Do you remember that one year when all anyone ever talked about was how amazing and innovative and delicious Pabst Blue Ribbon beer was? No? Probably because that year was 1893.
A popular refreshment at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 was Best Select Beer from Milwaukee. Prior to the Columbian Exposition, a blue ribbon was hand tied around Best Select beer in celebration of previous brewing awards. When Best Select won ‘America’s best beer’ of the Fair, patrons kept asking for the beer ‘with the blue ribbon’ and the name stuck. Hand tying blue ribbons gets tedious and expensive, so the name was officially changed in 1898. (Although they kept using ribbons until WWI’s shortages of silk.)
Basic b*tches and hipsters celebrate for the next 120 years. $3 PBR tallboys!!
A short history of the brewery can be found here.
Want to take a tour? Our tours start at 7-11, which sells tallboys and other beer. You can stare at them longingly while we get organized. Unfortunately, this is not New Orleans OR Las Vegas, so no enjoying an adult beverage on the tour.
Next up, a subject close to my heart: diet pop. Which, thank goodness, is perfectly legal to walk around carrying!
