Categories
Heirloom beers
General Beer Discussion by MRBUCK
When I think of enjoying a fine beer/ale, lagers are not foremost in my mind. However, American style lagers can be a wonderful thing in the right context. I am not thinking of fraternity parties and spring break delirium, but something to slake your thirst after mowing the lawn on a hot summer day or something to balance the heat of a spicy meal. We can all point to a time when some ice cold domestic lager really hit the spot. When I start to wax nostalgic about such memories, I know many of them can never be repeated. Yes, even in beerland it seems many of us can never go home again. Why? Because many, if not all, of the breweries of our youth have been taken over by the Big Three. Now while still using the original name of small regional brewer, they produce a clone of their own tasteless product...insidious. So, I have this fantasy of embarking on a grand quest to rediscover original recipes and reintroduce as microbrews the lagers that have been stolen from us by the Big Three. Think of it…a Budweiser that actually tastes like a Budweiser. Long gone is any hint of Beachwood aging (too distinctive for the American palette I guess). But what I really miss are the regional lagers of Central Texas and adjacent areas….Lone Star, Pearl, Jax, Falstaff, Shiner. Alas they are all gone (Lone Star and Shiner still exist in name only). If your old enough I am sure you think of your own examples. Does anybody think this would be a feasible endeavor (that is, do you think it would possible to recover the recipes without spending a fortune). I doubt Miller will ever use them (assuming acquisition of the original recipes was part of the purchase agreement). Does anybody out there have a similar dream.
19 years ago
In Reply To #1 Falstaff! Buddy, you don't know what memories came rushing back through my addled brain with the mention of Falstaff! And Jax, from Narlins! For my contribution, what does the following little ditty do for ya? "From the land of sky blue waters, Hamm's, the beer refreshing--Hamm's!" Look around, and you'll see you're not alone. Nostalgia beers are a growing part of the market. People are rediscovering Pabst Blue Ribbon, Old Style, and Schlitz. Plenty of articles have been published about this trend. If I find one quickly I'll post a link here. So go for it! Personally, I favor the leading edge brewers, like Stone and Dogfish Head. When I brew, I try to invent something new or unusual: Cuvee di Foam. My first beer was a Schlitz, and I grew up on Old Style. I would drink a Falstaff for old time's sake, but I wouldn't really want to brew it. You know? But that's just me. Is there a Brew-on-Premises place in your area? You can try to recreate that distinctive Falstaff feeling on a small scale, before committing the big bucks. See what your friends think of a couple kegs. Hey, you may be on to something.
Type "American nostalgia beers" into your search engine and see what happens! Some articles contain good references and links. Example: http://www.epinions.com/fddk-review-5F43-114DBB21-39C65A35-prod3 Also, go to Pabst.com and have a look and all the "oldies" that are still around, like Champale, Ballentines, Old Style, Lone Star, and more.