Old Stale Radio Commercials

[steveh]

Broadcast during the Cubs' games with the tagline: "Think local, drink local." Uh, this stuff is brewed in Texas now -- far from "local." And since Goose Island is about 60 feet south of the corner of Clark and Addison, I think the local choice is obvious.

S.

[chazwicke]

I'm not sure about those commercials but I relly enjoy the Geico Caveman series. Great commercials.

[jesskidden]

Originally posted by steveh
Broadcast during the Cubs' games with the tagline: "Think local, drink local." Uh, this stuff is brewed in Texas now -- far from "local."

S.

Yeah, I noticed that on the Pabst website the other day, too.
"Can you really trust a beer that's not from "around here"?"
http://www.pabst.com/mainpage.html Elsewhere they claim that some of their beers date from 1775 (I guess Stroh's used to use that line, based on beer brewed in Germany by the old man Stroh?).

An interesting article on Pabst and their new whippersnapper CEO (late of Proctor and Gamble, but he did work at Coors at some point in his career) in a recent Beverage Age where he says, "I can't see any reason why I would want to own a brewery." (There's also an ad congratulating Pabst on their "continued success" --from The Lion, trying to drum up some more business, I guess.)

But, I thought some of the old Heileman brands were coming out of City in Lacrosse (maybe that was only Special Export?). Still, wouldn't it make more sense for the mid-West beers to come from Miller in Milwaukee or Ohio?
I haven't checked the labels on any of their beers lately on the East Coast, so I don't know how they note the city (I think Ballantine Ale says "Milwaukee"). I think it's wrong for the Gov't to let them list a corporate headquarters instead of the actual site of the brewery on beer labels.

Oh, speaking of Ballantine Ale here's an online exclusive part of that interview about that brew from the same interview-
http://www.beverageworld.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&Itemid=127&id=6242
Besides making a couple of mistatements ( Ballantine, the brewery, was #3 in the middle of the century, not the turn of the century and the XXX Ale didn't even exist as a brand until after Prohibition. Also, claiming "it" was the 'original IPA' is just foolish on two accounts- obviously BIPA wasn't THE original (may have been an early American attempt) but they don't even MAKE Ballantine India Pale Ale anymore) it would be interesting for them to put some effort into that brand.

My suggestion- drop Miller and contract a micro to brew XXX, IPA, Brewers Gold *and* Burton Ales ("Just think of the ad campaign- "People are paying $200 a bottle, but now you can buy this classic ale for just....."). Fritz Maytag's often been quoted about those beers but if he or a micro doesn't have capacity, at least give it to the Lion. This Miller stuff is horrid.

[Mill Rat]

I always thought it was properly derided and "dog style" not "old stale!"

[steveh]

Originally posted by Mill Rat
not "old stale!"

Been in Northern Illinois for 47 years, heard 'em all.

S.

[chazwicke]

I'd love to see Ballantine Ale resurrected as a quality contract brew. I suppose it would be similar to the Rheingold and Narragansett re-makes. Although Ballantine's name has larger recognition than either of those. And many of us can still remember when it was actually a decent beer. Brewing it at Lion would be great. They have turned out some nicer contracts in the past several years. I might also recommend Pittsburgh or FX Matts but I'm not fond of many of the contracts beers from Matts and if Pittsburgh could produce a craft brew it might help with their financial woes and possibly save that old institution. A new craft Ballantine Ale would be great I think. Even a possible occasional specialty based on the Burton Ale might work. And if they would do a regional new craft version of Natty Boh that might work well too.

[steveh]

Originally posted by jesskidden
But, I thought some of the old Heileman brands were coming out of City in Lacrosse (maybe that was only Special Export?).

City doesn't have any of the Heilleman brands, they're all owned by the big Texas conglomo that now calls itself Pabst. Funny thing is, their web site (copyright 2005, mind you) says SpclEx is "proudly" brewed in LaCrosse. Maybe they contract with City? The Old Style site makes no such claim -- though they both have direct links to the Pabst site.

S.

[jesskidden]

Originally posted by steveh
City doesn't have any of the Heilleman brands, they're all owned by the big Texas conglomo that now calls itself Pabst. Funny thing is, their web site (copyright 2005, mind you) says SpclEx is "proudly" brewed in LaCrosse. Maybe they contract with City? The Old Style site makes no such claim -- though they both have direct links to the Pabst site.

S.

Sorry, did not mean to suggest that City "owned" any Heileman brands, only that Pabst was contracting with City for some of them. Turns out it was only Special Export, not Old Style, at least according to this 4 year old article:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3652/is_200311/ai_n9323604

Pabst, bought by S&P (General, Falstaff, Pearl), is now technically owned by a Kalmanovitz Charitable Foundation - a sort of scam set up by the owner of S&P - http://www.milwaukeeworld.com/blog/2006_07_01_michaelhorne_archive.html
" WHO REALLY OWNS PABST?" about 1/4 of the way down.

I thought S&P and KCF were in Kalmanovitz's old home area, the SF Bay area and, of course, Pabst just moved it's headquarters to Illinois (as was discussed in another thread)- supposedly they *toyed* with going back to Milwaukee, but they're not very well thought of there <g>.

I thought by "Texas" you meant that Old Style was coming out of the Miller brewery there, which doesn't make sense- but, then, when it comes to Pabst, the "virtual" brewery, not a lot does.

[jesskidden]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I'd love to see Ballantine Ale resurrected as a quality contract brew. I suppose it would be similar to the Rheingold and Narragansett re-makes.

The Rheingold? I hope not <g> the one version I had was pretty poor, and the latest/last version actually bragged about being low carb and "lower in calories than Corona"... http://www.drinksamericas.com/brands/rhein.htm.

Haven't had the 'Gansett yet, but I see they're resurrecting the Bock, now, too, right? If they bring back the Porter and Croft and Pickwick Ales, I just might finally take a trip to see my old friend in the Boston area...

Originally posted by chazwicke
And if they would do a regional new craft version of Natty Boh that might work well too.

Never drank much "real" National Bohemian (National and Carling/National didn't distribute it in NJ) but I always did like National Premium, and always brought some home when I went down that way.

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by jesskidden
Haven't had the 'Gansett yet, but I see they're resurrecting the Bock, now, too, right? If they bring back the Porter and Croft and Pickwick Ales, I just might finally take a trip to see my old friend in the Boston area...


'Gansett tall boys are a solid buy for what you get - $4/sixer.
A drinkable lawnmower beer.

The Porter is back, in draft form.
Been back, sporadically, for at least the past year.
Brewed by Trinity Brewing in RI - on tap at Trinity and other select RI bars on occasion.
Haven't heard/seen any news on the bock at all.

Pickwick was resurrected by Harpoon about a decade ago.
Decent drink, too.
I remember buying many sixers when I lived in MA.
Now? Dunno when Harpoon let it go, but it's been at least 6 years since I've seen any.

[steveh]

Originally posted by jesskidden
Sorry, did not mean to suggest that City "owned" any Heileman brands, only that Pabst was contracting with City for some of them.

Got it.

I thought by "Texas" you meant that Old Style was coming out of the Miller brewery there,

I'm not sure just where it's brewed, as you point out - that company is some sort of enigma brewery. The home page and its wall paper of labels from their acquired brands is frightening.

S.

[jesskidden]

Originally posted by steveh

The home page and its wall paper of labels from their acquired brands is frightening.

S. [/B]

The music alone drives me nuts. <g>

I was looking at a chart of the top 12 brewers from 1977 the other day. Pabst now controls most* of the brands of 9 of the top 12. 30 years ago, those brands under one umbrella company would have dwarfed A-B- 90 million barrels to their 39. Today, they have under 4% of the market. According to that Beverage Age magazine from Jan., Pabst owns 75 brands but markets "only" 37 of them.

* Most, because Miller did buy 3 of those Stroh/Heileman brands in '99, two of which, Henry Weinhard and Hamm's, Pabst HAD previously owned- Blitz-Weinhard and the Oly/Hamm/Lone Star merged company were both bought by the pre-S&P Pabst but "lost" to Heileman, when that company bought Pabst, and immediately "spun off" a new Pabst (keeping ahead of the Anti-Trust Fed regulators) after stripping it off some upwardly mobile brands and at and least one of their breweries (the one in Pabst, GA., soon to be go back to being Perry, GA).

[mdblu1]

Originally posted by steveh
Broadcast during the Cubs' games with the tagline: "Think local, drink local."
S.

That's what you get for listening to Cubs games:eek: