Hamm’s Appreciation Thread (2024)

Yes, great taproom. I first had Pliny at Ben and Nick’s in Oakland, I think in 2002. Does that sound right? That had to have been close to when it was first distro’d? I remember loving the name and then, of course, loving the beer.

 

Hamm”s FTW (pic from yesterday) this was cold and tasty.

 

Late night Hamm’s.

 

It took a long time and a lot of intra-personal discussion for the "cats and kilos" beer reviewer to conclude that they were all pretty much alike. I could have come to that conclusion with a "virtual taste test" (just looking at the cans). Did he say that these beers have IBUs as low as 7? I have no intention of becoming familiar with these products, and certainly won't waste beer packaging and my calorie quota by doing taste tests. Water is looking better and better.

 

I can't believe that people on this website take beer advice from a video like the one above. Like most of these amateur videos, I can't sit through the entire thing (13 minutes!) but jumping around the guy can't even bother to read the labels - he "thinks" the abv is "about" 4.6% but he's "not sure what it was".

About Stroh's "they might even be brewed in Wisconsin".... Who are "they"? The Stroh Brewery Co. went out of business in 1999. "But don't quote me on this". Oh, I won't.

Now, it's possible some of those brands don't list abv on the label and beer labels don't have to list all of the brewer's brewing cities - yeah, so fucking prepare a script before you turn the camera on.

 

On the secondary, collector’s market, there has been an awful lot of “authentic” Hamm’s breweriana pieces being sold (on eBay, mainly) and later re-sold and/or traded at ‘beer can shows.’

Passion is an oblique word to use in such an instance, for sure, but greed might factor-in to what is one of the most beloved American brands of the late atomic age!

Full disclosure: Although I have ‘bootlegged’ in the past (for fun), it was never to the degree that these post-post modern fabricators are capable of in the era of digital printing and laser engraving.

 

How old is the video?
(no, I haven't watched it -- don't know if I will)

 

View it on YouTube and it says "1 year" - same for a few on the comments (although YouTube's dates are when it was posted, not actually when the video was made).

Looks pretty similar to the MC-brewed label (below, inset, left) and the new City/La Crosse label dated 2024. Notice the ABV is listed on both, too.

 

Is it still "fire brewed"? I think we used to get this decades ago although I have no memory of drinking Stroh's.

 

Doubtful -- that was the Detroit brewhouse claim to fame.

Have you always been in California? Probably why. Stroh's was like the antithesis to Coors -- only available east of the Mississippi.

Stroh's was a favorite at school from 1978-1982. Always seemed more robust than the other macros. Used to get cases of returnable 16 oz. bottles -- "Pounders."

The case made for a nice dorm room table, too.

 

You might enjoy watching this video which discusses the history of Stroh's and fire brewing.



Cheers!

 

Yes, the time frame I am thinking of is the 1980s. If it was never shipped to California we were still getting the advertising for some reason.