John Barry's "Beer of the Week"

[GolfSpy Dave]

College beer for us was Meister Brau and Schaffer ($3 pitchers) then we found some happy hours with $5 pitchers of sierra nevada pale ale. mmmmmm

[JohnBarry]

Hey folks, good morning on Monday, and even though Sactown has me trying new "expensive" beers, I am still true to the value beer, and this week's beer is a tradition in the northeast, the east coast and beyond!

 

Natty Boh!!!

 

 

From the Land of Pleasant Living® comes National Bohemian, a treasured mid-Atlantic brand since 1885. National Bohemian, or Natty Boh is Baltimore's signature beer and a legend among American beers.

 

A Bohemian-style beer, Natty Boh was first brewed in 1885 by the National Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland. After prohibition, National Bohemian returned with the introduction of Mr. Boh, the one-eyed mascot with a handlebar-mustache and distinctive smile. Instantly adopted as a symbol of a proud city, Mr. Boh continues to be the iconic face for the brand today appearing on all cans, bottles, packaging and merchandise found in shops all over Maryland.

 

In the late '40s, canned beer started becoming popular and National was the first brewer in the U.S. to put six-packs of cans on the market. In following decade, National Brewing continued to proudly represent Baltimore and the Maryland shore, adopting the now famous slogan: "From the Land of Pleasant Living". In 1965, National Bohemian became the official sponsor of the Baltimore Orioles. Natty Boh was served at Memorial Stadium and cemented its reputation as "official" beer of Baltimore.

 

Today, Natty Boh has returned to the traditional recipe that made it the beer of choice in Baltimore and across the mid-Atlantic. Likewise, Mr. Boh continues to be a symbol of the community he so proudly represents and can be seen keeping watch over the city on top of the Natty Boh Tower. But he represents far more than a simple mascot, he is also the uncrowned king of Baltimore and plays a significant role in what makes Baltimore different from any other city in the world!

 

National Bohemian is a premium Bohemian-style beer. As the name implies, this is a method of beer-making that originated in Europe in the 1800's using Bavarian-style laagering techniques. Also known as Pilsner, this style of beer has the unique claim to being "the world's first golden beer."

 

Today, Natty Boh is brewed according to the strict traditions that made it the beer of choice. Using only the finest ingredients - sparkling pure water, fine grains, choice hops and our special strain of selected yeast - every batch of Natty Boh is patiently aged resulting in a medium-bodied beer with a smooth color, a distinct hop aroma and a superior taste.

 

[GolfSpy Dave]

I love that you are reviewing a beer that comes in a 40oz bottle.

Another "Natty" name too.

Too bad this is not available on the left coast

[JohnBarry]

Those are some of the old bottles through out the years, just bringing back some college memories!

[JohnBarry]

Another classic, low cost beer, maybe everyone who was ever young, and watching their money has had one. A refreshing taste for little money.

 

 

F. & M. stands for Frederick and Maximilian, the brothers who founded Schaefer. Frederick Schaefer, a native of Wetzlar, Prussia, Germany, emigrated to the U.S. in 1838. His younger brother, Maximilian, decided to make the arduous trip across the Atlantic in 1839 and brought with him a formula for lager, a type of beer popular in Germany but unheard of in the United States. The brothers dreamed, and planned, and saved - and in the late summer of 1842 they were able to buy a small brewery from Sommers.

 

New York beer drinkers immediately took a liking to "the different beer" the brothers brewed, and in 1845 Frederick and Maximilian developed a new plant several blocks away. This proved to be just a temporary move; the plant was almost immediately inadequate to meet demands and the brothers wisely decided to build yet another new plant, and to locate it in an area where they could expand as needed. Their search took them to what were then the "wilds" of uptown Manhattan. In 1849 the brewery, lock, stock and many barrels, was moved just north of Grand Central Station, where the Schaefer's brewed for the next 67 years, ever-expanding their plant. Rudolph J. Schaefer assumed the Presidency of the brewery in 1912 after the passing of Frederick and Maximilian. In 1915, Rudolph constructed the very best in pre-Prohibition breweries. While it must have seemed a real shame to brew "near beer" in his spanking new plant, Rudolph Schaefer obviously felt that near beer was better than no beer at all; consequently, the brewery remained in operation all during Prohibition, producing mostly near beer but also manufacturing dyes and artificial ice.

 

In 1923 Rudolph J. Schaefer passed away at the relatively young age of 60. Control of the company thus passed to his two sons, Frederick M.E. Schaefer and Rudolph J. Schaefer, Jr. Frederick guided the brewery for several years, but in 1927 Rudolph Jr. was elected President. Although he was by far the youngest brewery President in the United States, Rudy, Jr. provided excellent leadership. Sales continued strong throughout the 1940's and, to increase capacity, Schaefer purchased the former Beverwyck Brewery Co. in Albany, New York in 1950. They remained a two-plant company until 1961 when, with an eye toward expanding into large areas of the mid-west, Rudy Schaefer purchased the Standard Brewing Company, of Cleveland, Ohio.

 

Schaefer's most dramatic move with respect to plants was the decision, in 1971, to build a brand new, ultra-modern brewery just outside of Allentown, Pa. A new brewery was opened in 1972. The Lehigh Valley plant was one of the most modern and efficient breweries in the world. The Albany plant was shut down almost immediately. In 1974 the Lehigh Valley plant was expanded, and in 1975 it was expanded again - to a capacity of 5,000,000 barrels plus. By 1975, it was obvious that one of less efficient plants would be closed. In 1976 Schaefer announced the closing of the Brooklyn plant. This announcement, only one week after Rheingold disclosed its plans to also shut down in Brooklyn, left Brooklyn and New York City without a single producing brewery.

 

In 1981, the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Company was purchased by the Stroh Brewery Company. In 1999, the Stroh Brewery Company was bought by the Pabst Brewing Company which continues to sell Schaefer Beer today.

 

 

 

Schaefer beer steps up to the bar with ordinary ingredients, but extraordinary flavor. Brewed with common six-row varieties of malted barley, Schaefer accentuates its total complexity with six varieties of hops, all blended with perfect balance and harmony. A complement to any dinner or party, Schaefer brings quality and excellence to the table.

 

 

[GolfSpy Dave]

Ash Schaefer what a great college beer.

93¢ 40oz were definitely on the menu at UCSB. Cheap beer of choice for me then.

 

Totally want that stein!

[JohnBarry]

A classic, if I Love Lucy was drinking it, I am all for it!

[JohnBarry]

Today's great low cost beer is one close to my heart. I am a die hard Steeler's fan, and so is my step father who is from Pittsburgh, so I grew up sneaking tastes of this great beer and collecting team cans.

 

IRON CITY

 

 

A Proud Past

Edward Frauenheim – a young German immigrant – formed Iron City Brewing Company in 1861, when Pittsburgh was establishing itself as an industrial superpower. The mills were busy, there were jobs for all, and the beer flowed freely.

 

In 1866, the business outgrew its original facilities on 17th Street and moved to a four-story brick building on the corner of Liberty Avenue and 34th Street.

 

From the beginning, innovation was encouraged at Iron City Brewing. We were the first American brewery to produce a lager and the first to brew a true light beer. Through the years, we introduced many more revolutionary inventions in products and packaging. That creative spirit continues to drive our business today. When it comes to our beer and our customers, we settle for nothing but the best.

 

 

Iron City Firsts

Among our ground-breaking firsts are:

 

• The "snap top" can, 1962
• The twist-off resealable bottle top, 1963
• Draft beer packaged in cans
• Aluminum beer bottles, 2004
• The original light beer, Mark V, 1976
• First brewery to have its own Presidential Candidate: Dan Crawley of Churchill, PA

[JohnBarry]

Time to head down memory lane, to a time where we all had no money, wanted to drink, and found this beer to be our haven. I can't think back to college and remember a party where the keg wasn't this beer.

 

Milwaukee's Best

Introduced in 1984, Milwaukee's Best® features premium taste, without the premium price. Milwaukee's Best won the silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2003 for American Lager/Ale or Cream Ale, silver in 2004 and bronze in 2005 for American-Style Lager.

 

 

 

 

Milwaukee's Best: The Beast

Welcome to my Milwaukee's Best appreciation page. This page is here to inform you of the probably the best tasting beer on the planet. There are 3 different kinds of beer. First, Milwaukee's Best Light is the lightest beer and it tastes great. Next we have Milwaukee's Best Premium which has the middle potentcy and tastes probably the best out of the three. Last, but definitely not least we have Milwaukee's Best Ice. This beer has the richest taste and can liven your night up pretty quickly. To all you newcomers to Milwaukee's Best beer it has a nickname which is:THE BEAST

[GolfSpy Dave]

NO NOT THE BEAST!!!!

 

Find Old Milwaukee instead.

 

Fear the beast!

[JohnBarry]

The BEAST!!!!

[JohnBarry]

One of my tried and true beers of the summer, especially on the golf course, Bud Light. The King of Light Beers.

 

 

 

Bud Light

 

“Here We Go”

Introduced:1982Beer Category/Style:Premium Light – American-style light lager.Taste Profile:Light-bodied brew with a fresh, clean and subtle hop aroma, delicate malt sweetness and crisp finish for ultimate refreshment.Ingredients/Brewing:Bud Light is brewed using a blend of premium aroma hop varieties, both American-grown and imported, and a combination of barley malts and rice. Its superior drinkability and refreshing flavor makes it the world's favorite light beer.Advertising Highlights:Bud Light's most recent campaign titled “Here We Go” is centered on Bud Light's unique ability to elevate good times with friends, while delivering the message with humor consistent with previous Bud Light ads. This tagline is currently featured on Bud Light TV, radio, print and billboard advertising.Bud Light's humorous “Real Men of Genius” campaign has earned more than 100 advertising awards since it was launched in 2000, including a Gold Lion at the Annual International Advertising Festival in Cannes, France. The ads have also won two radio golds and two Grand Prix awards.Bud Light Super Bowl commercials also have enjoyed tremendous success. On five occasions the brand has captured the top overall spot in USA Today's “Ad Meter,” the top Super Bowl advertising consumer poll. Bud Light has also created memorable campaigns such as “I Love You, Man,” and “Yes, I Am.”Sponsorship Highlights:Bud Light is currently a sponsor of the National Hockey League and a number of domestic teams within each league. Other sports sponsorships include 28 National Football League teams, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the Association of Volleyball Professionals, Major League Lacrosse, and Vail Resorts.Interesting Facts:Bud Light is the world's best-selling beer.Further Information:Visit www.budlight.com or www.anheuser-busch.com.

[JohnBarry]

Mickey's® Fine Malt Liquor

Mickey's® Grenade

HEY! PARTIES DON'T HAPPEN ON A COMPUTER SCREEN!

We bet you're the kind of guy who's cruising around online one-handed... a mouse in one hand and a Mickey's Grenade in the other.

Anyway, thanks for visiting our site... but shouldn't you be surfing the waves instead of the web?

 

Yes folks, everyone should remember trying to drink these, and not coming home smelling like beer in high school. The Fine Malt Liquor ensured a six pack was plenty for a cheap buzz, and it had it's own unique taste!

 

 

 

 

[GolfSpy Dave]

Had a BL on the course yesterday, and it was the greatest beer ever. at 85* here in Sac yesterday, it hit the spot.

 

Green-bigmouth-death is to be avoided though.

 

Why even go there when one can just be fooled by the smooth taste of a King Cobra 40 oz.

[JohnBarry]

Fire Brewed, who else can claim this fame?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Stroh Brewery Company was a beer brewery located in Detroit, Michigan. In addition to their own Stroh's brand, they produced or bought the rights to several other brands including Schaefer, Schlitz, Augsburger, Erlanger (beer), Lone Star, Old Milwaukee, Red River, and Signature, as well as manufacturing Stroh's Ice Cream. The company was taken over and broken up in 2000 but some of its brands continued to be made by the new owners. Stroh's is currently made by the Pabst Brewing Company

 

 

Company history

The original Stroh brewery at right, with the Stroh family home in foreground. Circa 1864.

[edit] Establishment

The Stroh family began brewing beer in a family-owned inn during the 18th century in Kirn, Germany. In 1848, during the German Revolution, Bernhard Stroh, who had learned the brewing trade from his father, emigrated to the United States. Bernhard Stroh established his brewery in Detroit in 1850 when he was 28 and immediately started producing Bohemian-style beer, which had been developed at the municipal brewery of Pilsen, Bohemia, in 1840. In 1865 he purchased additional land and expanded his business. He adopted the Lion's Crest from the Kyrburg Castle in Germany and named his operation the Lion's Head Brewery. (The lion crest is still visible in its advertising and product labels.)

 

Bernhard Stroh's original beer selling operation consisted of a basement brewing operation and was then sold door-to-door in a wheelbarrow. The New Beer (Stroh's) sold door-to-door is a lighter-lager beer, brewed in copper kettles; Copper kettles enhanced the rich flavor of the beer, promoting carmelization of the wort, ("while the fire brewed distilling made the beer lighter" ) thus, forming a tradition of 'pure water beers' (without the heavier mineral content). Making the "new beer" lighter did not reduce the flavor. All major breweries in the United States of America, today, enjoy the honor of producing pure water beers in which Europeans give great recognitions and awards.

 

Bernhard Stroh Jr. took charge of the brewery on the death of his father. He changed the brewery's name to the B. Stroh Brewing Company. With the introduction of pasteurization and refrigerated rail cars, Stroh was able to ship some of his beer as far as Florida and Massachusetts. In 1893 Stroh Bohemian Beer won a blue ribbon at the Columbian Exposition. The company's name was changed to The Stroh Brewery Company in 1902. In 1908 Bernhard Stroh's brother Julius Stroh took over the brewery. After a tour of famous European breweries, he introduced the European fire-brewing method in the Stroh brewery. Today, Stroh's is the only fire-brewed beer on the American market. Common in Europe before World War I, the fire-brewing process uses a direct flame rather than steam to heat beer-filled copper kettles. The company claims that the resulting higher temperatures bring out more of the beer's flavor.

 

 

[edit] Prohibition

During Prohibition, Julius Stroh operated the business under the name The Stroh Products Company, producing near beer (beer with its alcohol extracted), birch beer, soft drinks, malt products, ice cream, and ice. Though production of most of these items ceased when Prohibition ended in 1933, a special unit of the brewery continued to make Stroh's Ice Cream (this facility remained in Detroit until February 2007, when the operation was moved to Belvidere, Illinois, though the distribution facility in Detroit still remains).^[1]

 

 

[edit] Growth and Expansion

Upon Julius Stroh's death in 1939, his son Gari Stroh assumed the presidency. Gari's brother John succeeded him in 1950 and became Stroh's chairman in 1967. Gari's son Peter, who had joined the company following his graduation from Princeton University in 1951, became president in 1968.

 

In 1964 the company made its first move toward expansion when it bought the Goebel Brewing Company, a rival across the street. The company had decided it could no longer compete as a local brewer and was about to move into the national scene. One reason was a costly statewide strike in 1958 that shut down Michigan beer production and allowed national brands to gain a foothold. When Peter Stroh took over the company in 1968, it still had not regained the market share lost in the strike 12 years previous.

 

Stroh ended a 40-year relationship with a local advertising agency for a large national agency and began targeting the larger national market. Led by creative director Murray Page, Stroh's came up with the slogan "The One Beer...", and by 1971, Stroh Brewery had moved from 15th to 13th place nationally. In 1972, it entered the top 10 for the first time. A year later it hit eighth place. Peter Stroh's willingness to depart from years of tradition enabled Stroh's to survive, but the changes were hard to swallow for many Stroh's employees. Stroh broke the company's tradition of family management and recruited managers from companies such as Procter & Gamble and Pepsico. He also introduced a light beer, Stroh's Light.

 

 

 

By 1978, Stroh's served 17 states when it produced 6.4 million barrels of beer. By this time, the original Detroit facility was 66 years old and had a capacity of seven million barrels annually. As it became difficult to make efficient shipments to new markets in the East, the company recognized that it required a new brewery. The F&M Schaefer Brewing Company had fallen victim to the Miller beer wars and Stroh's took over all of Schaefer's stock. In 1981, the combined breweries ranked seventh in beer sales. In addition, Stroh was able to take advantage of Schaefer's distributors in the northeastern part of the country. The acquisition also brought Stroh three new brands: Schaefer and Piels beers, and Schaefer's Cream Ale. The company now had a volume of over 40,000,000 barrels (6,400,000 m³) and 400 distributors in 28 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean islands.

 

Stroh's head office used to be located at Grand Park Centre near Grand Circus Park and Woodward Avenue. In 1982 Stroh bid for 67 percent of the Schlitz Brewing Company. By spring of that year, Stroh had purchased the entire company, making Stroh's the third largest brewery in America. During the takeover, Schlitz fought a fierce battle in the courts trying to remain independent. Schlitz finally accepted the takeover when Stroh raised its offer from an initial $16 per share to $17, and the U.S. Justice Department approved the acquisition once Stroh agreed to sell either Schlitz's Memphis or Winston-Salem breweries.

 

 

[edit] Turnaround and Decline

Changing tastes and lifestyles began to eat into the company's success. Heavy debt, over $500 million the brewer took on to finance its acquisition of Schlitz, drained Stroh's ability to compete. Declining sales and severe financial problems conspired to put an end to a long brewing tradition. Cutbacks and layoffs failed to halt the bleeding. Peter Stroh, chairman of the company his family had founded a century-and-half before, negotiated a deal to sell most of his beer operations to Coors Brewing Company. According to industry analysts, acquisitions made by Stroh's in the fiercely competitive beer industry ultimately made it weak. But the deal with Coors fell through and in 1987 Stroh's raised cash by redeveloping its former headquarters into Brewery Park, a modern office complex. Stroh's attempts in the mid- and late 1980s to diversify into other beverages—such as White Mountain Coolers, a fruit-flavored drink with 5 percent alcohol, and Sundance sparkling-water fruit drinks—met with little success. Stroh's sold its Stroh's Ice Cream operation to Dean Foods Company in 1988.

 

Stroh then implemented a three-pronged strategy to revitalize the company: developing new products, brewing beer under contract for other brewers, and expanding overseas. The new product area was critical because the explosion in beer brand and types of beer in the 1990s undermined the market share for all established brands. Stroh's strategy when seeking to enter the market for a new type of beer was to extend one or more of its existing brands. In the increasingly popular non-alcoholic beer segment, for example, Old Milwaukee Non-Alcoholic was introduced in 1991, while Stroh's Non Alcoholic debuted in 1993. Old Milwaukee NA quickly became one of the top three selling non-alcoholic brews. In the ice beer category, Stroh launched Old Milwaukee Ice, Schlitz Ice, Schlitz Ice Light, Bull Ice, and Schaefer Ice, all in 1994. Another hot category in the early and mid-1990s was the packaged draft beer; Stroh made its presence felt in this category as well with Stroh's Draft Light, Old Milwaukee Genuine Draft, and Schlitz Genuine Draft.

 

Another important new product area was specialty beer, the hottest beer category of the 1990s and led by the hundreds of microbreweries that arose to craft them, not by the industry leaders. Stroh and the other leaders, however, were not shut out of this category; in some cases they purchased all or part of microbreweries, in others they formed units to produce specialty beers. Stroh did both. It purchased the Augsburger brand in 1989 and over the next several years developed and introduced both specialty and seasonal brews under the Augsburger name. In 1994, Stroh launched Red River Valley Select Red Lager, a regional premium specialty beer produced by a division of the company's St. Paul, Minnesota, brewery called Northern Plains Brewing Company. Two years later, Red River Honey Brown Ale was introduced.

 

The international market provided growth opportunities for Stroh that were very limited in the stagnant, hyper-competitive U.S. market. In 1986 Stroh International, Inc. was created to begin to tap into these markets. Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, and Russia were the main targets of Stroh's overseas push. From 1992 through 1995, Stroh's international sales grew each year at rates exceeding 50 percent. In 1994, the company entered into a licensing agreement with Rajastan Breweries, Ltd. (located outside Delhi) to produce, distribute, and market Stroh's and Stroh's Super Strong beers in India. The following year, an agreement was reached with Sapporo Breweries Ltd. of Tokyo whereby Sapporo began distributing Stroh's beer nationwide in Japan. By 1995, exports comprised more than 10 percent of overall Stroh sales.

 

In early 1995, William Henry assumed Peter Stroh's CEO position to become the first non-Stroh family member to hold that position for the company. The following year Stroh finally landed a long-sought-after target when it acquired Heileman for about $290 million. The Heileman purchase brought more than 30 brands to the Stroh family, many of which Heileman had itself acquired since its founding in LaCrosse, Wisconsin in 1858. Among the more important brands were Colt 45 malt liquor, which when combined with Schlitz Malt Liquor, gave Stroh more than half of the malt liquor market.^[2]

 

Stroh neared the turn of the century in a much stronger position than it had entered the 1990s, but by the end of the decade, Stroh would finally give in to the pressures of the larger brewers and be acquired.

 

 

[edit] Acquisition

State of Michigan Historical Site marker commemorating where Stroh's Brewery of Detroit once stood. The end finally came on February 8, 1999, when word came down from Stroh headquarters that the 149 year-old brewer was selling its labels to the Pabst Brewing Company and Miller Brewing Company. John Stroh III, now company president and chief executive, said of the decision to sell: "Emotionally, it was an extremely difficult one to make, knowing that it would impact our loyal employees, and recognizing that it would mean the end of our family's centuries old brewing tradition that had become, in essence, an important part of our identity."^[3]

 

After its dissolution in 2000, some Stroh brands were discontinued, while others were purchased by other breweries. The Pabst Brewing Company acquired the most Stroh/Heilman brands. They currently produce Colt 45 malt liquor, Lone Star, Schaefer, Schlitz, Schmidt's, Old Milwaukee, Old Style, Stroh's, and St. Ides. The Miller Brewing Company got Mickey's Malt Liquor and Henry Weinhard's. Most other Stroh/Heileman brands disappeared after 2000.^[4]

 

Stroh's Brewery did reappear in the media, however, in 1990's Robocop II

[GolfSpy Dave]

Drank my share of this in college circa 1990. The 15-pack marketing was genius.

Actually had a pair of promo Stroh's shorts where instead of a left pocket, there was a fabric beer holder. Elastic waist with no drawstring though, so actually putting a can there would cause you to drop trousers. Not a huge hinderance in college though.

[JohnBarry]

15 Packs, an idea way before it's time.

[Nasty Canasta]

I had Stroh's the other day. They have reintroduced it and are using the 1960s recipe. It was not bad. I remember sneaking and drinking my dad's Stroh's and Blatz and they were horrible. The new/old Stroh's is much better. But I do not know if they sell it in 15 packs. I have only seen the 6 packs. Lately I have been drinking Heavy Seas-Loose Cannon(Hop3 Ale). Good stuff.

[JohnBarry]

New Stroh's, I will be on the look out for it.

[JBones]

How did I miss this thread??? I love beer more than I love golf. I've been on a Shiner Bock kick lately.

 

 

[Nasty Canasta]

New Stroh's, I will be on the look out for it.

 

I did see it a World Market and they sold it by the bottle or sixer. Their six packs can bee expensive. But most stores do carry in the central Ohio area.