Review Of The Legendary Stroh's
Posted By Zach Friday, 03 October 2008 12:07
Well, I have finally broken down and written a review of the unofficial family beer, Stroh's. Not sure why it has taken me so long considering I have seen various family members put down full coolers of this brew at nearly every family gathering.There are also rumors floating around of bars that stock Stroh's based solely on the consumption of my relatives. I have also heard that this beer isn't found much outside the Midwest, but haven't been able to verify this claim.
Classic brew that is worthy of the title of Official Family Beer or crappy swill that should have been left in the 70s?
Read on to find out more!
Zach's Review
Taste: B Based on the class of beer which Stroh's occupies, you would expect this rating to be much lower and maybe in the range of a Natty Ice or Keystone or some shit like that. Stroh's really positions itself at the head of the class with a decent, cheap beer flavor. It is smooth going down with no bitter aftertaste and certainly not overly malty. Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't some highly complex, flavorful beer, but if you are buying Stroh's, I'm guessing you are going for something cheap containing alcohol and aren't using it to test your beer judging skills.
Packaging: B+ I wasn't drinking back in the 70s and 80s when this stuff was king in the Midwest, but I'm guessing the packaging hasn't changed much in that time. It is an attractive, dark blue can with a large crest of some sort of a lion that reminds me of the rampant lion on the English flag. Stroh's also has a nice large font that is written in all caps for some reason. I'm not really sure if that is how it is supposed to be spelled, but I'm assuming it is just for effect. This can gets that extra + rating for nice knowledge nuggets about the legendary beer. Apparently Stroh's has been brewed since 1775 and is AMERICA'S PREMIUM BREWED BEER. Any beverage in this class that has the balls to say they are the premium beer of America gets bonus points in my book.
Value: B- I'm not really sure why, but the value of this beer seems to have dropped since I remember last. I have been able to occasionally find a 30 pack for $10 or $12, but when I recently found it, I had to pay $10 for a 12-pack of cans. The 30-pack price had risen to $15. Not sure if the price hike was just this liquor store or if they have had increased costs resulting in the higher price. I'll look later to see if this was a temporary thing.
Drunkeness: C Stroh's comes in at the standard 4.6% alcohol. Not really something you can expect to get drunk on after 2 or 3, but not out of the range of beers in it's class. Fortunately, with the above-cheap taste, it is easier to put down the sixer or higher that is required to get really blitzed. If you are looking for some hard core blackouts, I'd look elsewhere as that will require a lot of Stroh's and time that could be better spent lying on the floor in a daze.
Overall: B When compared to quality beer like the Sam Oktoberfest, imports or even some of the higher end Michelobs, Stroh's may not be too hot, but when compared to other cheap beers, it looks pretty good. It is a decent tasting beer at a reasonable price. It also makes you feel all retro and a man of the people putting down this classic beer. Maybe it is just ingrained in my DNA, but if you can find it, you should give the Stroh's a shot.