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From Billy Beer’s presidential connection to Schlitz’s fall from grace, these discontinued beers offer a glimpse of a bygone era.
Bud Dry was a pale lager introduced by Anheuser-Busch in 1990. You might remember it by the marketing campaign and slogan “Why ask why? Try Bud Dry.”
It was discontinued in 2010 due to declining sales.
Pete’s Wicked Ale was a brown ale popular in the 90s.
It was known for pioneering the craft beer market and went on to become the second-largest craft beer brand in the US.
However, it went down in 2011 due to consumer tastes opting for brown ales less and less in favor of a blossoming craft beer market. Also, fans frowned upon alterations to the recipe when it was acquired by Gambrinus Company in 1998.
You might remember Billy Beer as the short-lived beer brand that Billy Carter introduced and promoted in 1977. Billy was the infamous younger brother of then-President Jimmy Carter.
Even with the endorsement, the beer didn’t last long and was discontinued in 1978.
Consumers found out that Billy Carter reportedly preferred Pabst in private, thereby losing the original appeal that Carter enthusiasts gravitated toward.
The Falstaff Brewing Corporation traces its roots to the 1838 Lemp Brewery in St. Louis, Missouri. By the 1960s, the brewery had become the third-largest brewer in America.
Its most famous beer was named Falstaff.
The company started drastically losing market share in the 1970s due to industry consolidation and antitrust issues. Many of its breweries eventually shut down, leading to the eventual discontinuation of its main Falstaff Beer brand in 2005.
Pabst Brewing Company acquired the brand but has not brewed the iconic beer.
Midnight Sun M was an espresso stout created by Midnight Sun Brewing Company in Anchorage, Alaska.
The beer was known for combining a variety of malts and espresso.
The beer was discontinued as part of the brewery’s strategy to rotate into new flavors as the years passed.
Meister Brau has a long history, starting in 1891 in Chicago. It gained local popularity but struggled to gain market share outside the windy city.
The brand and company went belly up, leading to its bankruptcy in 1972.
Miller Brewing Company acquired the failed brand and discontinued it. However, they reformulated and rebranded it into Meister Brau Lite.
The beer exists in spirit today as Miller Lite.
Jack D’Or was a farmhouse ale produced by Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project. In the craft market scene, it was known as a unique “Saison Americain.”
Sadly, the beer was discontinued when the brewery ceased operations in 2015.
The Southampton Black Raspberry Lambic was produced by Southampton Publick House. It was a famous framboise-style lambic beer brewed through aging in wine barrels.
Its discontinuation was partly due to the end of experimental offerings from Southampton Brewing.
Schlitz was once America’s largest beer producer.
You might remember the famous slogan “The beer that made Milwaukee famous.”
Shilitz started to decline in the 1970s due to cost-cutting changes to its brewing process that altered the beer’s flavor and quality.
It was ultimately discontinued as an independent brewery in 1982 when it was sold to Stroh Brewery Company amid financial struggles.
King Henry was an English-style barleywine by Goose Island, introduced in 2011.
It became known via its unique aging process in Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels.
The beer was discontinued after Goose Island was acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Icehouse Edge was introduced in 2012 as a high-gravity variant of the original Icehouse beer.
MillerCoors was looking to capture a more robust beer market.
However, in the era, consumers were switching toward craft beers and avoiding newer variants of mainstream brands.
Red White & Blue Beer was an American beer brand produced initially by Pabst Brewing Company.
The beer looked to monetize on American patriotism and budget-conscious consumers.
It was eventually discontinued, but plans were in the works to bring it back by 2010, with a focus on donating the proceeds to military charities. However, the plan never panned out.
The Olympia Brewing Company was founded in 1896 in Tumwater, Washington.
The brewery and beer were known for their slogan, “It’s the Water,” as they famously used artesian well water to brew beer.
Olympia Beer production was temporarily paused in 2021 due to declining demand. It has yet to make a comeback.
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