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MillerCoors is bringing back a taste of the old days—a beer as it was brewed before Prohibition.
But though Chicago-based MillerCoors is a joint venture between Denver- and Montreal-based Coors Brewing Company and London-based SABMiller, drinkers in those three cities won’t get a taste of the stuff. The suds will only be served up at “select speakeasy-style/saloon establishments” in Chicago, Milwaukee, San Francisco, San Jose, California, and Washington, D.C., according to the Denver Business Journal.
Keith Villa, the MillerCoors brewmaster behind Coors’ Blue Moon, explains: “When Prohibition banned beer in 1919, breweries went under and recipes were lost. In our case, the archived logbooks with these old recipes were stored in the basement of the brewery and forgotten about, until a small flood prompted me to move them to safety. When I realized what I had found, it was something I knew I had to brew. This recipe is part of our history, and I think beer fans will really enjoy a chance to taste the past.” The beer, which has a bold, hoppy flavor, will be called Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition Style Lager.
As for the question of will Prohibition ever return—ever—the answer appears to be never because the liquor industry learned some tough lessons about engaging in politics nearly a century ago. The Beer Institute spent $110,000 in the first quarter to lobby lawmakers on taxes, food safety, and other issues, according to The Associated Press, which lists MillerCoors as one of the members of the group.