This advertisement is courtesy of Jesskidden and features the tagline “Liebotschaner Select Beer Dark or Light.” It’s interesting that they referred to is as a “Munich Type” beer….but thankfully it is now “popularly priced” (whatever that is).
This advertisement is courtesy of Jesskidden and features the tagline “Liebotschaner Select Beer Dark or Light.” It’s interesting that they referred to is as a “Munich Type” beer….but thankfully it is now “popularly priced” (whatever that is).
In olden days, beer fell into two braod pricing categories. "Premium" (Bud, Schlitz, Michelob, Etc.) or "popular" (most local/regional brands as well as smaller nationals like Pabst and Blatz.
ReplyDeleteTo be "popularly priced" meant that the Liebotschaner beers fell into the lower pricing tier.
Thanks Sam. I did not know that. So "popular" meant affordable.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Liebotschaner had previously been priced in the upper region of “premium” price range- somewhat unusual for a local/regional brewery at the time tho' a number of companies in the region had higher prices “specialty” beers- many of Neuweiler’s ales were quite expensive and Schmidt’s (via Scheidt) Prior Preferred was in the “super-premium” category, which was long dominated by A-B’s Michelob (one of, if not *the* most expensive US beers of the era).
ReplyDeleteTo give some comparisons, here are some examples, circa 1964 (all NR 12 oz. Bottles, six pack/case prices):
Liebotschaner Select $1.40/5.50
Budweiser (“premium” priced) $1.25/4.99
Pabst & Ballantine Beer (“popular”) $1.10/4.40
Stegmaier Gold Medal $.95/3.80
Reading $.85/3.75
(both above considered “price” or “economy” segment)
Prior Preferred (“super-premium”) $2.00/7.98
Michelob (ditto) $2.25/8.80
(For a real eye-opener, plug those figures into the BLS’s “inflation calculator” – Lieb’s price equals $9.69 a six-pack in 2009 dollars- so much for today’s beer prices being too high).
Prices from my http://sites.google.com/site/1964njbeerprices/
Wow...$3 cases! Great info Jess.
ReplyDeleteYeah, $3 cases of beer and 25¢/gal. gasoline to drive to the store in your brand new under-$2000 car BUT also $1.25 minimum wage...
ReplyDeleteSo, essentially nothing changes. You can still pay much more for Budweiser and Miller's annoying advertisements and crappy beer with less ingredients, or you can buy local and support Pennsylvania manufactoring and contribute to the coffers of the state...
ReplyDeleteAnd I do....(buy and drink local that is). Thanks Prof.
ReplyDeleteha....I do remember some of that...especially the gas prices.
ReplyDeleteJess, we gotta go get a beer together sometime!
ReplyDeleteAny news when Liebotschaner Cream Ale is coming back? Wasnt it originally supposed to be early 2009?
ReplyDeleteLast I heard there were packaging/labeling hangups but that was quite a while ago. I've asked but have not heard anything yet. I will update as I find out more.
ReplyDeleteI heard it was already finished and ready to go, but no one knows what exactly to do with it, nor how to go about marketing it.
ReplyDeleteCould be Sam.
ReplyDeletesam k: "Jess, we gotta go get a beer together sometime!"
ReplyDeleteHey, Sam, I'm always up for it! I'll even buy- come on over with your snowblower and/or plow, dig me out and we can have a beer (or two, or three- I find HopDevil really cuts through the exhaust of the machinery...).
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Speaking of Lieb Cream Ale, according to a Brewers Digest article (9/80) The Lion first released it in 1976, and, said then president Bill Smulowitz "It was our reaction to Genesee Cream Ale."
Thanks Jess....sounds good...count me in (except perhaps for the snow removal parts)...oh hell I'd probably do that too for a good hoppy beer.
ReplyDeleteShows again what a powerhouse Genny Cream was back in its day. I spent four hours on a tractor twice in the last week, Jess...you'll have to handle your own snow removal duties, unfortunately. I'm in Bellefonte. You?
ReplyDelete