Shortened Bar Orders

If you are anywhere in Pennsylvania and ask for a Lager they will serve you a Yuengling.

 

First place (and "only", now that I think about it) I ever heard Pabst Blue Ribbon referred to only as "Blue" was back in the mid-70s when I ran a small grocery store in way upstate NY, near the Canadian border.

My regular customers asked for "Blue" - and it was actually the store's best selling beer. First time someone asked for "Blue" I thought they meant Genesee Beer (not Cream Ale) in throw-away bottles which had gold foil labels and the sixpack "wrap" was blue, unlike the white and red cans and the red returnable case. Genesee even had an ad campaign about it.

Had never heard Pabst called "Blue" in NJ, where Pabst had a brewery and I knew people who worked there.

(Even tho' I was only 20 miles from the border with Canada, I carried no imports - too expensive - so didn't think of Labatt, which in the US at the time came in green semi-long neck (Molson & Heineken-ish) bottles and labeled only "Labatt Beer" w/o any "Blue" reference --- plus their "50 Ale" always seemed to be the best seller in the States back then).
________

But the shortened nicknames for beer was what killed the last indie brewery in Allentown, PA, I always thought. Bunch of guys walk into a bar:

"Gimme a glass of Bud draught."
"I'll have a bottle of Mich."
"What ales do you have?"
"Bally and Genny."

Last guy is puzzled, all he wants is a can of local beer---- Horlacher --- but doesn't know how to abbreviate the brand name...

 

Pretty sure I coined the abbreviation “Bud” for Budweiser. The bartender always know and what I mean wherever I go, so guessing it’s pretty intuitive

 

Wait - it wasn't Ed McMahon?


Although, you do have to be careful sometimes in some establishments when you just ask for "Bud":

 

In many bars / restaurants in the Twin Cities, if you ask for a "Summit", you get a Summit EPA. (Of course, that may also be the only Summit beer on tap...)

 

I know where if you are a regular you don't even have to order. Just sit down and your beer appears.

 

We used to order a "grenade": Rheingold Chug-a-Mug. That was a damned decent beer..

 

In Boston if you ask for a “craft beer” you get an overpriced New England style IPA.

 

I have no personal experience here but it is my understanding that the folks of the Baltimore area when they ordered their local beer of National Bohemian would ask for a Natty Boh.

Cheers!

 

How about it they want a Narragansett? Would they just order a ‘Gansett?

Cheers!

 

That reminds me way back when I used to ask for a "gold" and the bartenders knew it meant Rheingold.

 

My dad had a friend who ran a fishing lodge in Northern Wisconsin, 10-12 cabins and a small bar/supply sttore. You yould get a "Leinie", or a "Red", that was Leinenkugels Red lager.

 

"Leinie" works here, too.

 

In college some of my friends from Baltimore called National Premium Premium or Pre. It was a nice beer. Also, I remember the National Bohemian ads during the Baltimore Colts games: National Bohemian from the land of pleasant living, complete with talking crabs!

 

Yup. That’s a good one too.

 

I know some street corners where asking for “bud” gives you something else entirely (;

 

How about IPA? I mean does anyone even say India Pale Ale anymore?
That reminds of something that happens often when I’m eating at an establishment that’s not big on beer. I’ll ask the server “what kind of beer do you have?” They will run off a list of beers, one of which is referred to as simply IPA. When I ask “which IPA?” I get a confused look.

 

Has the term 'NEIPA' been shortened to be verbalized as "knee-Pa" yet?

Cheers!

P.S. I wonder if I should trademark that expression!?!