Smokey and the Banquet

"Support your local wildlife. Do your part around here.
Save water and drink beer,"Chris Young

Order and it shall be served. First introduced by Adolph Coors (who had to be at least a little bit narcissistic) Coors Banquet has been brewed, ironically, in Golden, Colorado since 1873.  Coors is nicknamed "The Banquet Beer" because during the late 1800's miners throwing celebratory banquets would serve Coors. It was a natural selection due to its stellar craftsmanship. For a long time, Coors was only served in the American West, which made it that more valuable. It developed a cult following- often inspiring people to drive across the country and bring it back to the East Coast to share with friends and family. Presidents, movie starts and average Joe beer drinkers all loved Coors.

Banquet finally became available in Ontario in 2013. Beer lovers rejoiced as they were finally able to purchase bottles and their signature yellow cans without having to cross the border. I was pretty excited myself. It was always a special treat to head to the states and find Banquet on the shelves of convenience stores and gas station coolers. That special feeling is what allows Banquet to remain relevant despite its' competition. There is a certain status awarded to those who were able to get their hands on Coors Banquet and that remains the case to this day. I highly recommend trying it the next time you visit the Beer Store, its full-flavoured but smooth and makes for the perfect post-work pick-me-up.

Fun Fact: Smokey and the Bandit, starring Burt Reynolds and Sally Field, is about race car driver Bandit's valiant effort to smuggle a truck full of beer from Texas to Atlanta. The beer stowed away in the back of his truck? Coors Banquet! (This fun fact should up your cool factor at any bar this weekend.)

Coors Banquet

Class: Pale Lager

Brewer: COORS

Quality: Imported

Alcohol Content: 5%



50: Say Hello to a New Old Friend



"Well I've tried 'em all and it might sound queer,
but my favourite drug is a nice cold beer,"
 Asylum Street Spankers

Labatt’s brewery was founded in London, Ontario in 1847 by John Kinder Labatt. Now part of Anheuser-Busch InBev (makers of Bud Light, etc.) Labatt’s is Canada’s largest brewer of that sweet golden nectar. Labatt 50 is a beer created with a lot of sentiment. It was first produced in 1950 to represent the 50 year old partnership between Labatt grandsons Hugh and John. Interestingly, 50 was the first light-tasting ale introduced in Canada. Even more interesting, even shocking, is that 50 was Canada’s best selling beer until 1979. 50 dropped in sales due to the increase in popularity of Lagers, which is a trend that seems to be on its’ way out considering the popularity of craft brewed India Pale Ales. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that 50 is making its’ way back into the mainstream, while it may be light, it doesn’t taste like a light beer. It still gives beer lovers that hoppy kick while being refreshing and easy to drink. Regardless, 50 has certainly proved itself as a quality product. Here's an article that I found pretty entertaining and informative about the history of 50.

If you are interested in conspiracy theories and crazy histories I suggest reading about the kidnapping of John Sackville Labatt (one of John Labatt’s nine children). It’s an intriguing story and it will be the perfect complement to that cold bottle of 50. 

 

Fun Fact: For a time, Call the Office in London, ON was the biggest seller of Labatt’s 50.

50
Class: Pale Ale
Brewer: Labatt
Quality: Premium
Alcohol Content: 5%