"Anheuser-Busch Cos., the world's largest brewer, may be close to buying Latrobe Brewing Co., maker of Rolling Rock beer, according to a report from a Wall Street securities analyst. " quoted from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on May 4, 2006. Tom
Yeah, it's pretty "eh" beer, but why the "damn"? I could see if it was a beer you *liked* being bought by A-B...
Rolling Rock was always sort of strange (especially before the purchase by Labatt/InBev)- the green bottle- the reliance on deposit bottles- the "pony" bottle- the silk-screened bottle, etc. It's as if the said, "What's the conventional way to market this beer?" and did everything OTHER than that. Years ago, when you went to the area of Western PA it was shocking that one didn't really see it on tap- lots of Iron City, Straub, Stoney's even Genesee- it was as if it was an "export" only brand. I remember having a difficult time finding it on tap in Latrobe itself. (All this is going back 20 years, of course.)
Doesn't make much sense for A-B to buy the brewery but one could see them picking up the brand. On the other hand, another rumored buyer is Boston Beer Co., which could probably use the capacity.
I didn't say I saw Straub in Pittsburgh. I was talking about the absence of Rolling Rock in Western PA, where I did see Straub, especially around (needless to say) St. Mary's. Sorry if natives don't consider that "Western PA".
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