Pickled Eggs & Cold Beer: Episode 6: Coors Banquet with Lauren Singleton

Kool-Aid pickles the most efficient means of simulating a Vacation Bible School cookout.

I. Introduction

In 1868 a young Rhenish Prussian gentleman immigrates to the United States, working various odd jobs and gradually making his way across the American continent until 1873 when he establishes Golden Brewing in Golden, Colorado, brewing his beer with the cold waters of the Clear Creek Watershed. While the corporate beast that was Golden Brewing has undergone enormous growth and transformation, including shedding its geonymic name for a patronymic one, and now brews in several locations, its signature beer is still exclusively made in its home city, relying on the traditional water source, even as its recipe and processing has continued to be modernized, including the addition of corn syrup as the adjunct. Brewed in copper Huppmann kettles, fermented for 30-days using the horizontal box technique, cold-filtered with 19^th Century style Enzinger filters, one has to conclude that this beer, even as it has achieved international prominence is still a labor of love for its mother company.

That love shows through in the genuine love and loyalty of its advocates, and since it wasn’t available east of the Mississippi until 1976, that love made it the beer most frequently smuggled across state borders for much of the 20^th Century, inspiring a host of pop culture icons, including a little movie called Smokey and the Bandit.

This is the beer that inspired Clint Eastwood and Ray Charles to record a song called “Beers to You,” a song featured on the soundtrack of a movie about bare-knuckle boxing and an orangutan.

Hell guys, the this is the beer that E.T. got drunk on.

Today, on Pickled Eggs & Cold Beer, we’re talking about the official beer of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, a beer that donated $750,000 to wildland firefighters between 2014 and 2017, and a beer whose name was earned in the tents and bars of Colorado where zinc miners would toast their hard days’ work over food and music.

Today we’re talking about Coors Banquet.

The theme for today's show is the "King Porter Stomp,"

recorded in 1940 by the Metronome All-Stars.

II. Our Charming Guest, Ms Lauren Singleton

We forgot to take a damn picture, so here is one of Ms. Singleton and Dr. Smith in a cake violence war.

III. Rubric

BeerAdvocate: 2.59 of 5 Stars

RateBeer: 1.72 of 5 Stars

Untappd: 2.72 of 5

ABV: 5%

Origin: Still brewed exclusively in its original location, Golden, Colorado.

Ingredients: Coors Banquet is prepared using water from the Clear Creek watershed, barley descended from the original Moravian breed gifted to Adolph Coors, II in the late 19th Century, using the same strain of yeast for decades, and a distinct blend of Chinook (released in 1985), Hallertau (traditional US, descended from German Hallertau), Herkules (first released in 2005), and Taurus hops (first released in 1995). It is adjuncted with corn syrup (dextrose).

Cost: $ - around $6.50 for a six-pack, typically; we found a 12-pack on sale for $11 at a local Target.

IV. Our Reviews and Talking Points

Appearance: Light, golden, transparent, moderate carbonation with a rapidly retreating head when poured

Aroma: Mild, unoffensive, lightly hoppy

Flavor: Moderate, sound, balanced, lightly hoppy. A good example of what a well-made, low-cost American adjunct lager can be when made with care and consistency.

Mouthfeel: Light, fairly dry.

Authenticity, Marketing, and Other Factors: Marketing isn't that important - what lends this beer its authenticity are really two things, in our view. First, it is a macrobrew still made in its hometown with at least some solid nods to its ages long history. Secondly, it has gained a place in popular culture that isn't to be sniffed at. That sort of cache is irreplaceable.

Overall: Ms Singleton gave Coors Banquet a 3 out of 5 stars; Clayman awarded it 4 of 5; and Eric awarded it a 3.75 of 5. The average? 3.58 of 5!

V. Sponsors

Episode 6 was sponsored by two wonderful local businesses:

Leben Farms of Abingdon, Virginia

Providing Local Fresh Vegetables in Weekly Boxes to community-supported agriculture members (CSA) in Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee using organic and regenerative practices to grown nutrient dense food. Community-supported agriculture is a food production and distribution system that directly connects farmers and consumers. In short: people buy "shares" of a farm's harvest in advance and then receive a portion of the crops as they're harvested. Check them out on Facebook or Instagram.

Glade Pharmacy in Glade Springs, Virginia

33472 Lee Hwy, Glade Spring, VA 24340

Locally owned and managed, providing the highest quality pharmaceutical service in the Emory/Glade Springs area.

VI. Plugs

As always, please support local breweries, eateries, artists and music - also, please check out: