# The Clouds are Clearing



## RJSakowski (Oct 22, 2020)

The clouds are clearing and the sky  has brightened.  For more than fifty years now, I have been drinking a local local beer called Heileman's Special Export almost exclusively.  Originally, it was brewed in LaCrosse, WI by the G Heileman Brewing Company.  The brand has changed hands several times in the past few decades and following has dropped off to the point where few publicans and restaurateurs have ever heard of it but I have remained loyal, having my glass a day with my supper.



With the COVID pandemic, my wife has taken over the bi-weekly chore of food and beverage shopping.  About two months ago, she was told that there was no Export and there wouldn't be any until October.  I had seen an article last Spring about  a shortage of CO2 causing a problem for the brewing industry. Go figure!  Apparently much of the food grade CO2 is a byproduct from the ethanol fuel production and with the decrease demand for fuel  due to the pandemic, ethanol production was down.

I had half of a thirty pack left which would carry me through a couple of weeks.  With an unknown future ahead, I began a search for a replacement.  MGD is a beer that I often drink when out and is close but not the same.  I tried Pabst Blue Ribbon but it doesn't taste as good as it did in my college days.  Some previous dinner guests had left a beer called Supper Club from the Capital Brewery in Madison, WI  but it was like a cut above dish water.  The horizon was looking dark indeed.

Well, last Tuesday, the wife was doing her biweekly shop and noticed that Export was on the shelf again.  Hallelujah!  Without hesitation, she bought four 30 packs.  This is enough to last for almost four months and hopefully a vaccine will be approved, possibly taking us on a path out of this most miserable of years.  Lesson learned, we will be restocking as supplies start to dwindle, trying to keep at least two months in reserve.


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## 7milesup (Oct 22, 2020)

We called Special Ex the Green Death when I was in college, because the next day you had the worst hangover ever. 

But I know what you mean about stocking up.  Last weekend the wife and I went to Winona MN to deliver a chair to her Mom.  On the way home we stopped at a winery and bought 13 bottles.  I also found some of my favorite cheese.  Cranberry white cheddar from Maple Leaf Cheese out of Monroe, WI.  That stuff is the best, coupled with a nice red.  Heaven.
I saw one of my good friends today.  It will be the last time I see him.  Wish I could have shared this cheese with him, he appreciated good food, but God has other plans for him.


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## mmcmdl (Oct 22, 2020)




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## Martin W (Oct 22, 2020)

I am pretty sure that your wife is a keeper for sure! 
I like to keep a stock of Export also, except it’s an ale
Cheers
Martin


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## RJSakowski (Oct 22, 2020)

T


Martin W said:


> I am pretty sure that your wife is a keeper for sure!
> I like to keep a stock of Export also, except it’s an ale
> Cheers
> Martin
> View attachment 341522


It has been some time since I last had a Molson.  I didn't know they had an Export brand.  The brewing industry is indeed full of entangling alliances.  Curious about the similarity in logos, I did some checking.  Molson is apparently part of the Coors conglomerate, as is Miller who is the current brewer of Heileman's Special Export.

I wouldn't be surprised that if we dug deep enough, we wouldn't fiind them all owned by Bass.

As long as they don't change the recipe of my Export, I don't care who owns them.


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## Dhal22 (Oct 22, 2020)

I'm all IPA's always.  So many microbreweries out there, it's hard to choose.


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## JPar (Oct 25, 2020)

Ah yes, the Green Death!  The mere mention of it makes my head throb!


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## FOMOGO (Oct 26, 2020)

I remember Heileman's growing up in Wisconsin, along with a host of other local beers, Hams ( the beer refreshing), Blatz (smoother, fresher, less filling that's clear), Big Cat malt liquor, and on and on. In the mid sixties I had a 53 Mercury coupe, with no back seat, which allowed the transporting of vast amounts of PBR to local parties. Like RJ, I now generally have one a night with dinner. Started drinking Mexican beer many years ago, and now it's mostly Modelo in bottles. Picked up four cases last week so I don't have to go out to get it as often. Glad you were able to restock your favorite. Cheers, Mike


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## 7milesup (Oct 26, 2020)




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## middle.road (Oct 26, 2020)

All right you reminiscing Old Farts - all this talk of G. Heileman and no mention of Old Style? 
A few years back one of the small beer marts down here started carrying Old Style and Special Export.
For some odd reason the Old Style was selling out pretty quickly.
I still have a Hamm's tee-shirt in my stock...
An odd thing down here is that we don't get (24) or (30) pack cases except for the mainstream brews. It's all (6) & (12)s.

I read that about CO2 situ also, but find it hard to swallow (pun intended.) Going into the stores around here they are always stocked to the ceilings with In-Dev and Molson-Coors offerings.

Tecate has been my choice for a hunkering-down cerveza. A few months ago supply dried up.
Then it came back, only it was made in Holland by Heineken. It tasted different.
An informal survey showed that in D/FW and Central California, stock was still coming from the brewery in Baja California.
Then the Holland brewed variant dried up a month ago.  And then just this past week it's back in stock, and it's coming from Baja!

Check out this 'fall-back' brew I tried out during the shortages. Narragansett. 

YeeHaw brewery in Nashville had a seasonal cerveza this summer that was pretty decent.


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## uncle harry (Oct 26, 2020)

FOMOGO said:


> I remember Heileman's growing up in Wisconsin, along with a host of other local beers, Hams ( the beer refreshing), Blatz (smoother, fresher, less filling that's clear), Big Cat malt liquor, and on and on. In the mid sixties I had a 53 Mercury coupe, with no back seat, which allowed the transporting of vast amounts of PBR to local parties. Like RJ, I now generally have one a night with dinner. Started drinking Mexican beer many years ago, and now it's mostly Modelo in bottles. Picked up four cases last week so I don't have to go out to get it as often. Glad you were able to restock your favorite. Cheers, Mike



Hey Mike, I've taken to Modelo as well but I favor the dark (negra) variety


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## FOMOGO (Oct 26, 2020)

How goes it Harry? I've tried the Negra, and while it is tasty, I find it a little to filling for me, as on occasion I have been known to have more than one.  Cheers, Mike


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## uncle harry (Oct 26, 2020)

FOMOGO said:


> How goes it Harry? I've tried the Negra, and while it is tasty, I find it a little to filling for me, as on occasion I have been known to have more than one.  Cheers, Mike



It "goes" well !  Gaining on shop organization and enjoying life.


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## Janderso (Oct 26, 2020)

RJSakowski said:


> I tried Pabst Blue Ribbon but it doesn't taste as good as it did in my college days


Ha Ha Ha.
I remember Pabst Blue Ribbon. As I recall, we didn't care how it tasted. Do they still make Olympia up there in Washington? For some reason I think of those two together. Probably because my buddy, Peter Waschowski's dad drank one or the other. That's how we got our beer. This was in High School of course.
Have you guys ever heard of Sierra Nevada? I live in Chico, CA. The brewery is in town. Great restaurant but the beer is ok.
I must be a minority as the brewery has done very well world wide.

I think talking about beer and our youthful adventures could turn out to be a fun and long lived thread 
Cheers,


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## middle.road (Oct 26, 2020)

Hehe, my first hangover was due to over consumption of Olympia.
We had two graduation celebrations due to split HS districts.
The Dads got together at my Father's urging to host 'controlled' graduation night celebrations.
(My Father was always adamant that if we were to EVER partake we were to do it under supervision, and he got the car keys.)
The first one we pitched a couple of tents at my friend's place out in the country, bunch of food courtesy of Mom's INC., nice bonfire and the Dads got our car keys.
One classmate was hurting worse than the rest of us, he fell out of a tree that he attempted to climb.

The second one was at our place, no tents but Mom setup the living room with sleeping bags.
Then a technical problem came up. An uncle had gifted me a complete set of tune-up equipment and we dumb arses wanted to 'do' our vehicles.
The Dads supervised from lawn chairs.
And the following morning there were (7) out of (8) non-running vehicles in the driveway.
Can you picture a group of hungover grads trying to repair their vehicles the next day? It was pretty pathetic.



Janderso said:


> Ha Ha Ha.
> I remember Pabst Blue Ribbon. As I recall, we didn't care how it tasted. Do they still make Olympia up there in Washington? For some reason I think of those two together. Probably because my buddy, Peter Waschowski's dad drank one or the other. That's how we got our beer. This was in High School of course.
> Have you guys ever heard of Sierra Nevada? I live in Chico, CA. The brewery is in town. Great restaurant but the beer is ok.
> I must be a minority as the brewery has done very well world wide.
> ...


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## Buffalo21 (Oct 26, 2020)

NYS has its own form of “Green Death”, it’s Rochester’s curse on the state, it’s called Genesee Cream Ale, your constant need for a toilet, will make you forget about the hangover


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## mmcmdl (Oct 26, 2020)

Buffalo21 said:


> NYS has its own form of “Green Death”, it’s Rochester’s curse on the state, it’s called Genesee Cream Ale, your constant need for a toilet, will make you forget about the hangover



And for the good end of NYS .........................Saranac ! Great stuff but I usually do the Labbatt's Blues while up in the mountains .


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## 7milesup (Oct 28, 2020)

When I am out East I usually get a Yuengling.  They say that it is the oldest beer around but I don't think it tastes that old.  LOL


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## Buffalo21 (Oct 29, 2020)

mmcmdl said:


> And for the good end of NYS .........................Saranac ! Great stuff but I usually do the Labbatt's Blues while up in the mountains .



I’ve work in the F X Matt’s brewery in Utica, they use to sell Fife & Drum, Utica Club and Matt’s premium, now they do the Saranac and do micro brew and contract runs, for other people, they says that’s where the real money in brewing beer is.


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