I really want to know. Lay the facts on me as to why this is the oldest beer in your collection.
Below is a picture of the oldest beer in my beer cellar. I actually picked it up at a antique mall in Toledo, Ohio for just a few dollars. The beer was brewed by the no-longer-in-operation Great Lakes Brewing Company, out of Fort Wayne, IN–not to be confused with the exceptional Great Lakes Brewing currently located in Cleveland, OH. The beer was brewed in 1982 for the World’s Fair when I was just a spritely 2 years old.
Yes, it’s “crap” beer. No, it’s not worth much of anything. Sure, it’s a pale American Lager. But when I saw it I just had to buy it, not just for its antiquity, but because it instantly reminded me of a great short story that got my wheels turning when I was a teenager. The story–written by Vincent Bené–is By the Waters of Babylon. The story depicts a young man’s journey in a post Apocalyptic world in which he encounters relics of his ancestors/gods. One such relic is, from the story:
There was drink, too, in bottles of glass—the drink of the gods was strong and made my head swim. After I had eaten and drunk, I slept on the top of a stone, my bow at my side.
When I saw that beer on the antique shelf, even though it was in a can on not glass, it just reminded me of the beer that John–from By the Waters of Babylon– may have encountered. Sure, it would have been cooler to find a 28 year old bottle of Thomas Hardy’s Ale, but Thomas Hardy’s was not on the shelf, and besides…I am strangely curious to see what morbidly expired cheap American lager–the most liked beer that would be discovered should an apocalypse hit the US today–tastes like.
I imagine when I get around to drinking it, I’ll bust out By the Waters of Babylon too. After all, beer and reading go hand in hand.
That is pretty cool that you were able to find something like that.
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I have a bottle of J.W. Lees from 1998. I think that’s the oldest I have to date.
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A beer collection? Who does that?
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I have to say. I’m a little jealous. Now I’m going to have to be looking for something simular. Because oldest beer I have right now is a six pack of Miller Highlife that someone brought to my house-warming party about two years ago. I know I should toss them, but I have to much pack rat in me.
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FYI, Great Lakes Brewing Co. was a pseudonym for Falstaff during the S&P years under Paul Kalmanovitz. They used GLBC for “specialty” beers including Pulaski Piwo, M*A*S*H 4077, and generic Beer.
And to prove there’s nothing new in the world, GLBC was on the cans of Old Heidel Brau made for Walgreens.
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michael reinhardt Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 10:17 am
Bob,
You’re a mentalman and a scholar. Thanks for the dirty details.
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I’m pretty much depleted my cellar, I couldn’t stand looking at all those great beers and not drink them.
I have a can Of Oscar Blues Gordon with a paper label. have no idea how old, but Probably undrinkable by now and an almost ful vertical of La Folie.
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nate Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
I’d love to have the Lafolie in my collection.
By the way, my collection by now (besides homebrew) consists of only a few bottles too.
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The beer on that shelf is in fine company!
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I have 1 bottle left of a Bock made by Lithia Brewing from West Bend Wisconsin. That brewery closed over 38 years ago so I know that its at least that old. I purchased 4 of them, 1 broke, 1 was used to attempt a yeast swab ( you never know – it didnt work by the way ) and 1 was actually sampled by myself and my brew bud JMan. The beer was actually slightly carbonated. But it tasted as you would expect – like old beer. Lithia brewing was well known for its source water – which contained lithium! The brand was also well known for its Christmas beer. Recently the label has been resurrected and is being brewed once again.
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nate Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 9:49 am
Awesome MadMatt. It would be hard to drink a beer 38 years old. This is the first time I’ve heard of Lithium as a beer ingredient!
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Don’t laugh but my oldest is a can of generic Ralphs supermarket beer from the mid 1990′s. I am pretty sure it is undrinkable but it makes a damn fine paperweight.
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Not going to set the world on fire here, but my oldest brew is a 2007 Pannepot. Not sure when I’ll crack it open. Probably this year.
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michael reinhardt Reply:
March 4th, 2011 at 11:23 am
I’m sure it will be nice. How have you been storing it?
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Hi, I have got a English beer from around 1850, original bottle, still needly corked. Would something like that be very rare ? I am a collector of old cognac and I accidently bought this bottle, thinking it was port (another favourite). If anyone wants a picture please feel free to reply.
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