Billy Beer
Encyclopedia
Billy Beer was a beer
first made in the United States of America in July 1977, by the Falls City Brewing Company
. It was promoted by Billy Carter
, the younger brother of then-President
Jimmy Carter
. The beer
was produced by Cold Spring Brewing, West End Brewing, and Pearl Brewing Company
.
Billy Carter, the younger brother of then-president Jimmy Carter, was selected as spokesman for the beer because he was widely known to enjoy drinking beer. However, it was also known that Billy's brand of choice was Pabst Blue Ribbon
.
s each, attempting to profit from their perceived rarity. However, since the cans were actually produced in the millions, the real value of a can ranged from 50 cents
to one dollar
in 1981.
Billy Beer was also featured on an episode of the Discovery Channel
series Auction Kings
, where an appraiser deem the value of a case of Billy Beer to be worthless; however, at the featured auction, the case was sold for $100.
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
first made in the United States of America in July 1977, by the Falls City Brewing Company
Falls City Brewing Company
Falls City Brewing Company is based in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The company operated from 1905 until 1978 and was re-organized in 2009. Falls City is currently owned and operated by Louisville entrepreneur, David Easterling, and has made a stirring comeback as a "craft" beer...
. It was promoted by Billy Carter
Billy Carter
William Alton "Billy" Carter III was an American businessman who promoted Billy Beer, was a candidate for Mayor of Plains, Georgia, and was the younger brother of United States President Jimmy Carter.-Early years:...
, the younger brother of then-President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
. The beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
was produced by Cold Spring Brewing, West End Brewing, and Pearl Brewing Company
Pearl Brewing Company
The Pearl Brewing Company was an American brewery, established in 1883 in San Antonio, Texas. In 1985, Pearl's parent company purchased the Pabst Brewing Company and assumed the Pabst name...
.
Billy Carter, the younger brother of then-president Jimmy Carter, was selected as spokesman for the beer because he was widely known to enjoy drinking beer. However, it was also known that Billy's brand of choice was Pabst Blue Ribbon
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Pabst Blue Ribbon is a brand of beer sold by Pabst Brewing Company, originally established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but now based in Los Angeles. Pabst Blue Ribbon is contract-brewed in six different breweries around the U.S...
.
Label
Written on each can were these words of endorsement, which were followed by Billy Carter's signature:Brewed expressly for and with the personal approval of one of America's all-time great beer drinkers - Billy Carter.
I had this beer brewed just for me. I think it's the best I've ever tasted. And I've tasted a lot. I think you'll like it, too.
As a collectible
After Billy Beer stopped production, advertisements appeared in newspapers offering to sell Billy Beer cans for several hundred to several thousands of dollarUnited States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
s each, attempting to profit from their perceived rarity. However, since the cans were actually produced in the millions, the real value of a can ranged from 50 cents
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
to one dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
in 1981.
Billy Beer was also featured on an episode of the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
series Auction Kings
Auction Kings
Auction Kings is a reality television series produced by Authentic Entertainment for the Discovery Channel. The series premiered on October 26, 2010 and features the auction house Gallery 63 in Sandy Springs, Georgia, located on Roswell Road immediately north of the Atlanta city limit...
, where an appraiser deem the value of a case of Billy Beer to be worthless; however, at the featured auction, the case was sold for $100.