Sunday’s ad is another one for Michelob, this time from 1967. Another Michelob ad, in this one apparently “In Beer, Going First Class Is Michelob. … Period.” According to the ad it’s “Brewed just like the famous Michelob draught,” which had been first introduced as a pasteurized version in 1961, and is the same year they also introduced the distinctive teardrop bottle.
It was a very good beer then with a distinctive taste I still remember that no version of the brand has today, IMO.
It would be so simple for AB InBev: bring back the original 1896 draught Michelob, all-malt and not pasteurized. Recreate that spec. That would be far better than the kinds of jejune line extensions they have introduced in recent years, IMO. The answer is in their own history. The beer would probably be quite close to Urquell, maybe a cross between that and a good craft pilsner, say.
Gary
I used to drink draught Michelob in the Oak Room of El Paso’s Hilton Hotel on the weekends during the summer of 1954 when I was undergoing Advanced Basic Training [another great military oxymoron] at Ft. Bliss. It was my introduction to just how good beer could taste. Pity it’s not around any longer.
That is a very interesting testimonial, I am sure Jay would agree. So few memories are available of classic beers from their heyday. Eg. you would think there would still be lots of people who can say what Anchor Steam was like before Maytag bought the place, but I can’t recall ever reading one. (Maytag himself was vague, saying it was inconsistent and not much more IIRC). Michelob in this period was still all-malt and probably well-hopped. But even in the 70’s it was still good.
Gary
Re Anchor Steam beer in the pre-Maytag era: Back in 1959-61 while living it up in San Francisco I drank Anchor Steam beer in various North Beach bars and also in a few watering holes in Sausalito. Toward the end of this period friends and I would go to the brewery and buy kegs of their marvelous porter–15.5 gallons for $ 15–and I can’t recall anyone voicing any complaints about it at the time. While waiting in their taproom/office for the keg to be put in our car we availed ourselves of as much of the suds on draught as we could–free beer, nothing quite like it. Mighty tasty, too. Viva Larry Steese!!
Very interesting again, thanks. I never heard that there was a pre-Maytag porter at Anchor. There was a dark though apparently coloured with caramel, maybe that was called porter too? Very interesting. I really like Jay’s continuing series of old brewery ads, maybe one day something will pop up for the pre-Maytag beers of Anchor Brewery.