"From the Land of Sky Blue Waters (Waters)"

"From the Land of Sky Blue Waters (Waters),
From the land of pines, lofty balsam,
Comes the beer refreshing,
Hamm's the Beer Refreshing"
(da-da-dum-dum-dum)

The Hamm's Beer Bear had a profound impact on my early years. I thought he was so cool and always seemed to have a great time gallivanting in Minnesota. I find it nice that a bear can entice an impressionable child such as myself to dream that one day that all the training that I was receiving from my dad on the proper beer retrieving techniques would lead to me carrying two beers out to my dad, one for good ol' pops, and one for the mini-bruiser and can slammer I was destined to become. Well, there is a little embellishment in that last statement. I did retrieve beers for my dad at a very young age, but it never crossed my mind that I would a) be a beer drinker and b) actually like my dad's favorite beer, Old Style, almost to the point of obsession.

There is something about Old Style that just draws me to it. Is it the crisp first taste that hits my tongue upon cracking open my first tall boy of the day? Is it the piles of empties that would engulf my parent's basement after every Chicago Bears game?



Is it the ribbon on the label that just says, "Screw you, Pabst Blue Ribbon. I'm better than you and the gold embellishment on my can goes around 360 degrees, so there!" Is it that I am not the classiest or fanciest lady to ever traipse the continental U.S. of A.?

Or simply is it that I believe that Old Style is just that, Old Style, Old School, good times, drag racing, bbqs, Polish flags, and Steely Dan? I would have to go with this last testimony.

While I spent my days in Columbus, Ohio I searched far and wide for the special brew. I even contacted Old Style directly to see where I could pick up a case for when my dad was in town. But, I was out of luck, Columbus is not an Old Style town. I literally jumped for joy when I went on a trip to Cincinnati and the bar had Old Style tall boys! Could it get any better than dancing to "This Charming Man" by The Smiths with an Old Style in one hand as I sway and sing at the top of my lungs, "I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear?" I couldn't think of a much better time and wouldn't have wanted to share it with any other beer. Old Style, I commend you on your staying power. You have a drinker for life. Heileman's forever!