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%

Black Label:Gold Medal

A good friend of mine swears by Black Label. And after asking some of my family’s friends about it, I learned that to drink Black Label is truly an acquired taste. Many of them are brought back to their youth. That’s been the running theme of this blog so far, drinking beer that brings you back to those memories. A close family friend was reminded of unwinding after a long week doing chores in the barn when it was brought out on Christmas Eve this year. It was kind of cool to hear him reminiscing about this beer that he hadn’t seen in over 20 years.

 

"I'm just a cold beer drinker,
check out the callus on my
pop-top finger," Luke Bryan

 

Back to Black Label, the beer is made by Carling which is a European company. Carling was originally popular throughout Britain and the British Empire, however, it was purchased by Torontonian E.P. Taylor and grew to be the world’s largest brewing company for a time. Black Label quickly became the first beer to be brewed in a mass international scale. I found this fact to be pretty remarkable considering the fact that I didn’t even know Black Label existed until last year.

 

 

 

To sum up, Black Label, despite its reputation, has won a variety of beer competitions including the Grand Gold Award in 2008 from Monde Selection. So, next time you are out give Black Label a try and experience something new (and, in a way, old).

 

Fun Fact: The Carling website will list restaurants and bars that carry their products for those interested in drinking Black Label.

Carling Black Label
Class: Pale Lager
Brewer: Molson
Quality: Discount
Alcohol Content: 5%

Steamwhistle: Retro Revival

It’s pretty difficult to discuss “vintage suds” without mentioning craftbeer. Everything about Steamwhistle  is a shout out to a simpler time, from the name, the retro vehicles that proudly display that name, the way they brew their beer with only four ingredients  and the Roundhouse  in which the beer is brewed in, Steamwhistle is committed to tradition.

 
My first experience with Steamwhistle was before a Blue Jays  game, I’m sure I’m not the only one who has popped into the Steamwhistle Brewery for a free taste test. I really enjoyed the crisp taste, mind you the free part would have me singing anyone’s praises. The most important thing that I noticed about Steamwhistle, besides the quality of the beer, was the feeling I was met with as I walked in the brewery. The staff is super welcoming, passionate and knowledgeable about their product. This kind of attitude in itself is retro in my opinion. It’s hard to find places, let alone businesses, that are this welcoming and treat you like a member of the family as soon as you walk in.

The Steamwhistle label depicts the, you guessed it, steam whistle that signalled the end of the work  day and the start of free and family time. The brewery wanted to remind people to take that break at the end of the day or the end of the weekend to reconnect with one another.

"And if you're drinkin' well, you know
That you're my friend and I say
I think I'll have myself a beer," Reel Big Fish

For many reasons Steamwhistle is a beer with a retro mentality. And it all started with an entertaining and awesome story about perseverance and dedication to quality. You can read more about it here.
 

Fun Fact: The original name of Steamwhistle was 3 Fired Guys, but the creators thought this had a negative connotation.

Steamwhistle
Class: Premium Craft
Brewer: Steamwhistle
Quality: Pilsner
Alcohol Content: 5%
 

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Green Diesel: The Pride of Western Canada

Old Style Pilsner has been brewed, in its current state, in Western Canada by Molson since 1926. Primarily brewed in Vancouver and Edmonton, the beer is traditionally associated with mullet-bearing, party starting dudes. If you haven't experienced the magic of the Canadian mockumentary FUBAR (what are you waiting for?), then you probably don't understand the cultural significance of the Pilly Pop. For many Western Canadians, Pilsner is the first beer they ever drink. While Pil is able to cross lines of age, wealth and taste, it's popularity stems from the recreation of that fateful night when they tried Pislner for the first time and their eyes were opened to a whole new, sud-soaked world. Nostalgia is important to the brewery as well. The label pays tribute to the past while emphasizing things that make Western Canada unique.
 

"All we need is a ten and fiver
A car and key and a sober driver
B double, E double R U N beer run,"
Todd Snider

 

Saskatchewan Champagne, as it is lovingly referred to by Roughriders fan (they are a large sponsor of the team) appeals to a variety of beer drinkers because of its colourful label (that features at least three of the famous 'Sner bunnies) and its drinkability. Pilsner is often the only thing people out West have in common with one another. But, that's pretty cool. The fact that Old Style Pilsner was able to survive through prohibition is a testament to Canadian grit and determination.

Like many other Ontarians, FUBAR was the first experience with Pilsner we had. The beer was only available here for three years (from 1992-1995) due to a marketing blunder, the beer just couldn't resonate with Ontario beer drinkers. It was reintroduced to the province in May 2013 and since then it has been picking up momentum, prominently featured at backyard and garage gatherings alike, Vitamin P looks like its going to be around for a long time.

Fun Fact: Old Style Pilsner was originally called Alberta Pride, the name was changed in 1926.

Check out the video about the history of the Old Style label here!




Old Style Pilsner
Class: Discount
Brewer: Molson
Quality: Light Lager
Alcohol Content: 5%

PBR: 168 Years Young

Before we jump to conclusions after recalling the Season 15 episode of South Park that claimed Pabst Blue Ribbon is white trash beer, perhaps we should delve into its history for just a brief moment. PBR (as it is lovingly called today) had its start when German immigrant Jacob Best established the Empire Brewery in Milwaukee, WI. Best and his sons produced 300 barrels within their first year (which is pretty impressive, all things considered). In 1860, Best's son Phillip took over the business. His son-in-law Frederick Pabst (spoiler alert) bought an interest. In 1872, after having produced 100, 000 barrels and becoming the second largest brewery in the United States, Frederick Pabst takes over  the legacy.
In 1876 Pabst Best Select Lager wins the gold medal at the Centennial Celebration and in 1882 after continuing to win awards, Pabst begins hand-tying blue silk ribbons around every bottle (in a blue ribbon marketing move) so it could be easily identified as a winner. 

Conan O'Brien sporting his PBR t-shirt.

 Skip ahead to 2014 where PBR has become the unofficial beer of the "hipster". Prominently featured in books like "The Hipster Handbook", on t-shirts and other merchandise,  PBR is all about tapping (pun intended) into things yet to be discovered. Those who drink PBR do so because it hasn't been gorilla marketed, it takes a conscious effort to buy a case, pint or tall boy: therein lies its cool factor. I was first introduced to PBR while working off of Queen St. West in Toronto, where the hipster population is rumoured to thrive. Many of the local bars served PBR and at discounted price in order to appeal to their target market. 



Fun Fact: Patrick Swayze appeared in a 1979 ad for
PBR which featured groovy disco dancing and unforgettable lyrics:

 "I've got Pabst Blue Ribbon on my mind."

"There's no place that I'd rather be than right here
With my rednecks, white socks and blue ribbon beer," Johnny Russell.

Pabst Blue Ribbon

Class: Pale Lager

Brewer: SLEEMAN BREWING

Quality: Discount

Alcohol Content: 4.9%

Check out their website for the entire colourful history!