Friday’s ad is for Goetz, and their Country CLub Malt Liquor. It’s from 1955 and “Mmm — just wait until you taste it.” That’s not me saying that, that’s what the ad copy says. Notice that can looks smaller? It doesn’t appear to be a 12 oz. can. Maybe that’s the “new” part of “Party Brew!”? I also love this bit of ad copy: “So smooth — so different! Looks inviting … tastes exciting!” Hilarious. What exactly does “exciting” taste like?
Our choice of beverage when we were 16 in Palo Alto working on flunking out of Cubberley High School. The “smooth” part referred to the higher alcohol. The can was 7 ounces of adolescent bliss… We discovered the blues stylings of Jimmy Reed during those Country Club-infussed sessions…
While in high school, Country Club was one of our beers of choice. Small 7 oz cans of higher alcohol beer were so cool. Was it the first malt liquor? Less volume, more alcohol, what could be better!
Those “stubby” cans were 8 oz. (although some brewers did use slim, taller 7 oz. cans that resembled concentrated juice cans). Besides Country Club, Goetz famously used the can for its “Storz-ette” brand (below) which was aimed a female buyers. And a few other brewers used them for their malt liquors- inlcuding Schlitz, Gluek Stite and Mickey’s. Goebel, best know for it’s 7 oz. Bantam bottles, also had 8 oz. Bantam cans.
http://www.beershowcase.com/saleitems/othercans/8ozstorzette0308.jpg