A story I wanted to share

My buddy Spencer has been working his way to trying 1,000 different beers and documenting it on Facebook.  Recently, he reached the halfway point and decided to mark the occasion with a beer that is pretty special to him.  He was kind enough to let me share it with the blogosphere.

On May 27th, 2011, I was at 499 different kinds of beer that I had rated over the course of two and a half years.  About two weeks before, I had struck a deal with my dad, saying that when I reached 499, he would give me one of his bottles of Kingsbury.  Elated, I sampled over 25 beers in nine days to reach that magical moment.

Now, for those of you who do not know, Kingsbury was a beer that was discontinued by Strohs Brewery back on July 31, 1999.  Originally located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, just 5 miles from my hometown of Two Rivers, Wisconsin.

Newspaper from October 31, 1999 about Kingsbury closing up shop

 

Kingsbury Breweries Company was founded in 1847, originally going by the name of Kunz & Bleser Brewing Company.  Then, In 1926, the firm was sold to the Manitowoc Products Company, which went by the name of the Gutsch Brewery.  In 1933, they changed their name to Kingsbury Breweries Company.  The Kingsbury name originated during the Depression as a near-beer, due to the ban on alcohol during Prohibition, later resuming brewing operations when Prohibition was repealed. In 1933, Kingsbury Pale and Kingsbury Ale began to be produced.  Kingsbury's franchise brand was known as the "Aristocrat of Beer" and "Fit for a King."  Kingsbury's main offices remained in Manitowoc until 1963, when it merged with G. Heileman Brewing Company, which brewed and distributed Kingsbury label products until 1974. The Stroh Brewery Company later, after it bought the G. Heileman Brewing Company, brewed and distributed some Kingsbury labels. Stroh's ceased operation on July 31, 1999, and the Miller Brewing Company bought the Kingsbury Near Beer label, which is still brewed and distributed by Miller.

When I was younger, I remember going to the liquor store with my dad to buy cases of Kingsbury, which were sold in deposit bottles, quite often.  From what he can remember, it would cost him around $6 for a 24 pack of bottles when bringing in an empty case to exchange.  This led to the only time I can remember trying a Kingsbury.  Granted, I was only 7 or 8 years old, and it was just a sip, I hated it… mainly because I was young and didn’t like beer.  Other than that, I have no other memories of trying Kingsbury.

When my dad found out that they were going to be retiring this beer, he saved a couple of bottles for when he became a grandfather, back in October of 2000.  Then, by brother-in-law Gabe and my sister Heather found someone who had been storing bottles in the back of a cooler, wrapped up so that light didn’t damage the beer.  They bought him 12 bottles for what I believe was Father’s day two years ago, and after trying one to make sure it hadn’t gone bad, he packed them away in the back of his fridge to be consumed on a special occasion. 

Spencer and his dad enjoying Kingsbury

While this was not on his mind when he decided that, he had 7 bottles left when I approached number 500.  With my sisters Heather and Kim, and both of my parents downstairs at my dad’s bar, me and him cracked open two bottles.

The review of this beer will not be in this note.  Instead, it will be on the photo in a separate album (link provided below).  I will say this though, the beer was not skunky or off-smelling at all, and my dad said that it still tasted the way that he remembered.

Photo Album: http://goo.gl/Zr4kV

Beer Review: http://goo.gl/fnQP1

I love stories like these, as I can relate to them.  The common interest that my dad and I share about the beer companies that are as much about making a quality product as they are about improving their bottom line has lead to a number of great times.  Some of my best memories of the last *eh hem* we'll say "year" have involved sitting around a TV or a radio talking about sports, politics, and life while enjoying good beer.

If you have a Facebook, I definitely recommend checking out Spencer's Journey to 1000 Beers.  His collection is impressive.