back "the classic 1960's recipe Schlitz beer".

There is a lot of hype about this new "Classic Schlitz" on the beer forums with people claiming it's the best of the mass market domestic beers (slight praise I know) but supposedly they're using more real malt and real hops instead of the malt extract and condensed hop pellets like Bud, Miller, and Coors use. Is this just hype or did Schlitz actually used to be a decent beer? Well, consider Schlitz also made Malt Liquor dubbed "BULL" if that helps

I drank lots back in early 70's and we all had a nicname for Schlitz....$h!t$

Now, you know how I remembered that abomination of bottled P!$$


GT

[Yb4bulVR]

Originally posted by Grandpa Troll


Well, consider Schlitz also made Malt Liquor dubbed "BULL" if that helps

I drank lots back in early 70's and we all had a nicname for Schlitz....$h!t$

Now, you know how I remembered that abomination of bottled P!$$


GT Yeah, the story being told by their marketing guys (if they can be believed which is a big if) was that it used to be a pretty good beer from the 1850's-1960's but then the US beer market changed with all the small guys getting squeezed out by bigger and bigger national breweries. They claim Schlitz gave up on quality and went after the low cost market mass market and as a result sales tanked due to low quality. Schlitz got bought out by Stroh in the early 70's who made it mostly just a malt liquor brand but then in 2003 Pabst bought Stroh and now they want to return Schlitz to the upper part of the domestic market targeting it at Michelob and such.

To do this they've relaunched the 1960's version of Schlitz promising that they're using just malted barley, hops, water, and yeast instead of the additives and processed ingredients most of the other macro breweries use. I'm not expecting a heavenly micro brew but if it's sold for $14 an 18 pack (which is about $2 more then coors, miller, or bud) I'd buy it if it was drinkable especially if you could actually taste the malt and hops without any funky after taste.

[truportodfa]

How is it any wierder than gaming forums?

[Beragagnu]

Having discussions on which are the best beer finds and good microbrews seems to me to be far more interesting that strategies, modpacks, tales of glory to me (optimization of gameplay is equal).

[Cricequorie]

Originally posted by Oerdin

Yeah, the story being told by their marketing guys (if they can be believed which is a big if) was that it used to be a pretty good beer from the 1850's-1960's but then the US beer market changed with all the small guys getting squeezed out by bigger and bigger national breweries. They claim Schlitz gave up on quality and went after the low cost market mass market and as a result sales tanked due to low quality. Schlitz got bought out by Stroh in the early 70's who made it mostly just a malt liquor brand but then in 2003 Pabst bought Stroh and now they want to return Schlitz to the upper part of the domestic market targeting it at Michelob and such.

To do this they've relaunched the 1960's version of Schlitz promising that they're using just malted barley, hops, water, and yeast instead of the additives and processed ingredients most of the other macro breweries use. I'm not expecting a heavenly micro brew but if it's sold for $14 an 18 pack (which is about $2 more then coors, miller, or bud) I'd buy it if it was drinkable especially if you could actually taste the malt and hops without any funky after taste. I lived through this. My family owned a liquor store through the 60s and 70s.

Regarding the story you're hearing -- well, they are marketing guys after all. So you're right to question them. There's a lot of truth in what they say regarding the history of the domestic mass market beer industry. There is really just a grain of truth in the bits that talk about motivation and quality. That part is mostly marketing BS.

In the 60s, all American-made beer was cheap crap. It existed on three basic levels -- super premium (Michelob, Special Export), premium (Bud, Schlitz, Miller) and rotgut (Pabst). The was no micro-brew market to speak of. Instead, there were a lot of regional brewers, most of whom strived to make premium quality beer at a lower price. G. Heileman (upper Midwest), Coors (Rockies), Lone Star (Texas, duh), Rolling Rock (PA) Strohs (Detroit), Iron City (Pittsburgh), Falstaff (St Louis), and a host of others -- all were essentially regional brewers.

Meister Brau, made in Chicago, was very popular locally, and they actually made the first light beer, despite Miller's claims. There were also a few local brewers, but most had no distribution and struggled to survive. So while Point Beer was quite good and quite cheap, you had to be within 50 miles of Stevens Point, Wisc. in order to get it. But I digress.

Imported beers had a terrible reputation. Generally speaking, they were considered bitter and horribly overpriced. We would sell hundreds of cases per week of the major brands, but maybe only 10 cases out of the entire import list, combined. As a result, those imports tended to be old and skunky by the time anyone actually brought them home. So again, there was a grain of truth to their bad reputation.

So it's really not a quality story. It was about distribution. The majors had multiple breweries and could move product where and when it was needed. The regionals were locked into trucking from their lone brewery, which limited their range. Today's just-in-time distribution models just didn't exist, and long-distance trucking to a warehouse for re-distribution meant that, at retail, out-of-area beer was often months old to the consumer. In those days, returnable bottles (longnecks) were more popular than cans, which were thought to impart a metallic taste to the product.

Now, the whole taste thing:

The "good" national premium brands were Budweiser and Schlitz. Miller had only the Miller High Life brand ('the champagne of beers'), which was distrusted because of the clear bottles and considered a bit of a girly brew. (This perception was heightened when Miller Lite, which was perceived as "diet beer," came out.) Bud was reviled by some as "rice beer" -- but it was the national sales leader. In terms of taste, that just left Schlitz.

So, was Schlitz considered the best of the macro-brews? Well, yes. But it was a "tallest midget" sort of victory.

[IACJdKfU]

Shlitz is my crappy 40oz of choice, leave it be I say

[Pipindula]

Back in the 60's hmmm
Schlitz was the first beer I ever drank. It was nothing special. But it got my Dad a break in the Advertising industry so we drank it at home.

[paydayuscf]

Ah yes. Others dribble back into the active memory for me as well. Olympia, made in Washinton state. Ballantine and Schaefer's from the east coast. National Bohemian from Baltimore, Dixie from the deep south, Hamm's from Minnesota, Pearl from Texas, Blatz from Milwaukee... Genesee -- not sure where that was from, probably the east (upstate NY?)...

[Donadoni1809]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
Ah yes. Others dribble back into the active memory for me as well. Olympia, made in Washinton state. Ballantine and Schaefer's from the east coast. National Bohemian from Baltimore, Dixie from the deep south, Hamm's from Minnesota, Pearl from Texas, Blatz from Milwaukee... Genesee -- not sure where that was from, probably the east (upstate NY?)... Oly si!
Schlitz no!

[HitAttetlyTek]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
The regional beers of that era were interesting. Most of the beers themselves weren't anything special, but several developed very positive reputations for their "legendary" taste. In the midwest, Coors and Lone Star were highly desired. During college (U. of Illinois, early 70s), I would always haul as much as I could back into town when I traveled by car, making me a local hero -- and a nice little profit. The plot of Smokey and the Bandit. So it comes out, -Jrabbit was a bootlegger! In those days it was illegal to ship Coors east of Texas.

West bound and down, eighteen wheels are rollin' ,
we're gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm west bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.

Keep your foot hard on the pedal. Son, never mind them brakes.
Let it all hang out 'cause we got a run to make.
The boys are thirsty in Atlanta and there's beer in Texarcana.
And we'll bring it back no matter what it takes.

West bound and down, eighteen wheels are rollin' ,
we're gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm west bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.

West bound and down, eighteen wheels are rollin' ,
we're gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm west bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.

Ol' Smokey's got them ears on and he's hot on your trail.
He aint gonna rest 'til you're in jail.
So you got to dodge 'im and you got to duck 'im,
you got to keep that diesel truckin'.
Just put that hammer down and give it hell.

West bound and down, eighteen wheels are rollin' ,
we're gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm west bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.

[15Praxanant]

Anyone here from New England?

Shaeffer,

is the,

one beer to have

when your having


more than one!

[Unjucky]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
Ah yes. Others dribble back into the active memory for me as well. Olympia, made in Washinton state. Ballantine and Schaefer's from the east coast. National Bohemian from Baltimore, Dixie from the deep south, Hamm's from Minnesota, Pearl from Texas, Blatz from Milwaukee... Genesee -- not sure where that was from, probably the east (upstate NY?)... Gennessee is brewed in Rochester, but that's practically Pennsylvania anyway.

There was also Utica Club, whose sales are largely confined to the 50+ set and alcoholics. And Uticans.

[DoctorWeryDolt]

there are no people old enough to remember the 60s. I myself barely remember the 00s.

[bestonline]

Originally posted by Heresson
there are no people old enough to remember the 60s. I myself barely remember the 00s. Well, I am old enough and like all memories, some are more clouded than others

Carling Black Label now thats a nasteee beer

[Lt_Apple]

Most of my memories of drinking copious amounts of alcohol involve bottles of straight vodka.

[Tapupah]

Originally posted by Grandpa Troll

Carling Black Label now thats a nasteee beer Yes, indeed, but I couldn't beat the cost, which was free.

I believe I had a nap in a snow bank that evening.

[alicewong]

Originally posted by notyoueither


Yes, indeed, but I couldn't beat the cost, which was free.

I believe I had a nap in a snow bank that evening.
Oh I had plenty of them on crap beers

then would wake up, go in the house, get wam, have bedspins and do the offering to the porcelin prince