Reading an article about Bud Light and how they are having to cut production, I took a trip down memory lane to remember some beer from y misspent youth.
Schlitz - Schlitz used to be a big player in the South, although my Dad didn't allow it in the house. He drank Budweiser or Coors (when he could get it). However, there was one store who would sell skunked Schlitz at a discount, and didn't care who you were. Four bucks a case and haul it off. We drank a bunch of that stuff at teen parties, and I thought that was what beer was supposed to taste like. When I got legal and bought a real beer in a bar, I was amazed.
Falstaff - I had one Sergeant who drank Falstaff beer almost exclusively. He was a Special Forces Master Sergeant who became sort of a mentor to a young Armor officer. What he was doing assigned to me was always a bit of a mystery, but looking back, his undiagnosed PTSD and borderline alcoholism may have had something to do with this assignment. He was short, skinny and mean as a rattlesnake. But, he took care of me, and the troops. I remember Falstaff fondly.
Stroh's - We had a lot of this at Fort Knox. They sold it in the Four Seasons store. A half-keg was only $12.00. We called it "The Pale, Stale Ale, with the Foam in the Middle". It was a hit at backyard cookouts.
Those are three that come to mind. They may still be produced and consumed in some other regions, but I don't see much of them around here.
13 comments:
Ah yes, 'Fallflat', Schlitz, and Jax... And Lone Star long necks. The 'folly' of our youth!
Olympia ( I rarely drank) Hamms, ( the beer refreshing and the cute Bear mascot) Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller come to mind. Where I grew up Falstaff was locally produced and was sometime " skunky". Oh, and dont forget in late 70s and early 80d was " Billy Beer" after Carters Brother and also a short lived generic " Beer".
Before it was pasteurized COORS was Really good !! Go out to Colorado and get some beer worth drinking. Im sure Coors would deny it but something in the pasteurization process seemed to change the taste and it went from award winning to...what we have now.
As a total side note one of the bar/restaurants has a weekly " Crappy Beer Night" which features pretty much all the beers we have names at discounted price.
I'm a few years younger (60) and in south Texas so our local beer probably was a bit different.
Mickey's (in glass barrel shaped bottles w/ wide mouth) was a hit because you could chug it fast. Taste - meh, beer was to catch a buzz (yep, young and stupid). Lone Star was pretty nasty but teens can take a beating. A quart of that and you felt like a Viking.
Miller Lite, Budweiser - whatever was on sale.
I eventually outgrew that drinking for getting buzzed. I haven't had a beer in years now.
Ft Knox, 1983. Stroh's "Fire-brewed" beer.
Sold at the mini-PX near 5th Cav, 1st Training Brigade.
Ahh, memories.....
"Hamm's"
Stroh's could always be counted on for a head-ache the next morning.
Falstaff brewed much of the first generic beer in the mid-West. "Ask for it by name: 'Beer'!"
I like Schlitz. It had more of an ale taste than a lager.
Oly, Blitz, Rainier, lets not forget Buckhorn either.
there was a beer out of Pittsburgh PA around the winter soloists, Old Frouthingslouth, The Pale Stall Ale with the foam on the bottom
Dad came home from his last tour in VN accompanying a coffin full of San Miguel dark. Actually, he accompanied a buddy who accompanied the coffin. Our small home became party central for a week.
I've not ever been much of a beer drinker, but I did like those longnecks mentioned by NFO.
On a trip to Michigan I discovered Blatz. Naive as I was I tried to bring a case back in my duffle. Airport rampers got it. Dangit!
Dad brought Jax home whenever he worked "New Orleans Yard", railroad switching the dock areas on the city side of the river. I didn't like Falstaff but loved the weather globe at the top of their tower. Schlitz gave me one hell of a headache. Nobody I knew drank Pabst Blue Ribbon.
First duty station at Fort Worth, we got Coors smuggled in packed inside the pressure packing of the KC-135s when they went west and landed for whatever reason. Boomers took care of us enlisted swine. (I was in maintenance.) Otherwise it was Lone Star longnecks. Turned 21 with one and a steak & baked potato. Mgt pretended I hadn't been doing that for two years before.
"Old Schlitz" was a decent beer. They got purchased by(I think) Stroh's. Moved production from Milwaukee to Michigan.
That's where skunky became an ingrediant...
Genessee cream ale!!!!!
You'll never shit yourself so hard as the morning after a bout with cream ale. The rest of their beers were good for killing garden slugs.
I came across some Hamms in a Food Lion in southern VA recently.
Not too bad, gonna grab some more tonight when I go through South Boston, if it's still there.
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