Blatz Beer

Blatz Beer is a regional brand sold in the Northern US from Minnesota east to Pennsylvania.
Founded in 1851 in Milwaukee by Valentine Blatz, this brewing company was a strong
national player into the 1950s, producing many brands such as Private Stock, Pilsener,
Old Heidelburg, Milwaukee Dark, Culmbacher, Continental Special, Tempo, and
English Style Ale.  Although Blatz was the first Milwaukee brewer to sell on a national
basis, competition forced the company's buy-out by Pabst Brewing Company in 1958, who
sold it as their craft-style beer.  Still a Pabst brand, Blatz is now sold as an economy beer.
Brewed with six-row barley, Blatz has 4.9% alcohol and is usually sold in 24-count cases
of 12 oz. cans.  Blatz Light has 3.5% alcohol.  For a time, Milwaukee 1851 Beer was sold
by Pabst as a companion Blatz brand, but was dropped at some point.

Schoenling Little Kings Original Cream Ale

Schoenling Little Kings Original Cream Ale was introduced in 1958 by the Schoenling Brewing Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. At one time this American Cream Ale brand, famous for its green, seven ounce bottles, was a regional favorite. However, as with many other local brands, the incursion of the heavy-hitting national beers eroded the popularity of Little Kings in the Ohio River region. In the 1990s the brand was discontinued. In 2004, however, it, and other regional brands, such as Burger Classic, were revived by the newly-formed Christian Moerlein Brewing Company, based in Cincinnati.

Little Kings, at 5.5% alcohol, is presently becoming available nationwide in 7 oz. green bottles and 12 oz. Slim King cans. This writer intends to purchase a sample at the next opportunity.

Genessee Beer

The Genesee Brewing Company was founded in Rochester, New York in 1878, when Mathius Kondolf purchased the Reisky and Spies Brewery (built in 1857), changing the name to The Genesee Brewery. After Prohibition, the brewery was reopened under new ownership (Louis A. Wehle). The brewery continues in operation, with 400 employees, and was acquired by North American Breweries (K.P.S. Capital Partners, L.P.) in 2009. Along with the original brew, the company also sells Genesee Light (3.6% abv, 1978), Genesee Bock (5.2% abv., 1951), Genesee Ice (5.5% abv, 1993), Genesee Cream Ale (5.2% abv, 1960), and a Genesee N.A. (non-alcoholic, 1991) product. Many other brands are held under the N.A.B. umbrella, and contract brewing is a large part of the Genesee business. 

Genesee Beer (4.5% alcohol) is sold in the Eastern United States. I have tried it twice (1997- 
12 oz. bottle & 2010- 12 oz. cans) and found it to be a tasty, enjoyable, stereotypical 
American-style lager. If you ever run across it, pick some up and give it a chance.

Ballantine XXX Ale

In 1840, Scottish immigrant, Peter Ballantine, moved to New Jersey and began brewing ale.
By 1895, Ballantine was one of the top five brewing companies in the United States.
Unfortunately, like many other brewing firms, Prohibition dealt the business a body blow, and
after that failed experiment in social engineering was abandoned, Ballantine was sold to Carl
and Otto Badenhausen, who brought in a Scottish brewmaster, Archibald MacKenchnie, who
help to revitalize the business. In the 1940s and 1950s Ballantine was a major New York City
sports sponsor, with Yankee announcer, Mel Allen calling every Yankee home run a "Ballantine
Blast". The consolidation trend has resulted in Ballantine becoming a Pabst product
(since 1999). It is still sold in the New York City region.

Ballantine XXX (triple export) Ale is 4.85% alcohol and has "hefty bitterness and aromatic hop
character." Apparently, Ballantine is a hybrid beer, as the brand website states it is fermented
"at higher temperatures for that 'ale' likeness, Ballantine combines a lager's best attributes with
the smoothness of an ale."

This writer has tried Ballantine a few times and found it to be an enjoyable and unusual beer. I hope to be able to try it again.

Country Club Malt Liquor

Country Club Malt Liquor, never a particularly popular product, was introduced in the early 1950s by the M.K. Goetz Brewing Company of St. Joseph, Missouri. It is currently a Pabst Brewing Company brand. This malt liquor, with its XXX (triple export) can and bottle logo, survives at the bottom rung of the beer universe, typically seen in seedy gas stations or on obscure grocery store shelf locations. While the neglected brand no longer receives any sort of television, radio, or magazine advertising attention, it does command an anti-hero, cult following in the malt liquor aficionado world. At one time Country Club was marketed to white, upper-middle class audiences, and was the first wide-spread malt liquor brand, but today it is unclear who, if anyone, it is marketed towards.  It simply sets on the shelf, waiting to be purchased by the curious consumer.  The can design has not changed in over 35 years.  Pabst Brewing Company has no website for the brand, and doesn't even list it on the company brand profile.  To sum up, it is brewed and sold.

Heileman's Special Export

Heileman's Special Export, a Pabst Brewing Company brand since 1999, was begun in 1934
when the Heileman's brewery workforce asked for an extra strong brew to be made for the
annual company picnic.  The brewmaster concocted a new recipe, and Heileman's Special
Export was born.  Sometime later, a Special Export Light was introduced, and both brands
continue to be sold in the Midwest.  While neither brand receives any sort of television or
radio advertising attention, they do have a niche following, which keeps this old favorite alive.
At one time this poem wasprinted on all cans and bottles of Special Export

"In the Olden Days along the Rhein,
The Germans could be found
Lying around on lions skins,
Drinking another round."

According to the brand website, Special Export "accentuates the smooth slow-brewed taste
of European beer.  Using all-American crops of northern barley and northwestern hops...a
specialized yeast guides our fermentation process."  The website also states that the original
Heileman's brewery, established in 1858 in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, and now known as City
Brewery, still produces Pabst products.

Special Export and Special Export Light are both sold in 12 oz. cans and bottles.  It is advised
that the beer be sampled from the can, as the green bottle may allow light to spoil the beer.

Grain Belt

Grain Belt is a regional line of beers produced and owned by the August Schell Brewing Company of New Ulm, Minnesota. That company was founded in 1860. Grain Belt is available in three varieties: Premium Grain Belt (4.6% alcohol), which is a standard, American-style lager, Grain Belt Nordeast (4.7% alcohol), which is an American amber lager, and Premium Grain Belt Light, a typical American-style light lager. Grain Belt beers are currently quite popular in the Minnesota region, but before 2002 it looked as though this beer would become extinct, like Meister Brau or Falstaff.

The Minneapolis Brewing Company was founded in 1891, when four small breweries, John Orth, Heinrich, F.D. Norenberg, and Germania combined operations. In 1893, Golden Grain Belt, with its distinctive red diamond label design, which is still retained, was introduced and quickly became a regional best seller. Canned Grain Belt was introduced in 1935. Premium Grain Belt, a lighter and smoother beer, reflecting the changing tastes of the American consumer, was rolled out in 1947 and sold in clear bottles. It quickly became the flagship brand of the company. And, it is still sold in clear bottles. In the late 1960s GBX Malt Liquor was added to the line. This is possibly still produced, but as with many malt liquors, it exists as a "phantom brand", not acknowledged by the brewer, much like Ice Man, Silver Thunder, and Coqui 900 of the Pabst family.

The "Beer Wars" of the later half of the 1900s began to deteriorate the health of Minneapolis Brewing (renamed Grain Belt Breweries in 1967), and in 1975 the company was acquired by 33-year old Irwin "Irv the Liquidator" Jacobs, who shut down operations and sold off the brands to G. Heilemann Brewing. Heilemann relegated Grain Belt to the bargain shelf and remaining Grain Belt fans melted away. In 1991 the rights to the Grain Belt brands were purchased by the new Minnesota Brewing Company, but this company was unable to survive. 2002 saw the takeover of the Grain Belt line by August Schell Brewing Co., who continues to produce it. Grain Belt has been a major success for Schell, but the original Golden Grain Belt was discontinued at some point.


This writer has had the opportunity to sample Grain Belt and found it to be a credible beer brand, which, in taste and quality, holds its own against national American-style lager brands. It is hoped that this venerable beer will continue to exist for many years to come.