Red White & Blue Beer
Encyclopedia
Red White & Blue Beer was a brand of American beer
, originally produced by the Pabst Brewing Company
. Pre-Prohibition
advertisements lauded its "mellow" taste and drinkability. Returning after Prohibition, the brand's name alone would have been a selling point, during the patriotic American sensibilities of World War II
and after.
The brand experienced a popular resurgence in the early 1980s, during the country's economic recession
. A series of folksy, radio editorial
-style commercials by Harmon R. Whittle
poked fun at politician
s of the day, suggesting that Red White & Blue Beer might be a less-expensive, more effective means of promoting America abroad, than foreign aid or other programs, as "an honest beer, at an honest price." In any case, sales of the brand climbed by sixty percent, after the advertisements began to air, and store displays began to carry Whittle's signature.
In latter days, the brand was notable for its low price (comparable to Hamm's Beer
or Schaefer Beer
) and thus its popularity among drinkers on a budget (including college students and low-income persons). Other drinkers spurned the brand, however, giving the beer low ratings and unfavorable comparisons.
Neither Pabst.com nor MillerBrewing.com (Miller has taken over most of Pabst's brewing operations) include the brand on their current rosters, and Red White & Blue Beer is presumed to be out of production. However, a September 16, 2010 article in Business Week ("Keeping Pabst Blue Ribbon Cool") mentioned that the young owners of Pabst are also planning on reviving other "dead" brands they have the rights to, including Red White & Blue Beer. The article features owners Evan and Daren Metropoulos planning their revival of the brand via a patriotic appeal that directly contributes to military charities.
American beer
Beer in the United States is manufactured by more than 1,700 breweries, which range in size from industry giants to brew pubs and microbreweries. The United States produced 196 million barrels of beer in 2009, and consumes roughly of beer per capita annually...
, originally produced by the Pabst Brewing Company
Pabst Brewing Company
Pabst Brewing Company is an American company that dates its origins to a brewing company founded in 1844 by Jacob Best and by 1889 named after Frederick Pabst. It is currently the holding company contracting for the brewing of over two dozen brands of beer and malt liquor from defunct companies...
. Pre-Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
advertisements lauded its "mellow" taste and drinkability. Returning after Prohibition, the brand's name alone would have been a selling point, during the patriotic American sensibilities of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and after.
The brand experienced a popular resurgence in the early 1980s, during the country's economic recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
. A series of folksy, radio editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
-style commercials by Harmon R. Whittle
Harmon R. Whittle
Harmon R. Whittle was the mascot and "spokesman" for Red White & Blue Beer, in the early 1980s.In a series of editorial-like radio commercials for the brand, Whittle delivered a down-home, accent-inflected plea on behalf of "ordinary Americans", touting Red White & Blue Beer as a goodwill measure...
poked fun at politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s of the day, suggesting that Red White & Blue Beer might be a less-expensive, more effective means of promoting America abroad, than foreign aid or other programs, as "an honest beer, at an honest price." In any case, sales of the brand climbed by sixty percent, after the advertisements began to air, and store displays began to carry Whittle's signature.
In latter days, the brand was notable for its low price (comparable to Hamm's Beer
Hamm's Brewery
Hamm's is the name of a former American brewery in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Hamm's breweries were also found in other cities, such as San Francisco.-History:...
or Schaefer Beer
Schaefer Beer
Schaefer Beer is a brand of American beer. Schaefer Beer was first produced in 1842 by the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Company. The name "Schaefer" is derived from the last name of founding brothers Frederick and Maximiliam Schaefer....
) and thus its popularity among drinkers on a budget (including college students and low-income persons). Other drinkers spurned the brand, however, giving the beer low ratings and unfavorable comparisons.
Neither Pabst.com nor MillerBrewing.com (Miller has taken over most of Pabst's brewing operations) include the brand on their current rosters, and Red White & Blue Beer is presumed to be out of production. However, a September 16, 2010 article in Business Week ("Keeping Pabst Blue Ribbon Cool") mentioned that the young owners of Pabst are also planning on reviving other "dead" brands they have the rights to, including Red White & Blue Beer. The article features owners Evan and Daren Metropoulos planning their revival of the brand via a patriotic appeal that directly contributes to military charities.