PBR
by Lucia Novara
(Beer Delegate, CO, USA)
Pabst Blue Ribbon: so (in)famous, most people know it as PBR
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Pabst Blue Ribbon, or PBR as it is affectionately known, has experienced somewhat of a renaissance in the last five years. Your average PBR drinker in 1976 was a blue-collar guy with a chromed-up car, greased back hair and a fierce 'stache.
Your average PBR drinker in 2008 is a barely-employed-collar guy with a chromed up single-speed bike, a greased faux-hawk and an ironic 'stache.
(Note to this species: Ironic or not, a mustache still makes you ugly.)
Hipsters, Brokesters, Fixie bike enthusiasts, Belle & Sebastian fans and pretty much the entire population of Williamsburg, NY has supported PBR's first market growth since it hit its initial popularity peak in 1935. Once a defining feature of a dive bar, cans of PBR are now available in some of the hippest bars across the country.
Before it was the drink of choice for anyone who has ever worn black and white checked Vans, PBR was the flagship brew of Pabst Brewing Co. when it opened its doors in 1844. It was called Select until brewery owner Captain Frederick "Low Rider" Pabst started tying blue silk ribbons on the necks in 1882.
People started asking for the "blue ribbon" beer and the Blue Ribbon theme was cemented when the brew won "America's Best" at the 1893 World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago. In 1895 the ribbon was added to the logo on the bottle- which makes it the longest a product has leaned on a single accolade, with the notable exception of Ernest Borgnine still getting the "Oscar Winner" prefix.
A few words on Pabst Brewing Co., since I so enjoyed my time on the Official Website: The beer lineup from looks like a Who's-Who of beer you stole from your broke uncle. A Justice League of sorts, the superheroes of sticky-floored bars across the nation. Just a brief sampling includes (but is not limited to): Old Milwaukee, Old Style, Colt 45, Schlitz, Schlitz Malt Liquor, Stroh's and Stag.
Some of the lesser known Pabst varietals with a low profile but super sweet names include: Blatz, Country Club Malt Liquor and Champale, which comes in Golden, Pink, Dry or Red Berry flavors. "For when you have a special occasion, but no occupation."
But the King of the Pabst Family will always be PBR. It's a lager brew, made with "6 row" barley, a combination of Pacific domestic and Yugoslavian import hops and aged at high gravity. It tastes like... well, I'll quote my friend Dave on this one: "You have to appreciate how much more flavor it has than other macro brews."
And this is true Dave, it does have more flavor. A kind of corn funk sweetness, combined with the bitter taste of a recent breakup. I am no beer snob, but if my beer isn't going to taste like anything good, I'd rather have the watery blank palate of a Coors Light.
I won't be joining the PBR Revolution anytime soon- I'll leave it to the folks who find knee socks sexually attractive and are under the impression that skinny jeans are for everyone.
PBR Fun Facts:
In 1971 the town of Perry, Georgia officially changed its name to Pabst to celebrate the opening of a new factory. The town whore decided to follow the trend, changing her name from "Tammy" to "Love Hole".
Appropriately, PBR was the first beer to be available in cans in 1935, and it included a step-by-step graphic of how to use a can opener to get at the beer. Prior to the graphic there was a large spike in drunken ax-related injuries.
PBR is the State Flower of West Virginia.
