Before Prohibition American beers were throwbacks to rich European lagers and ales. Bocks and Pale Ale were familiar sight on draft before the dumbest law in the history of our country was passed.
The blockheaded idea to ban alcohol was not the brain child of the United States of America. Before we passed our moronic law the prohibition of alcohol was already in place in Russia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and eh… Canada. This started 14 years of hell on earth in America.
A few years after 21st Amendment was repealed America was back to war. With most American men overseas fighting WWII the breweries started marketing toward women. Beers quickly got lighter in body. Bitter Pale Ales were replaced by sweet, flowery and fruity pilsners. The cone top can was also introduced by many breweries to give the gals easier access to the brew.
With this change in the positioning of the beer market many great beers were lost forever.
In 1919, beer was banned. Barrels were broken. Breweries went belly up. Drinking a beer became an act of protest against those in power. Each toast was a citizen’s demand to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. When beer became legal again 14 years later, it was never the same. That is, until a few years ago when we discovered an old beer recipe in the basement archives of the brewery dating back before Prohibition. Batch 19™ is inspired by the last batches of beer brewed before 1919
Batch 19 is available in pints and growlers only in carefully selected speakeasy style/saloon bars., including:
• Chicago: Cans Bar, Fat Cat, Hi Tops, Jefferson Tap & Grille, Kelly’s Pub, Lottie’s, Rocks Lincoln Park Tavern, Stocks & Blondes Bar & Grille, Gallery Cabaret, The Hidden Shamrock, The Pony, The Yard, Wells on Wells, Wills Northwoods, Wise Fools Pub
• Milwaukee: Bay Street Pub, Best Place, Bomb Shelter Bar, Bootleggers Bar & Grill, Flannery’s, Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, Landmark Lanes, Leff’s Lucky Town, Slim McGinn’s, Terminal
• San Francisco: 83 Proof, Hilton, Hotel Utah Saloon, Jack’s, McTeague’s Saloon, O’Greenbergs, Tee Off Sea Food, The Parlor
• San Jose: Agenda Restaurant, The Brit, Rookies Sports Lodge
• Washington, DC: 18th Amendment, Adams Bar & Grille, Bar Pilar, Bistro La Bonne, Breadsoda, Elephant & Castle, Kelly’s Irish Times, News Café, Rhino Bar & Pumphouse, The Saloon, Stetson’s, Ugly Mug, Union Pub, We the Pizza
Coors Brewing Company dusted off one of it’s pre-prohibition recipes to give us a taste of the past. Coors hit one out of the park with this promotion. It is a great marketing idea that gave birth to a great beer. It pours golden amber with a foamy white head. The aroma is of grain and earthiness with a touch of hops in the nose. The mouth feel is light as expected – light and refreshing. The beer is 26 IBUs so there is a nice hop kick in the finish.
I literally just got done cutting the grass so I will dub this a nice lawn-mower beer. This is a very well balanced lager and an awesome session beer. I hope Batch 19 makes it to market in cans, this beer begs for a tailgate bash.
