A bit of history and a laugh

Tapsucker · Post by **Tapsucker** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:25 pm

For those who like old ads:

http://torontoist.com/2009/10/vintage_t ... s.php#more

It never occurred to me these pre-stubby bottles were also clear, or is that just how they looked in print?

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:26 pm

Saw that today, good stuff. Loved the copy on the IPA ad. You just don't see that kind of stuff anymore...

jcc · Post by **jcc** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 4:07 pm

I must admit that I had no idea that 50 was an ale.

jesskidden · Post by **jesskidden** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 8:06 am

jcc wrote:I must admit that I had no idea that 50 was an ale.

Speaking of which, when did Molson Golden become a lager? Back in the pre-craft days, as a US import, it was marketed as an ale and, IIRC, it was always a bigger seller in the US than the "Export Ale" (red label) or the "Molson Canadian Beer".

G.M. Gillman · Post by **G.M. Gillman** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 9:11 am

Those old materials are indeed of much interest. I actually remember ads like the 1971 one in the video clip, or the accompanying jingle anyway.

In Quebec around 1975 I recall Molson Golden being an ale. It was fairly light-bodied, but had a distinctive taste that was pleasant. Some time later, perhaps in the 1980's, I think it became a lager and the label (again per my recollection) stopped referring to an ale. It seemed not as good to me after. I think it is still made.

The IPA ad shows that overall beer flavour had become fairly mild even by 1960. Because even a relatively restrained beer was being marketed as something that just the male drinker or some of them would like. I remember the taste of Labatt IPA around 1980 and it wasn't dramatically different from the other sparkling ales of the main Canadian brewers. It was full-bodied and pretty good, but nowhere near of course an English pale ale or what we now think of as an authentic IPA. This shows that even by 1960 the public taste for beer - or what the breweries were offering - was fairly mild in flavor. Of course, all is relative: in relation to U.S. mass market lager, a beer like Labatt IPA would have offered a bigger flavour (although not as big as Ballantine India Pale Ale).

I think it would be great to see Labatt IPA relaunched on draft at least using its original production spec. The 1800's version of that beer might be much closer to what we now think of as a true India Pale beer.

Gary

Steve Beaumont · Post by **Steve Beaumont** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 9:18 am

You're right, Gary, it was in the 1980's that Golden became a lager. More specifically, around 1984 or 1985. I remember because a good friend of mine used to drink it more or less exclusively at the time.

As I recall, it was Molson's biggest seller in the northeastern US, especially New York, and it was switched over south of the border first.

Rob Creighton · Post by **Rob Creighton** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:23 pm

Steve Beaumont wrote:You're right, Gary, it was in the 1980's that Golden became a lager. More specifically, around 1984 or 1985. I remember because a good friend of mine used to drink it more or less exclusively at the time.

As I recall, it was Molson's biggest seller in the northeastern US, especially New York, and it was switched over south of the border first.

Great bit of beer lore. A senior mgr at Molson Barrie told me of the efficiency movement in the '70's. This is the same movement that brought Schlitz from number 1 to gone. After Molson took over the Formosa Barrie plant, they decided that it would produce 1 lager (Canadian) and 1 ale (export). The decision to run green bottle Golden for the US caused a tremor in the efficiency force. The answer: blend the 6" feed lines at the filler. Yes, at that moment, Molson Golden Anniversary ale became Molson Golden Beer; a blend of lager and ale. The rest is labelling history rather than brewing.

Tapsucker · Post by **Tapsucker** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 9:17 pm

Rob Creighton wrote:
Great bit of beer lore. A senior mgr at Molson Barrie told me of the efficiency movement in the '70's. This is the same movement that brought Schlitz from number 1 to gone. After Molson took over the Formosa Barrie plant, they decided that it would produce 1 lager (Canadian) and 1 ale (export). The decision to run green bottle Golden for the US caused a tremor in the efficiency force. The answer: blend the 6" feed lines at the filler. Yes, at that moment, Molson Golden Anniversary ale became Molson Golden Beer; a blend of lager and ale. The rest is labelling history rather than brewing.

I think Bob and Doug investigated this scandal

After Formosa left that plant the only good thing to come out of there was the weed.

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 11:00 am

Tapsucker wrote:
Rob Creighton wrote:
Great bit of beer lore. A senior mgr at Molson Barrie told me of the efficiency movement in the '70's. This is the same movement that brought Schlitz from number 1 to gone. After Molson took over the Formosa Barrie plant, they decided that it would produce 1 lager (Canadian) and 1 ale (export). The decision to run green bottle Golden for the US caused a tremor in the efficiency force. The answer: blend the 6" feed lines at the filler. Yes, at that moment, Molson Golden Anniversary ale became Molson Golden Beer; a blend of lager and ale. The rest is labelling history rather than brewing.
I think Bob and Doug investigated this scandal

After Formosa left that plant the only good thing to come out of there was the weed.

And a far better use of the plant too.

TwoPint · Post by **TwoPint** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:24 pm

Labatt's Extra Stock and Carling Toby are two more that made the transition from "ale" to "beer".

kinguy · Post by **kinguy** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:40 pm

Steve Beaumont wrote:You're right, Gary, it was in the 1980's that Golden became a lager. More specifically, around 1984 or 1985. I remember because a good friend of mine used to drink it more or less exclusively at the time.

As I recall, it was Molson's biggest seller in the northeastern US, especially New York, and it was switched over south of the border first.

Believe it or not, for a while in the 80's in the U.S., Golden was both a beer and an ale at the same time. If you bought it in New York, it was a lager, but in Michigan, it was an ale.