So after this video was filmed and midway in the editing process, I found out more information about the early days of Hamm’s. There’s quite a bit of ambiguity due to conflicting information online. Suffice to say, there are some inaccuracies in the account I gave of this brewery’s origins in this video for which I apologize. I try my best to be as accurate as possible when talking about the history of a brewery (since it should be one of the areas I can most concretely talk about) and this is an instance where I likely got some things wrong, through some fault of my own but also through the mess of unverified information out there. Some breweries’ history is much more well-documented and cut-and-dry but Hamm’s does not seem to be one of those. Details like the brewery being Pittsburg Excelsior Brewery in actuality, when the local papers just called it Excelsior at some point before it changed hands, and the details surrounding the ownership transferring to Theodore Hamm are something that I didn’t address, didn’t address fully or got wrong. I think the broad strokes are right and everything after that should be accurate but it goes to show the backstory of a beer or brewery can fall victim to wildly varying information and a certain romanticism. It sometimes makes it difficult to sift through all the noise. If I’ve screwed up beyond that in this video, then I hope my earlier apology softens the blow. I try not to be a total idiot just drinking beer and talking bullshit to a camera; I research as much as I can and condense it down as best as I can. Anyway, it likely didn’t bother you but it bothered me, so I hope you enjoy the video and a beer along with it. Cheers and thanks for watching!

@buzsalmon

10 ай бұрын

I am really glad you made this video and continue to learn about these fine beers! I only wish you could have tasted the "real" beers back in the day! Cause they were excellent!!

@thebeeremptor

10 ай бұрын

If only beer time machines existed...

@garymorris1856

27 күн бұрын

Very interesting, thank you.

@Pocket_Fox

26 күн бұрын

Quick update on the state of Pabst: Pabst's contract with MolsonCoors expires this year, and they have been doing a phased pullout from MolsonCoors breweries in 2024, to be completed by the end of Q4 at the very latest. Pabst bought the shut-down Miller brewery in Irwindale California for $150 million in 2020, which is where their brands will be brewed going forward. I believe that they will contract another company to run the brewery instead of running it themselves (not 100% sure on that). Also, the PBR recipe is called S6-4, which is Hamms. They are the exact same beer in 2 different cans. This has been the case since the beginning of the contract with Miller. Most brands in the Pabst portfolio share a recipe with at least 1 other brand, sometimes more. None of them are their original recipes. The fun part is that MolsonCoors owns the S6-4 recipe, so I have no idea what Pabst will be putting in the can in Irwindale. I suppose they can source the same or similar ingredients, but the yeast and water will be different. I wonder if anyone will notice, lol.

Old style beer is being brewed back in La Crosse Wisconsin again and the largest 6 pack is Old Style Beer again just in time for October fest

@thebeeremptor

10 ай бұрын

I saw this news sometime after I posted this video. Good news! The regional lager lives on, and seems to be thriving.

@csnide6702

21 күн бұрын

Old Style used to RULE in Chicago.

Hamm's is my go to!

With both sides of my family hailing from the Chicago area, Old Style is still what I think of when I think of blue-collar dad beer. It's what my dad would've been drinking in 1972.

PBR was one of our go to low budget high school brews along with Old Milwaukee and Genny cream ale. Mickey's wide mouth did job for a few pennies more.

All 3 of these beers were great in the old days! 1960s when I was able to drink them. They have changed so much none retain their original tastes! Cheers from this old beer drinker! Pabst was my favorite when brewed last in Georgia!

@chevysaregr8

3 ай бұрын

They say the original hamms was amazing

Apparently Hamm's had a brewery in San Francisco and can be seen in one of the older Dirty Harry films and I bet they competed aggressive against Steam Anchor. Also, when I was younger my mom and stepdad collected light up beer signs amd sold them at auctions and they had a Hamm's sign with the cartoon bear and I always thought it was awesome.

I have had thousands of old styles in my younger days. Good stuff. Hamm's and Pabst are too. Good American legends.

Nice content! Good analysis!

Thanks for the post. Subscribed.

Thnx for your review ! Finally snagged some Hamms here in Wrstern Mass ?( been absent here since the early 80s), and love the flavor , mellowness and lack of bite of this Boomer Beer ! This beer beats all my other faves now including Miller PBR Genny Cream and Gansett !Value $$$ too beats all of them !

@chevysaregr8

3 ай бұрын

Stop telling people this, they'll raise the price

Great informative video subscribed cheers great 👍 stuff

Nice videos! Subscribed

My Grandfather was a Hamm's guy and my dad was Old Style. As a teenager in the 70's Old Style was our go to brew because it was cheap. Being in Illinois everyone wanted Coor's. When I was stationed in California, I got to try Coor's and I never saw the interest. But what was funny was people in CA wanted Old Style...the grass is always greener. I do so want one of those revolving Hamm's signs for my home. I remember my dad on trips into town he would stop at his favorite bar and order an Old Style. They had one of those Hamm's signs and I could watch it for hours. That being said, my taste has changed, thanks in large part to my daughter in law who studied in Belgium and got me into the Belgian Ales. I enjoy them a lot. But they are very expensive. So I found a brewer in Quebec; Unibroue. They have a great line (La Fin du Monde, Trois Pistols, Don de Dieu, and Maudite). They are about half the price of Belgian imports, but still pretty pricey. I still prefer my brew either in bottle or draft. Cans remind me of my youth. For the Summer when outside and grilling, I will bring out the Moosehead or LaBatt's. A little lighter when it is warm. But I enjoy your reviews. Maybe I will have to give Hamm's another shot?

Great video

Back in the old HS days we lived on Old Style it was a pretty good lower cost beer, we cant get it anymore in Ohio but it takes me back to our old drinking on dirt roads days

@DevinNixonDavis

8 ай бұрын

Still good and cheap here in Illinois.

Old style all the way, just tryd it in Missouri and I’ll be buying more

@kerbygator

5 ай бұрын

I grew up on it, living in Chicago. It is good.

Thnx for both the history and reviews of these 3 Boomer Beers ! Enjoy your channel !

Back in the day, the 70’s, hamms came in 2.5 gl mini kegs that you could fit into the ice box. Very cool. And some dune buggy builders would use the empty’s as fuel tanks. F the deposit. It’s cooler looking, and cheaper than any other option. Those were the days.

you have a pretty good nose/palate given the depth you went into here. I'm a Chicago boy so probably a little biased but I love me some Old Style. Hamms is great too but whenever I alternate, I always miss Old Style more. It just has a little more character for me personally. Oh and just a heads up, not to be too snobby, but the process of krausening is pronounced "KROY-suh- ning" just for the record, and I too have no idea if they still do it. Anyway, great review. cheers!

@thebeeremptor

11 ай бұрын

Good to know on the pronunciation, I just assumed it was correct hearing people say it that way. Each one of these has been entered and won multiple times in the GABF Cream Ale category in the past. Krausening is a key point in the style so they definitely all did it historically, with Old Style bringing it back in 2009 (which I may or may not have mentioned in the video) and Hamm's and Pabst being a big unknown. It's possible they still do but information like that among the Bud/Coors/Miller/Pabst ilk tends to be harder to find. Cheers! 🍻

They're still alot more palatable than anything Anheuser-Busch related. An ice-cold Old Milwaukee Light on a hot summer day is a memorably delightful cheap beer however. It's actually won some awards. Haven't seen in years unfortunately..

Old Style is my absolute favorite beer. I has a flavor profile that never gets boring or dual. I never had a beer that tastes like Old Style. It has a uniquely sweet flavor but the carbonation and hoppy notes really balances it out. You can drink a 24 case of it and wake up without a hangover or headache. Old Style is a one of a kind of beer.

At the Bar- PBR, Alone- Hamm's. With buddides- Old Style.

It's hard for me to watch this ....I remember buying Hamm's in Glass Quarts ......I don't think I can live with out the large glass bottles ..😢😢😢

@thebeeremptor

11 ай бұрын

Just imagine a timeline when people actually recycled and got the deposit back on bottles, all those wacky bottles and bottle sizes might still exist.

I'm drinking a Hamms, right now. IMO, it's the best budget beer around. I am from Minnesota, so there might be a bias.

I'm having some Genesee Beer right now and it isn't anything fancy, or unique BUT it suits me just fine.

Sadly, it never caught on in Louisiana and is rarely seen, here.

@maintenancezone4451

7 ай бұрын

The review meister himself thanks for all the great vids man

@ronaldtheriot

7 ай бұрын

You're welcome!@@maintenancezone4451

I enjoyed all 3!

Hamm's beer is the best, heck, I've even done a video related to that beer brand.

The few times i had Pabst it gave me a killer headache, they probably put some nasty preservatives in there or there's some fusel alcohol from crappy fermentation practices. Haven't had it after 2014 and won't, but hopefully their new parents are making a better product (doubt it lol). Had Hamm's a few years ago, not terrible, no headache either. I'd probably like Old Style most of the 3 but never tried it. Great review!

@thebeeremptor

11 ай бұрын

I doubt it with Pabst too but lots of these revived regional lagers seem to fall into the hands of people who appreciate it and they try to bring it back to something approximating the original beer. Old Style is definitely one I'd have in my regular rotation as a fridge staple if I could get it regularly. I'll just have to ask my folks to bring some every time they visit. Cheers! 🍻

@kingofthedots3835

11 ай бұрын

Had Old Style for the first time at Bogarts in Clifton near UC .....very good 👍.......but I need ice beers now .....I cant go back 😮,

Fucking LOVE me some Hamms!!!!!!! 0:37

As an ilinoi ute in the 70's, 80's, 90's Old Style was my beer, when they were sold in 1996, the taste changed, and it wasn't good. I have heard that they are moving back to their LaCrosse Wisconsin original location and hopefully back to that 70/80's taste

If you could get your hands on Stroh’s Beer I would like to see your review. I can buy Hamm’s in Northern Wisconsin a 30 pack goes for $13.49. I also found a 30 Pack of Stroh’s For $15.99 I bought the Stroh’s but it doesn’t say anywhere on the can or the packaging about being Fire Brewed. That was a big deal in their advertising back in their Hay Days. Brings my back to the late 70’s & early 80’s my old Chicago days . Thank God I don’t live there anymore.

@thebeeremptor

11 ай бұрын

Stroh's is on my list, as well as many other regional beers like it, but it is a little more difficult to source than some of the ones I've done or will be doing in the very near future. No promises but keep an eye out. 🍻

@LayLow83

11 ай бұрын

@@thebeeremptor Thank You I would like to hear your research on the fire brewing.

Little Beer Expert...😂

It's beer. JUST DRINK IT.

drank lot of pbr in my early 20s 12 ox can wrapped in a paper bag

@youtubecarspottersguide1

4 ай бұрын

other old names rolling rock , and saw genesee beer think it was so Utah ?

PBR is hipster beer where I live.

Me being old AND from Chicagoland, Old Style WAS the beer in the 70's-80's. Hamm's/Schlitz was my Dad's beer. PBR was THE downstate beer. UNfortunately, it's impossible for a young guy now to taste test the beers we knew 50 years ago. ALL the ingredients/recipes have changed. Fortunately, MOST of us weren't beer connoisseur's back then We drank whatever was cheap. We only bought imported beer to impress the girls. 🤣🤣

@pgronemeier

24 күн бұрын

I forgot about Budweiser. That was a Southside beer. That DID have it's own taste. 🤮🤣

Nicest glass a hamms has ever been drank out of

Hamm's is definitely sweeter and PBR is happier and Old Style has a very clean taste and medium body.

Hamm's uses corn syrup instead of sugar.

Old style comes in a tall as well, why the shorty?

@thebeeremptor

5 ай бұрын

This was from a twelve pack that was purchased for me, so they came as 12 oz cans.

Krausening pronounced Kroy-Zen-ing . Back in the 1980's Old style was said to have seasonal variation in taste with the better tasting stuff in the fall.

@thebeeremptor

4 ай бұрын

Yep, someone else pointed out the mispronunciation as well, which was an oversight on my part. I'm curious if that was pure anecdotal reporting from drinkers or shifts in ingredient availability. No way of really finding that out nowadays, I suspect.

@sparkey4293

4 ай бұрын

Yah it’s an unknown to me as well I just remember old time beer tasting experts going on about this the old timers would say it was available ingredients. Personally I couldn’t tell a difference; plus how do you remember what a beer tasted like 6 months ago. When craft beers started you could really tell a difference Anchor Steam was one of the first and back then it was said to as good as a German beer.

🇺🇲 Old Style was the most popular beer in the midwest! "Fully Kreusened"

@davefreeman1499

19 күн бұрын

Kreusening poisioning.

@louisbertaux5193

18 күн бұрын

@@davefreeman1499 ... 😂 🍺 ☠️ 🤮

Hamms is great, bought two 12-packs earlier this week for $6.99 each. Omaha, Nebraska

@thebeeremptor

27 күн бұрын

I wish it was priced that well out here, damn.

@garymorris1856

27 күн бұрын

@@thebeeremptor Where sir, California?

@garymorris1856

27 күн бұрын

@@thebeeremptor it's great on the golf course.

@thebeeremptor

27 күн бұрын

Yep, never seen twelves out here but our 24 packs run about $20.

@garymorris1856

27 күн бұрын

@@thebeeremptor In my area, there are 12's, 30's, of 12 oz cans, and six-packs of tall boys.

Are you old enough to drink beer- legally...?

Old styles the goat

My mothe r used to drink Hams it was the only week beer she liked. My brother drinks Papst a decent not weather beer never tried Old Style

Corn syrup is in Pabst? God dammit

1. Hamm's 2. Schlitz 3. Old Style 4. Blatz 5.PBR

Why the hell would anyone put corn syrup in beer?

@NoName-fx9zi

19 күн бұрын

My understanding is it's cheaper and faster, speeds up the brewing process and has been used since the 1970's. It should be noted that it's not "high fructose corn syrup" either, and despite the bad press corn syrup gets in general, it has no impact on the health of beer consumers since the sugars are all distilled out of the beverage during the brewing process.

Blatz?

Unfortunately old style I will never be able to try unless I go out of nj but hamms if my favorite and genesee is my second and hamms is ten times better the pbr

it's pronounced " croy- sah-ning" .

As long as it stays in the USA I don't care.

PBR

@csnide6702

21 күн бұрын

is very mild tasting - was HUGE in the mid -late 1970s.

Love how these new breweries pale ale makers mostly try to replicate these beers and fail

Before the hiatus pabst was really inconsistent. It was either onenof the best beers ever or gutter swill. Its notnthe same now

@thebeeremptor

11 ай бұрын

Quality assurance seemed to be a big issue during the Kalmanovitz years because they wouldn't spend the money necessary to maintain or upgrade equipment, and various checks to consistency were skipped or not given their due diligence. Hence the "ruthless cost cutter" comment.

Beer is Good and GOD is Great

Those three are all horrible. Miller is adequate want cheap, Schlitz is being made to it's classic recipe again and is decent as a result. But these three were never worth the price even when free.

Old Style is the GOAT.

Unless it's a crafted brew ALL American beers, I.E. Coors, Bud, Miller taste like beer flavored water. Absolute rubbish to think you are drinking a real beer.