1970s "Dark" Beer?

[kevin58]

Not a recipe per se but various caramel colorings are available to color a base beer as opposed to the specialty grain route.

It would stand to reason that in addition to darkening beer these colorings would be the reason why some beers appear brighter in color.

Not sure of the percentage or amount needed for "caramel color" to be listed on ingredients labels.

Brewers Caramel is available from the UK. Not sure if any UK homebrew shops ship to the US.

https://homebrewoutlet.co.uk/shop/ols/products/brupaks-yeast-vit-nutrient

Yes, I bought some from a UK web store many years ago. The product itself cost just about 3 dollars while the shipping was nearly $15.00. I don't recall the name of the shop .

 

[cmac62]

I remember when if you had a Dos XX it was always amber. And my yute was Heini and Lowenbrau. I liked the darks, but can't really say what they tasted like. You don't taste much from a beer bong. LOL I also remember hearing the PBR bock being from cleaning out the brewery. Oy!!

Edit: It feels good to be a part of an extreme necro thread revival. Makes me feel young and old. LOL

 

[Jed42]

Fyfe & Drum from Rochester's Genesee Brewery came in a dark variety

 

[madscientist451]

I'm interested in this recipe also, but don't have the Papazian book. Any chance you could post it?

Sure, don't have the book with me right now, but I'll post it in a few days. Might be brewing it this week as well.

 

[bwible]

View attachment 784327

There was St Pauli Girl (about the first beer I really enjoyed) and there was Becks. To me they were just about the same beer

 

[Miraculix]

There was St Pauli Girl (about the first beer I really enjoyed) and there was Becks. To me they were just about the same beer

The fact that they originated from the same city.....

 

[cheech226]

In the 70's, A local Philadelphia brewery (Schmidt's) would have a Bock beer in the Spring.

i grew up near valley forge. i do remember liking schmidt's bock. a seasonal treat for that young guy.

 

[tennesseean_87]

Sounds like Sinamar, a Weyermann colorant product patented in 1902, so this tomfoolery goes back a ways.

IIRC it's been around longer than that. Reading up on Pennsylvania/Pre-Prohibition Porter, that's what was used for a while in America back in the day.

 

[fbold1]

Fyfe & Drum from Rochester's Genesee Brewery came in a dark variety

In the 70’s, I used to look forward to Genesee Bock, in late winter and early spring.

 

[Jed42]

In the 70’s, I used to look forward to Genesee Bock, in late winter and early spring.

It is still brewed

 

[kartracer2]

@leedspointbrew
I don't want to step on @madscientist451 toes but I thought I'd drop this out there. It looks like the right one, it's a png from my PDF copy of the book.

Cheers,
Joel B.

 

[madscientist451]

Thanks, forgot all about it...

 

[leedspointbrew]

@leedspointbrew
I don't want to step on @madscientist451 toes but I thought I'd drop this out there. It looks like the right one, it's a png from my PDF copy of the book.

Cheers,
Joel B.

Could it be converted to all grain, do you think?

 

[DBhomebrew]

Could it be converted to all grain, do you think?

Yep

https://www.brewersfriend.com/extra...BoEeqnRLXolh2pXPWxPOlqbT8F54eMUkaAn2-EALw_wcB

 

[Imhoppy]

Generic beer in the 1970's - sold in a white can with black letters spelling "BEER". But I don't think they sold dark generic beer, because it would have added another word (DARK) to the can, and that would have made it even more expensive. Lol.

 

[fbold1]

It is still brewed

I’d probably have to search for it and drive 50 miles to find it.

 

[Dog foot]

Perhaps it was Michelob Classic Dark beer. Michelob has since retired this beer.

Does anybody remember Michelob special dark not classic in the teardrop bottle with the gold foil

 

[day_trippr]

No.
Neither does the internet...

Cheers!

 

[MaxStout]

I seem to recall a Löwenbräu dark around that time (late '70s or early '80s). I don't recall it being anything special as it was brewed here by Miller.

Now Löwenbräu in Germany...that's a different story.

 

[hotbeer]

Slightly old thread but a fun thread.

Didn't see anyone mention Schlitz dark beer. We got it in Pizza Hut by the pitcher. As underage partially delinquent 16 y.o. kid's we use to go into the local pizza hut wearing our Cadet Civil Air Patrol uniforms. They thought we were military and never carded us. You could get away with a lot back in the early part of the 70's.

Shakey's as mentioned also had a dark beer. Don't remember if it also was Schlitz.

Nor do I recall seeing that the OP wanted to know only about good dark beers from way back when.

 

[MaxStout]

Shakey's as mentioned also had a dark beer. Don't remember if it also was Schlitz.

CSB: In high school I worked a little PT job as the weekend closer at a local Shakey's. The dining room stopped serving around 8, but we stayed open another couple hours for pickup orders, which was a big chunk of the business. I was the guy who came in just after the dinner rush to help in the kitchen for those pickup orders, then I did cleanup later. We would always get a few no-shows, so we had a few pizzas that we "had" to eat ourselves. One night, it was two extra-large pepperonis. For those not familiar with Shakey's pizza, it was greasy. Really greasy. The pepperonis would curl up in the oven into little cups, with little pools of tallow in each. Even the cheese was greasy (whole milk mozzarella).

So after closing, the half dozen of us (including the mgr.) sat down at one of the benches in the dining room (remember those ugly-ass picnic tables inside?) with the unclaimed pizzas and a couple pitchers of PBR. We would tip the ends of each slice into a 12 oz. beer glass to drain the excess grease. Two pizzas later, that glass was about half full of the orange-ish tallow.

Then the rest of the crew would punch out and leave. I'd remain to clean the place--mop the floors, wipe the tables, clean the prep area, etc. Manager was cool. Before leaving he said I could have one pitcher of beer while I worked, as long as I was done with cleaning by 1AM. I was the only one there the next couple hours.

My 18-year-old self loved that job.

/CSB