Never seen Hamm’s for sale around NYC.
I’ll be in Chicago for the next few days, and may hoist an Old Style or two at a corner bar for old time’s sake. While keeping my eyes open for the stray Leinenkugel. If I see Hamm’s around, I’ll give it a try.
Ya know, I was surprised how good Old Style was compared to current mass market beers. I was having a Chicago party and was able to find old style in Colorado springs. I thought it would be absolute trash beer, but it wasn’t a bad lager.
Never seen it, much less drank it, but I remember a “Consumer’s Report” circa 1970 rating it as one of the best beers in America. Back then us New Yorkers thought Colors was this great exotic beer because they would not ship it east of the Mississippi. Now every store has it.
I’m a born-and-raised Chicagoan, so maybe I’m a little partisan (although Old Style is a La Crosse, Wisconsin, beer) but Old Style is my go-to cheap beer of choice. I actually do enjoy it. For years, I thought Miller High Life was my slumming it beer, but one night at a bar, after throwing back three or four High Lifes, I switched to Old Style on a whim, only to realize just how much more flavorful and enjoyable it was.
I just had one like, 3 days ago, while travelling. Aside from that I can’t remember the last time I’ve had it or seen it available.
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As far as “Grampa beer” goes, I wish I could get Stag beer out here. I got a taste for it when I lived near St. Louis. It’s a lot like Dixie, which I can sometimes get if I beg the corner store hard enough. Can’t remember if I’ve ever had Hamm’s or not.
One of Pittsburgh’s old “Grampa beers”, Duquesne , is back in production.
Curious, I bought a case. All my friends were eager to try one. Nobody wanted a second, though. The case lasted a while.
Great. Now I’m going to have tom-toms beating in my head all day.
Just great.
I lived in Cleveland for a short time around 1970 and I remember the Stroh’s ads running at the time. One I was fond of shows a bunch of fishing dorys bobbing around in the water. It comes in on a fisherman hauling in his dropline. He pauses a moment and his face lights up as he starts chortling. He hauls in a can of Stroh’s hooked through its pull tab then hand to mouth starts calling to the other fisherman, “The Strohs are running! The Stro-o-ohs are running!”
The other shows an empty sand dune desert. Over the top of one files a British Colonel, about six Tommies, and an American airman. As they get close, the Colonel calls out, “All right, men, time for a break,” and they flop down onto the sand, panting a bit. One of them says, “Hey, Yank, 'ow ‘bout summa that Stroh’s beer you been talkin’ about?” The airman replies, “Sure!”, reaches into his knapsack and hauls out… nothing – his hand wrapped around an imaginary beer can. They open it up and drink it, extolling its virtues until the Colonel says, “Okay, men; drink up!” and they rise to their feet. As they march on, one of the Tommies shakes the now empty “can” and tosses it aside. His Sergeant chaffs him, “Pick that up! Don’t want the Jerries to know we’ve been 'ere!” The guy stoops to pick it up, then hustles to catch up with the rest of the group as they disappear over a dune.
I looked for them on Youtube without success, but here’s one in s similar vein.
Here’s the desert ad. Your memory is impressive.
There’s probably lead in my water – all the more reason to drink Hamm’s.
My only contribution (not being a beer drinker) is that up until recently I worked at a Hamm family company. They’re doing well, having diversified into a number of industries (including motion picture production), I presumed enabled in large part to their selling of their beer brand.
Hamms? Fuck that shit! PABST BLUE RIBBON!!
That was pretty damn cool!
I always get Hamm’s: From the land of sky blue waters. mixed up with Schmidt: The brew that grew with the great northwest.
Which brewer celebrated Artesian New Year?
That would be the aforementioned Olympia.
If you wanted a half-way decent beer from Washington back when, you drank Rainier. If you felt suicidal, you drank Rainier Ale (aka “Green Death”).
apparently so:
So, now that you’ve tasted Hamm’s, is it no longer the case that “a beer is a beer is a beer is a beer”? (late '60s/early '70s jingle)
I’ve been drinking Hamm’s lately myself. Bought it initially because it was cheap, but it’s actually not half bad.