[Dixielandjazz] Beer (with Jazz content)

Thu Feb 7 09:19:05 PST 2008

Schlitz had some bad commercials about taking one's "gusto" away in the 1980s.  Then a brewing union stopped production in Milwaukee and the brewery said they'd go out of business unless the union made concessions.  Like a good underworld union, they said no.  Schlitz then went belly-up.  In the 1950s Schlitz was #1 in the USA.  A-B was #2.  By the 70s, Schlitz was still #2 and Anheuser-Busch was #1 and stayed there.

Beside bad commercials and union problems, Schlitz changed their brewing formula in the 1980s (maybe late 70s) and tried to go back to the original recipe.  The kiss of death!  Hard to recapture customers at that point.  

Stroh's, Pabst and Miller might all have owned the label rights since that time.  Stroh's bought Schlitz for the Old Milwaukee label but Stroh's went out of business not long after leaving Detroit.  Stroh's continued to market Schlitz, however, until they died.

Pabst has Miller brew their beers and either they or Miller now own Schlitz.  Miller has fine equipment in Milwaukee and there has been a modest surge in Schlitz sales during recent years.  Never will be a 15-20 million barrel operation again, but, better than nothing.

As an aside, if a certain European brewery is able to buy A-B, there will be no American national brand left that is owned by Americans.  Miller is merging with Coors who is owned by a Canadian outfit and I don't know where South African Brewing (Schlitz parent) will fit in.  Pabst is doing fairly well but now has their beers contract brewed and they are no longer considered national.   

I know this shit because I collect Chicago post-pro (after 1933) brewery advertising of all types from cans to neon signs and everything in between.  The last commercial Chicago brewery was the second Peter Hand's (#1 brewed Meister Brau) in business from 1973 to 1978.  #2 brewed Old Chicago brand beer.  Chicago Brewing Company and Goose Island came along +15 years later as a micro and brew pub, originally.

The first Peter Hand's Brewery Company (sold to Miller in the early 70s.)  Miller took Meister and Meister Brau Draft labels but really wanted the Meister Brau Lite brand, originally brewed by Peter Hand's in the 1960s and aimed at women.  It never took off.  Women weren't ready for low calories and weight reducing ideas off the liquor store shelf, let alone at a bar.  Miller masterfully aimed Lite at men and within a few years in the 70s had an annual 6 million barrel winner.  Now, they struggle against Bud Light and Coors Light for 1, 2, 3 pecking order among light beers.  Actually, the only lager left in the top 4 is A-B Budweiser.  The other three spots are the light beer brands just mentioned.  Barrel numbers are way up there since the 70s, as well.

More weird information: For 30 years (1933-63)  Chicago had more breweries than any other city in the USA.  Hard to believe?  One of the best kept secrets in all of trivia land.  But, that's another story.  By the way, Miller did not want the Chicago Meister Brau plant.  That's how Fred Huber from Monroe, WI came in and began brewing Old Chicago for five years from 1973 to 1978.> Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 20:04:46 +0200> From: marekboym at gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Beer (with Jazz content)> CC: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com> To: bixguy at hotmail.com> > Was better than some of the stuff Americans drink now!> Whatever happened to Schlitz? In 1980, when I first visited in the> US, it was the most common one, and, frankly, better than most of the> current common brands. And its "Classic" (or Special, I am not sure> after all thes years), was really excellent (and sold only in> bottles).> That's what I ordered in the jazz places in New York and New Orleans.> cheers> > On 05/02/2008, George Thurmond <gthurmond at stx.rr.com> wrote:> >> >> > Way back two or three or more decades ago beer was brewed right> > down in the French Quarter, about two blocks off Canal and between> > Bourbon and Royal. It was the Dixie brand, and had the wonderful site> > of being across the street from an oyster bar. The oysters on the half> > shell were big and sumptuous, but the beer, frankly, was not that great.> > The oyster bar was the place to be in the wee morning hours on the way> > to the room after an evening in the OLD Quarter. (OLD Quarter, i.e.,> > George Lewis's band at the Morocco, Sharkey and the Original Dukes at> > the Famous Door, Tony Almerico's boys at the Parisian Room, Celestin and> > Picou at the Paddock, etc.)> >> > George Thurmond> >> >> > _______________________________________________> > To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:> >> > http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz> >> >> >> > Dixielandjazz mailing list> > Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com> >> > _______________________________________________> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:> > http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz> > > > Dixielandjazz mailing list> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
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