# Beer that was once considered premium but no longer is **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [February 22, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949 "2009-02-22T16:21:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/41 "2009-02-23T22:28:10Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Same thing with Straub and Yuengling; factory worker’s beers back in the day, but now they’re considered premium regionals. ``` Small correction. Yuengling was a miner's beer- Pottsville is in the lower central area of the eastern Pa. coal belt. "Vitamin Y" was THE way to cut the dust after a shift- primarily with a black n' tan. ``` ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/42 "2009-02-24T00:38:57Z")
Nati Ice. Used to be considered swill for the alcoholic in you, and now has undergone a remarkable transformation into swill for the alcoholic in _me_. **chugs** ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/43 "2009-02-24T07:10:32Z")
As a juvenile, we used to be able to be able to steal 12 packs of Kassel beer out of the Handy Andy. It was cool because it had these cool picto-puzzles in the bottle caps. Later, when I was one of the first in my group to get a job and started buying beer, I insisted on Miller High Life. I thought it was ‘high end’. Oh, and for Lone Star? I grew up in TX and would rather drink the piss out of my boot than drink that. Or maybe even Coors. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/44 "2009-02-24T15:05:30Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > I can remember back when Coors was considered a premium beer, and whenever you knew of someone heading out west you’d always tell them to bring you back a case. > Likewise when Rolling Rock first started becoming popular nationally, every hipster wanted to be seen with one in hand. > You could probably say the same thing about any number of imports like Corona, Stella Artois, Red Stripe, etc. that you can find in pretty much any supermarket nowadays. > What are some of your memories of drinking Coors, Rolling Rock or any other beer back when it was still considered special. What’s funny is that Rolling Rock started as just another second-tier regional beer (like Old Style/Lone Star/Iron City/Genesse/Narragansett/etc.). Someday I’d love to shake the hand of the marketing guy who made Rolling Rock nationally desirable. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/45 "2009-02-24T15:28:14Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > … > If you really, really like something, don’t investigate too closely how it’s made. 😉 Otherwise known as The Sausage Law. ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/46 "2009-02-24T16:31:29Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > My memory of early TV days (early 50’s for me) and the designations of the day, based to some degree on the advertising, had at least Budweiser, Schlitz and Miller as the “top tier” of domestic brands nationally advertised. In the next tier were Falstaff, Pabst, Carling, Blatz, Hamm’s, and dozens of others before you got to the local and regional brands. And now, courtesy of my memory of early TV days, same period, the jingles are running through my head . . . “What’ll you have? Pabst Blue Ribbon! What’ll you have? Pabst Blue Ribbon! What’ll you have? Pabst Blue Ribbon! Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer!” and [to tom-toms] “Hamm’s, the beer refreshing. Hamm’s, the beer refreshing.” ---
**Author:** ![Barrels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@Barrels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrels)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/47 "2009-02-24T17:19:01Z")
I think I feel the opposite on Leinie’s… I never remember people drinking it until about 8-10 years ago. Now you can’t go into a bar without seeing a canoe on the tapper. Spotted Cow also used to be a special beer that you couldn’t find in to many places. Now the jumping cow is right next to the canoe in every bar. This may just be because I live in WI. Mmmmmmm… Spotted cow… yum! ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/48 "2009-02-24T20:40:54Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Nati Ice. Used to be considered swill for the alcoholic in you, and now has undergone a remarkable transformation into swill for the alcoholic in _me_. > > **chugs** Ahh, Nati Ice, and the even more vile Nati Light. I have many fond memories of nights when I drank this shit in college. The mornings after however…not so much. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/49 "2009-02-24T23:48:31Z")
Remember when FOSTERS made it to the USA (“Its Austrlian for Piss”). The main draw was the oversize cans. I don’t see it anymore-maybe people have wised up. How about the various Carribean beers (Red Stripe, Caribe, etc.)-most of them are pleasant, light beers, with very little flavor. Plus, mos of tem are stale by the time they reach the USA. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/50 "2009-02-25T00:13:09Z")
> [@Barrels](#): > > I think I feel the opposite on Leinie’s… I never remember people drinking it until about 8-10 years ago. Now you can’t go into a bar without seeing a canoe on the tapper. Spotted Cow also used to be a special beer that you couldn’t find in to many places. Now the jumping cow is right next to the canoe in every bar. > > This may just be because I live in WI. > > Mmmmmmm… Spotted cow… yum! Oh, how I wish New Glarus brews were distributed in Illinois… ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/51 "2009-02-25T00:44:01Z")
Gotta be Killians. I started drinking it in 96ish when I was living in the dorms on base. I was the only one who drank it and it was only availible in the class six. I felt elite and extreme. It was my primary beer until a couple of years ago when I realized it tasted like shit and gave me a headache like a motherfucker. Now I drink whatever red or pale I can get my hands on. Can’t drink the light shit though. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/52 "2009-02-26T11:32:53Z")
Lately I’ve been drinking a lot of Innis and Gunn. Damn that’s good beer. Where does it rate on the hip-o-meter these days? ---
**Author:** ![Barrels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@Barrels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrels)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/53 "2009-02-27T15:35:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Oh, how I wish New Glarus brews were distributed in Illinois… I hear they are in MN now so maybe they will make it past the cheese curtain your ways. Not that I really want to share my beer with a bunch of flat landers… ---
**Author:** ![not\_alice](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_alice/32/7283_2.png) [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/54 "2009-02-28T18:37:50Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Or, as we call it, “canoe beer”, from the old joke, “why is American beer like sex in a canoe?” Hey! I didn’t know my father was on this board! ---
**Author:** ![not\_alice](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_alice/32/7283_2.png) [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/55 "2009-02-28T18:42:57Z")
> [@UncaStuart](#): > > And now, courtesy of my memory of early TV days, same period, the jingles are running through my head . . . “What’ll you have? Pabst Blue Ribbon! What’ll you have? Pabst Blue Ribbon! What’ll you have? Pabst Blue Ribbon! Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer!” and [to tom-toms] “Hamm’s, the beer refreshing. Hamm’s, the beer refreshing.” Between every inning of Baltimore Orioles baseball listened to on an AM radio from 200 miles away from ages 13-15: “National Beer, National beer You’ll like the taste of National Beer It’s from the land of pleasant living, We bring you National Beer” Let’s see, 162 games a year, 9 innings a game, 3 years… Small wonder I went to college 10 blocks from the ball yard and my first real job was hawking National Beer at Orioles games! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/56 "2009-02-28T21:24:16Z")
> [@Barrels](#): > > I hear they are in MN now so maybe they will make it past the cheese curtain your ways. > > Not that I really want to share my beer with a bunch of flat landers… I hope so, but I don’t blame New Glarus if they avoid Illinois. The beer distribution racket here is what you what expect from this state. [Bell’s had a whole fiasco with our distribution](http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/bells/) and pulled their beers off the market for about a year or so. (They’re back in Illinois again.) ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949/57 "2009-03-01T01:52:03Z")
Heineken was a bit on the higher end of beers. Now its pretty commonplace. I think its luster started to come off once people tasted it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-that-was-once-considered-premium-but-no-longer-is/486949.md?page=2)