In Praise of Local Brews

Most of this blog's readers (all 3 of you) probably are too young to remember when there were local breweries throughout the country producing some admirable beer. They weren't like the microbrews we find today. Just good solid beers, often a step above what the national brewers were selling. Some became famous, drew a following, and even went global -- Coors for example. But most of the good ones disappeared when they were bought up in the 80's by the Big Three. Some of the labels are still around, but the beer isn't the same. Stroh's isn't Stroh's if it doesn't have Detroit River water in it. Same with Pearl out of Texas (and Shiner). Schaeffer is back, but brewed in a Miller plant (or is it A-B) in New Jersey, not in Brooklyn.

BUT

I've found a local brew that survived, is actually quite good, and is still brewed by the same old local brewery. Which means it's only available regionally.

Yuengling

Brewed in America's oldest continuously operating brewery.

As for some of my long gone favorite local brews, some were much better than others. The quality ran the gamut from slightly better going in than going out to some of the better brews you'll ever taste. How many of these do you remember? Any others on your list?

Shiner and Pearl from deep in the heart of Texas. Rolling Rock used to be a local brew. Genesee, like drinking straight from the developers vats at Kodak; Schaeffer - the one beer to have when you're having more than one; Narragansett - hey, neighbor, have a Gansett. Ballantine - famous for its ale.

I know I've missed a bunch. There was a Philly beer whose bock beer my brother drank. And I vaguely remember another East Coast brew, but the name escapes me. In the 70's my friends and I were the champions at finding the cheapest good drinking brews. No Piels or Keystone for us. No Bud or Miller or Schlitz either. If it came from a small brewery and the packie had it, we tried it.

Next time we'll look at our south of the border favorites.