Rheingold Redux
Rheingold beer is coming back. If it seems like we already went through this fairly recently then you might be getting this classic, pale lager mixed up with any of the other classic, pale lagers from the good old years that have enjoyed revivals recently like Schlitz or Pabst. Or you might be remembering the last time that Rheingold came back then went away again.
Back in 2005, Drinks Americas Holdings LTD bought the brand and this summer they relaunched it. They also put together an interesting website complete with old jingles and commercials for the beer. The beer is being brewed by Lion Brewery in Pennsylvania and mostly be sold in the New York area.
The mascot for this reborn beer is the pigeon. Apparently some focus group types feel that this bird exemplifies New York and will make a fitting symbol for the beer. I say, good luck with that.
I’m not really sure what to make of these revival beers. A lot of them died so long ago that most of the regular beer drinkers never got to the try the original. If they sell, its not from personal nostalgia but more from second-hand nostalgia. Maybe we saw our dads drinking the stuff back when we were kids. But is that really enough to get a brand off the ground?
PBR is the poster-boy for nostalgic beer brands. It has surprised everyone, perhaps even the brand’s owners, with its success. Hipsters embraced the beer – as much from a back-lash against the sometimes snobby craft beer movement as from nostalgia. But, other brands haven’t been quite so stellar. Still they sell. I guess one should never underestimate the markets sentimentality for beer.
american beer nostalgic beer rheingold
Filed under: Beer on August 31st, 2010 | 1 Comment »
We all remember the standout beer brand of the mid 1900s, a beer called Rheingold which was first produced in the early years of 1883 and permeated society to become a top-selling beverage due to its fair pricing and solid taste. Rheingold’s appeal was so influential that during the 1950s, it accounted for a third of the New York’s beer market, revealing its widespread appreciation. Its pigeon mascot fits its New York origins and seemingly represents the soaring nature, specifically the taking off and popularity of this beer.
Furthermore, the brand bolstered its recognition by holding annual Miss Rheingold Competitions, in order to find beautiful women to represent the brand and its image. Apart from this endeavor, Rheingold sought to promote their brand by top advertising, hiring celebrities such as John Wayne and the Marx Brothers to represent the beer in popular television commercials. However, the most notable aspect about this beer is that it is making a comeback today, when it was acquired by the liquor company DrinksAmericas in 2005.
I first came across this retro beer at a party a couple of weeks ago, and let me tell you that I loved its mellow flavor as well as the incredible amount of history which is associated with the brand. The fact that my dad used to drink this beer boggles my mind and shows just how pertinent the Rheingold brand is to various age groups, whether young or old. Everyone around me at the party enjoyed the beer too, as they kept on asking questions about this drink that they had never heard of before. If you haven’t heard of it or want to inquire about more information regarding this amazing beverage, hit up the beer’s website at RheingoldBrewingCompany.com, to be pleasantly introduced to New York’s Prime Beer! Take a look, then a taste, and you will agree with me that Rheingold is here to stay.
-Anna Guller