An occasional column of often-times mindless ramblings.

• The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported online yesterday that Pabst is for sale for a reported $300 million. As faithful Sioux Brew readers know, Pabst is only a marketing company. It owns no physical breweries. Its beer is brewed under contract by MillerCoors.

Pabst is comprised of a portfolio of “old-school” brands. Most notable being Schlitz and, well, Pabst. And this is what matters to Sioux Cityians. Pabst bought the brands of the G. Heileman Brewing Co., which bought the brands of the Kingsbury Brewing Co., which bought the brands of the Sioux City Brewing Co.

So, Pabst probably owns the Heidel Brau name and trademark. There is no mention of Heidel Brau on the Pabst website, but when I did a trademark search about 10 years ago, Pabst showed as Heidel Brau’s owner (as I recall it was a debtor in possession type of deal).

Upshot is that maybe any new Pabst owners would like to part with the Heidel Brau brand. Or maybe some local benefactor with a spare $300 mil. would like to bring the whole company to Siouxland.

Or, if someone could get the brand cheap enough, wouldn’t it be cool for a brewpub to open in Sioux City and start brewing Heidel Brau? I know the recipe is floating around there somewhere……..

-Tim Hynds

Seduced by the marketing Siren song of “IMPROVED TASTE” as emblazened on the cardboard box, I lashed myself to the mast and succumbed to a 12 can purchase of Heileman’s Old Style.

Old Style is a beer I remember from my days at the University of Iowa as the only thing that tasted worse than Iowa City tap water.

At the time, if anyone asked, I loved Dog Style. But that was only because it seemed like everyone who resided on my Burge Hall dorm floor was from suburban Chicago. I didn’t want to honk off anyone whose uncle  was named Guido.

(Side note – I really did like Heileman’s Special Export. But that was a premium beer and reserved for special occasions like when the Hawks whupped up on the ‘Clones in football.)

So, as of January 2009, riding the Schlitz wave of old school beer returned to their “old” formulas, Old Style is back to its kraeusened roots. (Insert shocked notation that Schlitz and Old Style are both brands owned by Pabst).

Unfortunately, unlike Schlitz, Old Style is still a mediocre beer.

I kept tasting this beer trying to figure out what the flavors were, and all of a sudden I discovered I’d finished the can without finding any.

Not really true. Discovered (in no real order) were:

1) A sweetish flavor (a chart on the web site says that “sugar” is added to the mash tun)

2) A “crispness” that hints at the use of rice as an adjunct – ‘though I have no proof rice is used

3) Some cracked corn flavors – again, no proof corn is used

4) Very little apparent hop flavor

The real discovery was that while Old Style is pale, yellow, fizzy and without any “real” beer flavors, it was drinkable.

Old Style is not a sink dump. I had no problem quickly finishing the can and it went down easily (at only 4.56% ABV several could go down easily). It’s one of those beers that would be ok for those summer days when it’s 100 degrees outside and you’re out of Grain Belt Premium.

Old Style is like the instant ice tea of beers. Not anywhere near as good as the real thing, but passable in a pinch and perhaps enjoyable under the right circumstances.

But don’t drink this beer expecting an epiphany.

As Guido would say, “for $10 a 12′er you ain’ta gettin’ no epiphany.”

Heileman’s Old Style was purchased at Miller Liquor in North Sioux City, South Dakota. They have plenty in stock.

-Tim Hynds