It's good to see High Point Brewing getting a nice write up. http://www.americancraftbeer.com/state-american-craft-beer-new-jersey/
That's not what Robert Ballantine Bradley (whose mother was Peter Ballantine's granddaughter and married Charles Bradley who would be Secretary, VP and finally President of the brewing company) claimed in a Harvard University publication in 1914: Ballantine was not "sold to Pabst" - Falstaff's parent company, Paul Kalmanovitz's S&P Corp. (which also owned the Pearl and General brewing companies at the time) purchased Pabst. And, of course, the Ballantine brand name was not "recently revived" since Ballantine XXX Ale has been continuously brewed since then. They have revived some other Ballantine labels like the India Pale Ale and Burton Ale and the Falstaff-era Ballantine Brewers Gold Ale. They really think Ballantine IPA (which dates back to at least the 1870s) was first brewed during Prohibition? Another so-called "history" of NJ breweries that leaves out the earliest "craft era" brewery, opened in 1985, Vernon Valley Brewery (later known as Clement's Brewing Co.). Thus, this claim is also incorrect: Most sources also note that the budget beer brewer, Eastern Brewing Corp. (infamous for it's Milwaukee [Brand] Beer, Old German and Old Bohemian labels among many others), was still a licensed brewery up until 1990 or so. (I love these "how many things wrong can you find" word puzzle articles...)
No, Champale was the product of the Metropolis Brewing Co., in Trenton, which also brewed Black Horse Ale (well, one version of it) and Metbrew near beer (and lots of other, older labels and private brands). By the late '60s, when it was owned by Iroquois Brands, it was even known as "Champale, Inc.". The brand was bought by Heileman in the late '80s, and is still brewed and marketed by Pabst - somewhere (haven't seen it in NJ).
I remember seeing and tasting Champale in college in the 90's. Unique marketing demographic. It was like a cross between Cisco Wine Cooler and Private Stock with the larger bottle format. Can't remember if was a quart or a 40 ounce. It was sold at Food Emporium in Westchester County, NY. Definitely an interesting product.
