Popular Beer of the 60s

Thinking back to the time when I had my first beer, I remember the disgusting taste and how much I hated it.  I thought beer would NEVER be my choice of drinks.  I will stick to my Pepsi or RC Cola.  Of course we had to be macho and I pretended to enjoy it as my friends who took their first sip probably were thinking the same thing.  I remember my first beer was a Blatz beer.  I ran around with a high school friend who was 2 years older than the rest of us. Being 18 he could buy beer which was common in those days.  All you needed was your draft card as I recall.  My first night with a beer had a miserable outcome.  I got dizzy and sick.  All this took place at the drive-in movie.

When a couple of us went to the restroom to take care of the beer problem, our so called beer buying friend moved the car on us and it seemed like we were looking for that car all night stumbling around and laughing.  I vowed never to drink another beer, of course that lasted until the next time.  Now beer is my preferred drink. I guess you had to acquire the taste or wait until the beer dulled your taste buds, nonetheless I enjoy my beer now and then.

I was thinking back to the 1960s and all the innocent mishchief we got ourselves into, when I thought about that night and decided to build a page dedicated to the memory of the beer of the 60s.  The beer you see here are the actual cans shown from the 60s that needed a "church key," to open the can.  What was neat about the chuch key is that they had a bottle opener on the other end.  No flip tops back in the 60s although, I think the first flip top came into being in late 1969. Enjoy viewing the pics of the beer of the 60s.  Listed are the ones I recall in the Ohio area so if you want me to promote your beer of the 60s just leave me a message in my guest book and I will do the research and add your beer to the site.

Beer has always had its place in society as attested to the quotes listed below. Read and enjoy these testimonials to beer.

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." [Benjamin Franklin]

"Sometimes when I reflect on all the beer I drank I feel ashamed. Then I look in the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered.  It is better to drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."
[Babe   Ruth]

"24 hours a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not." [H.L. Mencken]

"When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!" [George Bernard Shaw]

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." [Paul Hornung]

"Remember, "I" before "E", except in Budweiser." [Professor Irwin Corey]

Of course who forget the best one of all taken from the 80s hit show "Cheers."

One night at Cheers, Cliff Clavin explained the "Buffalo Theory" to his buddy Norm:

"Well ya see, Norm, it's like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine! That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."

Before 1958, beer cans were made of steel and were punched open with a church key can opener. Aluminum cans were introduced in 1958, and hybrid cans with steel bodies and aluminum tops were introduced in 1960. The hybrid cans were known as E-Z open and softop cans. The first pull-tabs were added in 1963. Steel cans were phased out during the 1960s in favor of aluminum and hybrid cans.

I had to throw in these old bottles of beer.  I forgot to mention, my Blatz beer I first drank was a quart bottle.  It was common then to drink right out of a quart bottle. Always "lets go to the store and pick up a quart."

Bottle Openers/Can Openers