Regional Beers

[fitzsmoke]

I would like to know what regional or local beers you remember drinking or seeing "Uncle Bob" drink that may or may not still exist. Brands like Carling Black Label, Heidelburg, Lucky Lager, Blitz, Pearl, Falstaff, Jax, etc. before the biggies swallowed them up. Maybe include a mini-review with your favs.

I remember Jax beer at the Ft. Sill, Oklahoma E.M. club for two bottles (long necks) for 25 cents. You could drink it all evening and never seemed to get a buzz. One side effect was you did lose your hearing. Could have been the noise level though. Live rock bands.

[jgros001]

National Bohemian, ie Natty Boh. Used to be made in Maryland, now production has moved to PA and been bought out by a big company (not sure which one). A personal fave cheap beer, still in production. Used to be made in gernades - great bottle shape...wish more beers came in that format (Red Stripe does but I can't stand the stuff). "from the land of pleasant living"

[fitzsmoke]

Never heard of Natty Boh but Heidleburg came in a grenade bottle (they called it a "keg" bottle) for a while. Really liked that size bottle.

[SeanGAR]

Olands Export Ale in stubbies (red stripe's bottle). It really annoyed me when they started using the American style bottles.

[whiteboard]

Any of you guys west of the Mississippi see Bell's from Kalamazoo, Michigan on the shelves? They've been slowly widening distribution. Not sure if they qualify as a regional anymore, but some damn fine beer. They used to release a bunch of November stouts, but misstepped one year when they released 14. A few of the brews with nicer packaging and more acceessible profiles made it in to their regular line -- cherry stout and java stout. But the best of the bunch -- IMO -- got left behind: Trumpeter's Stout. One of the best stouts I ever had. I still e-mail them periodically pleading my case for its reintroduction.

[D. Generate]

Growing up in Seattle it was all Lucky Lager, Olympia and Rainier.

Now I'm irritated at all the great regional brews that don't make it to Northern Nevada. Bells, Dogfish Head, Stone, Victory, Three Floyds... The list is extensive.

You can get a lot of free beer in Reno, but you get what you pay for.

[rumballs]

not west of mississippi, but they do have Bell's on tap at my local bar, pretty good.

I haven't had Pete's Wicked Ale forever (well, at least since I moved to Chicago). Gotta find where I can buy that around here. Just looked on line and I don't like the new labels nearly as much as the ones they used to have (though I don't remember exactly what thye looked like)

[whiteboard]

Originally Posted by mmblz

not west of mississippi, but they do have Bell's on tap at my local bar, pretty good.

Chicago is the first place I had Bells on tap. Wish I could remeber the name of the place. I remember great quesadillas and that pale ale. Somewhere within a few miles of George St, The Vic, Anne Sather's as I recall. Village something tavern, perhaps...

[fitzsmoke]

Originally Posted by D. Generate

Growing up in Seattle it was all Lucky Lager, Olympia and Rainier.

In the sixties we called Rainier Ale "The green death" due to it's strength and the next day fallout!

[jeffin7]

They don't brew it in Bmore anymore? Then what is going on in that building with the huge neon Natty Boh head that floats over baltimore nights like a one-eye full moon?

Originally Posted by jgros001

National Bohemian, ie Natty Boh. Used to be made in Maryland, now production has moved to PA and been bought out by a big company (not sure which one). A personal fave cheap beer, still in production. Used to be made in gernades - great bottle shape...wish more beers came in that format (Red Stripe does but I can't stand the stuff). "from the land of pleasant living"

[jeffin7]

We don't get it in MD but I have traded for a lot of bells stuff and went to a Bells beer dinner in DC. Great stuff. I actually have 1 bottle of Trumpeters Stout in my cellar, hopefully its not to far past its prime. The 2 hearted and Third Coast are probably my two favorites. I have a couple bottles of Eccentric Ale, very odd but pretty nice stuff. All around a great brewery.

Originally Posted by whiteboard

Any of you guys west of the Mississippi see Bell's from Kalamazoo, Michigan on the shelves? They've been slowly widening distribution. Not sure if they qualify as a regional anymore, but some damn fine beer. They used to release a bunch of November stouts, but misstepped one year when they released 14. A few of the brews with nicer packaging and more acceessible profiles made it in to their regular line -- cherry stout and java stout. But the best of the bunch -- IMO -- got left behind: Trumpeter's Stout. One of the best stouts I ever had. I still e-mail them periodically pleading my case for its reintroduction.

[jgros001]

Originally Posted by jeffin7

They don't brew it in Bmore anymore? Then what is going on in that building with the huge neon Natty Boh head that floats over baltimore nights like a one-eye full moon?

Don't brew it here anymore but that one-eyed mascot is all over the place - not sure what is in that building....but it is not a brewery for natty boh. Love that neon sign though.

[jgros001]

Originally Posted by jeffin7

They don't brew it in Bmore anymore? Then what is going on in that building with the huge neon Natty Boh head that floats over baltimore nights like a one-eye full moon?

A little research on the building - called Natty Boh Towers - apts and offices. Couple of pics

Being in the south i miss the beer of my college years: Leinenkugel's or Leinie'sas it is known is one great regional brewing company. The Honey Weiss is one of my all time favs and their Big Butt doppelbock is also killer.

One regional brew that i really miss now that it is dead and gone is Crooked River's Black Forest Lager which came from Cleveland.

[Lumpold]

Carling Black Label is still available, just not in the US. Over here we just call it Carling. And serve it on tap in my pub.