Beers Through The Years Trivia Quiz

Answer: Budweiser

The name 'Budweiser' has a long and storied history. It originally referred only to beer produced in the town of Budweis, today in the Czech Republic. The brewing tradition in Budweis goes back at least 800 years. In the 1800's Budweiser was produced by several different American brewing companies and was considered a style of beer like lager or porter rather than a specific brand name.

In 1876 Anheuser-Busch began producing a beer they called Budweiser to capitalize on the reputation of the name. Through lawsuits and acquisition of competitors Anheuser-Busch eventually gained control of the name in the United States and made it into their number one brand. Since 1895 there has been a brewing company in Budweis that produces a beer called Budweiser Budvar.

They've been going at it with AB for years in international court over the trademark. So far there is no clear winner, nor is there likely to be anytime soon. Basically, the Czech brewery owns exclusive rights to the Budweiser name in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Norway and their home country, AB holds the trademark in the rest of the world. AB sells its products in most of these countries under the 'Bud' and 'Anheuser-Busch B' names.

Interestingly, the Czech company has never used funny looking dogs, caped superheroes or talking reptiles (or amphibians for that matter) in their advertising. By the way, Anheuser-Busch's Michelob is also named after a famous brewing town in the Czech Republic.

Answer: Miller High Life

High Life was once Miller's number one brand before Miller Lite and Miller Genuine draft were introduced. Today Miller Brewing Company is a unit of global conglomerate Philip Morris as are Kraft Foods and Nabisco.

Answer: Hamm's

Just exactly where is this legendary 'Land of Sky Blue Waters'? Hamm's was brewed in Minneapolis starting in 1865. Hamm's had probably the best ad campaign of any beer company in the '50s and 60's featuring a clumsy and lovable cartoon bear. The bear was usually depicted engaged in some sort of outdoor activity such as fishing, playing baseball or waterskiing, always while enjoying a frosty cold Hamm's. Today the Hamms brand is owned by Pabst Brewing Company.

Answer: Heineken

Heineken is brewed in Holland and has been for many years the most popular imported beer in the United States.

Answer: Olympia

Oly has used their Tumwater, Washington artesian well water as a selling point for years. They had a very clever ad campaign during the '70s (or was it the '80s?) that featured mysterious (never seen) and friendly beings known as Artesians. I've always thought it was weird that on Oly's label they have a horseshoe with the open end pointing down. Don't they know that this causes the good luck to run out?! Like Hamm's, the Olympia brand is now owned by Pabst.

Answer: Billy Beer

Billy Beer was named after Jimmy Carter's alcoholic brother, William Alton Carter III. It was produced by Falls City Brewing Company of Louisville, Kentucky, the company that introduced the stay-on poptop aluminum can in 1974. On every can of Billy Beer there was a personal message from good ol' Billy hisself.

It said, ' I had this beer brewed up just for me. I think it's the best I've ever tasted. And I've tasted a lot. I think you'll like it, too'. He was wrong, I thought it was god awful. Billy Beer cans have been sought after collectibles for the 'Velvet Elvis' set for many years. If you'd like to own one check out ebay, good buddy!

Answer: Guinness

Guinness started promoting the positive health benefits of drinking their stout in the 1920's. For a time, some Irish hospitals prescribed Guinness Stout to their post-operative patients to help them regain their strength. Some people even thought that using Guinness for bathing newborn babies was a good idea! Is Guinness really good for you? I don't know, but a properly poured pint of the stuff is a beautiful thing indeed! Update: 04/27/03 This just in, beer afficionado
and Funtrivia player dungbtl has informed me that in West Africa, where Guinness Stout has a large and devoted following, Guinness is not only touted as being "Good for You" but it is common knowledge that "A Guinness a day will harden your stools"! Watch out makers of Kaopectate
and Metamucil, your share of the soft stool remedy market may shrink dramatically once this gets around. dungbtl also communicated to me that a local nickname for Guinness Stout is "Liquid Beef". Mooooo-hic.

Answer: Shotz Brewery

They worked as bottle cappers at Shotz in Milwaukee. They were also on the bowling team, of course.

Answer: yeast

Yeast is a one celled organism that 'eats' the simple sugars in the wort (unfermented beer) and produces ethanol and carbon dioxide, thus giving the kick and the fizz. There are many different strains of yeast used in the brewing industry. Top fermenting yeasts produce ales, bottom fermenting yeasts are used to produce lagers. Brewers jealously guard their own proprietary strains of the little beasties.

Many major brewers even go so far as to insure their yeast cultures with companies such as Lloyds of London.

Answer: Red Stripe

Red Stripe is a very good and refreshing lager style beer. It has been suggested that the beer's name came from the red stripes on the trousers of Kingston town policemen. Getting a Red Stripe (or any other intoxicant) in Jamaica is generally 'no problem, mon'!

Answer: Schlitz

In 1950 Schlitz was America's number one brewer, producing just over five million barrels. Their days as an independant company ended in the early '80s when they were acquired by the Stroh Brewing Company of Detroit, Michigan. Stroh's exited the brewing business in 1999, selling their brand names and some of their brewing capacity to Pabst and Miller.

Answer: Munich

Munich is the capital of the Bavaria region of southern Germany. It's the home to many fine breweries including Spaten and Lowenbrau. The city of 1.2 million yearly welcomes over 6 million visitors during the 18 days of Oktoberfest.

Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt

The famous eight horse Clydesdale team and the Budweiser beer wagon were originally a gift from August Busch to his father to celebrate the end of prohibition in 1933. Their first job was to parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C to present the first case of post-prohibition Budweiser to Franklin Roosevelt at the White House.

This was to thank FDR for his help in ending this lamebrained law. The AB company has over the years used many ways to advertise their products. One of them was the 'Miss Budweiser' unlimited hydrofoil racing boat. Once a few years ago my brother Kevin and I went to the Fairfield, California AB brewery to take the tour.

As we entered the parking lot I saw the boat parked there. I said, 'Look Kevin, there's Miss Budweiser'! He looked around, and looked around and finally he said, 'Where is she? All I see is that stupid boat'! Apparently he was looking for a busty blond model!

Answer: Anchor Brewing Company

Anchor's one and only plant is located in the Potrero Hill district of San Francisco and has been since 1896. Their main product is a unique amber brew named Anchor Steam Beer. As the story goes, in the late '60s Fritz was newly graduated from Stanford and was visiting San Francisco for a bit of relaxation.

He stopped into a bar on Mission Street for a beer. Not knowing what to order, he asked the bartender for his recommendation. The bartender gave him an Anchor Steam. He remarked to the bartender that he really liked the beer, he had never tasted anything quite like it before.

The bartender replied that it was his favorite and that it was a real shame that he would soon no longer be able to get {it;} the brewery was scheduled to close down that week.

In that moment Fritz found his calling in life. He invested enough money in the company to save it from closing, and eventually bought the rest of it becoming its sole proprietor. His dedication to quality ingredients and Anchor's traditional brewing methods provide us with a truly one-of-a-kind beer.

Answer: Saint Arnulf of Metz

Saint Arnulf, AKA Arnold was born into a prominant Frankish family in the year 580. As a young man he was a soldier and adviser to Austrasian kings Theodebert II and Dagobert I. He was married to a noble woman named Doda and had two sons, one of which, Ansegisel, was the great-great grandfather of Charlemagne.

His wife beame a nun in about 610, and he was preparing the enter a monastary himself when he was appointed the Bishop of Metz. Throughout his career he preached to his congregations about the dangers of drinking water.

Indeed, in those days much of the water in the villages and small towns of Europe was contaminated. Beer, on the other hand was very safe to drink. He is credited with once saying, 'From man's sweat, and God's love, beer came into the world'.

In 627 Arnold retired to the monastary at Remiemont, France where he died and was buried in 640. In 641 the townspeople of Metz requested that their beloved Bishop's remains be exhumed and transported for reburial in their local church.

Their request was granted, and this is where the story really gets interesting. To be canonized a saint in the Catholic Church a person has to be associated with at least one verifiable miracle. The trip home to Metz provided Arnulf with his. During the trip, the bearers and followers became tired and thirsty, after all they were lugging around a dead bishop! They decided to stop at a tavern in the town of Champignuelles for a few refreshing beers. As luck would have it the tavern keeper was almost out of {beer;} he only had one mug of the stuff left and they would all have to share it. Well, try as they might they just couldn't finish that mug of beer, it kept miraculously replenishing itself. With their thirst satisfied and their energies restored they continued on to Metz and entombed Arnulf in the basilica of the Holy Family where he remains to this day. There is a Saint Arnold's Brewery in Houston, Texas named after the gentle saint. I've never tried any of their beer, but hope to someday.