Stroh’s is coming back to Detroit. Old Style is brewing in La Crosse, Wis., again. And drinkers in New Orleans might soon be sipping on Jax beer, which hasn’t been available since the 1970s.
The comebacks are courtesy of Pabst Brewing Co., which is betting that variety-seeking, craft-beer-crazed drinkers will develop an appetite for the classics. The strategy, called “local legends,” relies on a two-pronged approach to resurrect old labels that have been dormant for years, as well as breathing life into existing brands via new premium varieties. New line extensions include Old Style Oktoberfest and Stroh’s Bohemian-style Pilsner, which are both made in their original hometowns.
Pabst, known for its namesake Pabst Blue Ribbon brand, controls more than 70 beer brand names, including roughly 30 brands that are dormant, according to Pabst Brewing Chief Marketing Officer Dan McHugh. Modern craft brewers “can’t go back to 1902. They can’t go back to 1844,” he said. With Pabst’s brands, “there’s this real strong nostalgia and heritage,” he added. “You are not going to find an Old Style consumer that won’t talk about their uncle, or their grandpa, or their dad.”
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