Pabst Blue Ribbon

Pabst Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI

What Pabst says: This classic premium lager brew is crafted with a hefty infusion of 6-row barley, plus a unique combination of Pacific domestic and imported Yugoslavian hops. Aged at high gravity, PBR is then cellared and finished to a smooth, robust likeness of a fine Pilsner.  There’s no finer way to drink.

If you’re looking for a review of some high priced, 30 minute hopped, organically produced microbrew, this post isn’t for you.  And mind, you, in a perfect world, that’s the kind of beer yours truly is all about: quality over quantity is true most of the time.  But not always.

You see, every once in a while, a dude needs to just get down on the cheap and pound as many cans of cheap American swill as humanly possible.  You know the suspects: High Life, Natty, Cold Style, Old Milwaukee et al…But for my, uh ‘money’, the best cheap American canned macrobrew is PBR.  Now I know what you’re thinking: “Dude, that’s for three people: chronic drunk old guys, people stuck in the 80’s clad in acid-washed jeans who wear think Great White was a great rock-n-roll band, or skinny jean-wearing, Schwinn-riding  hipsters.

Hipsters aren't the only one who should enjoy PBR.

I assure, it’s not.  If you’re looking to supply mass amounts of beer for a party, of just to drink a whole lot of cheap beer watching football all day Saturday or Sunday, then PBR is a great choice.  Look none of these beers are really all that ‘good,’ but of all the cheap ones, this one tastes the most like a beer.  Again, I’m not suggesting you pair this beer with a grilled salmon or some sort of poached vegetable dish (wings, nachos, Velveeta etc work just fine), merely recommending the next time you entertain a group of friends, avoid the over priced culprits that aren’t as good as PBR.  Look to the Blue Ribbon.  There’s not a chance you’re going to be disappointed.  And besides, if you are, it probably didn’t cost you more than 10 bucks anyway.

Rating: * * 1/2
Look, like I said–this certain isn’t  beer i’d call ‘great’ (barely good), but it’s a great cheap alternative to the over-marketed crap that the big brewers sell you with their endless spam-paigns (especially during sporting events) when you’re looking for a cold, cheap American beer.