Lone Star Beer Review

Brewery: Pabst Brewing Co. | Beer: Lone Star Beer
Style: American Adjunct Lager | ABV: 4.7% | IBUs: ~12
Serving Method: 16 oz. can poured into Pilsener glass

Founded in 1884 by brewing baron Adolphus Busch, Lone Star Brewing Company was the first large-scale mechanized brewery in Texas. The brewery was located in San Antonio, but production was stopped in 2000 and the brand new belongs to Pabst, and production of Lone Star beers is contracted.

Lone Star Beer, marketed as "The National Beer of Texas" is the company's flagship brew and dates back to 1940. Pitched as a budget brand, Lone Star is a local Texas favorite that is now available across the country.

As for ingredients, Lone Star only lets slip that "malted barley and corn extract from the Central and Northern Plains" along with "the choicest hops from the Pacific Northwest." Well, it's more information than you usually get with these kind of beers.

Well y'all, I suppose it's fixin' to be 'bout time to crack this summbitch open, ain't ya' think?

Appearance: A crystal-clear golden body capped by two fingers of fluffy white head that burns off quickly and leaves no lacing.

Aroma: Lemony hops over a relatively rich grainy malt body. Somewhat promising so far.

Taste: Up front, a dash of spicy and lemony hops. Underneath, a relatively rich cereal-grainy backbone. It’s much maltier (well, grainier) than it is hoppier, but doesn’t feel unbalanced. Just a little sweet grain in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation and a clean finish.

Drinkability: Like every beer in this category, drinkability is there in spades for those that enjoy the flavor.

Verdict: I’m sad to say it, but Lone Star is a piss-poor representation of Texas beer. It’s has a bit more malt bite than most of it’s competition, but at the end of the day it’s just another in a sea of faceless beers in this style.

Grade: D+

Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) Review

Brewery: Pabst Brewing Co. | Beer: Pabst Blue Ribbon
Style: American Adjunct Lager | ABV: 4.7% | IBUs: ~12
Serving Method: 16 oz. can poured into Pilsener glass

The flagship of the Pabst Brewing Company, Pabst Blue Ribbon is a beer with a long and varied history. Originally known as Best Select before the brewery was called Pabst, PBR dates back to the 1840s. The Blue Ribbon name comes from the blue ribbons that were once hand-tied around the neck of the bottles.

Sales peaked in 1977 at 18 million barrels. Over the next few decades, sales dropped off over 90%, getting to the sorry state of under one million barrels by 2001. However, the brand experienced a revival over the coming years, thanks to popularity amongst hipsters (not judging) yearning for an earnest, traditional, and cheap alternative to Bud/Miller/Coors. PBR is now a budget beer pitched at a dichotomous group of old-schoolers and hipsters.

Unlike many beers in this style, Pabst is actually pretty forward about the ingredient list. The malt bill includes six-row barley along with "a carefully balanced carbohydrate profile" from good old corn syrup. As for hops, there's a "unique" mix of Pacific hops and an "imported Yugoslavian variety."

Well, my skinny jeans are still at the cleaners, but I suppose we should jump on in anyway.

Appearance: A crystal-clear golden-straw body capped by a little over two fingers of bubbly white head that burn off quickly and leave no lacing.

Aroma: A thin pale malt body with just a whiff of flowery hops.

Taste: Grainy pale malt makes up the bulk of the profile, and unfortunately brings an off metallic flavor to the party. There is a thin wave of hops if you go hunting, and if you happen to catch them, you’ll find bare notes of lemon, grass, and banana. Pale malt and a hint of dark fruit in the finish.

Mouthfeel: A medium-light body with medium-high carbonation and a crisp finish.

Drinkability: This is an easy drinker, perfectly suited for a summertime Dashboard Confessional show.

Verdict: While the hipsters may be more interested in the can design than the beer inside, PBR is actually not too terrible of a beer. I suppose the highest compliment I could pay this beer is that I could easily believe this was a poor attempt at an easy-drinking lager from a mediocre craft brewery.

Grade: C-

Lone Star Light Review

Brewery: Pabst Brewing Co. | Beer: Lone Star Light
Style: American Adjunct Light Lager | ABV: 3.9%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Pilsener glass

This review is part of an article on the American Adjunct Light Lager as part of the monthly beer blogging project The Session.

I'm a resident of the great state of Texas. I know to many people who read that statement, a lot of negative stereotypes come to mind, but Texas is much more complex than you might think. While I'm certainly not your typical Texan, I've found much to love about my state. Not least of these is great local beer, something that most people probably don't associate with the Lone Star State.

Unfortunately, not all beer brewed in Texas is top-shelf. Lone Star, a brand owned by the Pabst Brewing Company, pitches itself as "The National Beer of Texas." They make only two products: Lone Star (an American Adjunct Lager) and Lone Star Light (an American Adjunct Light Lager). According to Lone Star, for "maximum flavor and zest," the light version retains "the level of hopping and carbonation found in the full-calorie version." Thank God for that. Lone Star Light took home a silver medal for American-Style Light Lager at the 2008 World Beer Cup.

Here's the great thing about Lone Star beers, and why I always pick them out of the cooler at a party before a Bud/Miller/Coors: bottle-cap puzzles. Every Lone Star bottle-cap has a little pictogram puzzle printed on the underside. Some are simple, some are somewhat of a stretch, but they're always fun. In the bland American Adjunct Light Lager world, a little puzzle can make all the difference.

Appearance: Paler than pale yellow, crystal-clear and fizzy with a white head that recedes rapidly and leaves no lacing to speak of. In a bizarre twist, it looks a lot like champagne.

Aroma: Thin, sweet hints of "malt"with no real hops to speak of, just some crisp apple.

Taste: The body is composed of a thin, sweet, rather corny (no pun intended) twang; the same crap you're used to from this style. Hardly any bitterness whatsoever, just more of the apple.

Mouthfeel: Thin, watery, and fizzy. Simple as that.

Drinkability: Think of the drinkability of water, then imagine one notch less drinkable than that. The only thing holding you back is the bland taste.

Verdict: Essential indistinguishable from the national brands, Texas certainly deserves a better "National beer" than this. Luckily, the Lone Star State is home to a whole slate of brilliant breweries, including Saint Arnold, Independence, Spoetzl (makers of Shiner beers), & Rahr. At least Lone Star has the awesome puzzles...

Grade: D-