I grew up in the Southwestern corner of Pennsylvania. There was a local beer called Rolling Rock, which was brewed in a place called Latrobe, PA. For years, the beer was packaged in green glass 7-oz. pony bottles and was known locally as a “chaser.,” i.e., the beer part of the old “shot and a beer” combo. Or better yet, served ice-cold in a small pail filled with bottles packed in ice called a “Bucket of Rocks.”
Rolling Rock eventually went national and became well-known for the “33” printed on the its label due to a really clever advertising campaign. This resulted in a number of urban legends regarding the origin of the “33” printed at the bottom of the label. Some say it is the number of words on the label, others have different explanations.
The label says Rolling Rock is brewed from “Pure Mountain Spring Water.” Well, Rolling Rock was recently purchased by Anheiser-Busch, the brewery in Latrobe will be closed and the beer will be brewed in Newark, NJ…no “Pure Mountain Spring Water” there so it remains to be seen what Rolling Rock will be in the future.
But Latrobe will remain somewhat semi-famous as the home of Arnold Palmer, provided Arnie does not move to Newark to be closer to a fresh supply of Rolling Rock!
I was in a local cafe this past weekend that advertised one of their beers as “The Best Beer in the World.” As I recall the price for a glass of this beer was $7.00. Looking further down the menu of beers on tap that day, there was another beer from a different brewer priced at $16.00 per glass. Guess maybe that must be the “Best Beer in the Universe!
