On Aug. 1, Rolling Rock, which was purchased by Anheuser-Busch back in May, closed the doors of its historic 100-year-old brewery in Latrobe, Pa. Rolling Rock will never again come "from the mountain springs to you" or be brewed in "the glass-lined tanks of Old Latrobe" as the bottle famously proclaims among its 33 words of mid-century marketing spin. It now will be brewed on a production line in a massive brewery off New Jersey's Route 1, within spitting distance of Newark-Liberty Airport.
Growing up in Jersey, we drank a lot of Bud and Rolling Rock, and Pabst, too. But I remember when they closed the Pabst brewery just off the Parkway, looming above one half of a bifurcated cemetery. The whole plant was supposedly disassembled and shipped to China, including the giant brown bottle perched atop the main building. (Apparently, the Chinese didn't want to invest in a new brewery, which drops in value 30 percent the minute you drive it off the lot. So they bought a used brewery.)
I remember straining in the seat of my dad's Ford Country Squire station wagon to catch a glimpse of that big revolving eagle on top of the A-B brewery in Newark, flapping its neon wings in the night. So I've got nothing against Bud or any of its sister brands. I still say there's nothing more refreshing to drink after you've just cut the lawn on a mid-90-degree August afternoon -- not water, not even Gatorade.
But trying to make Rolling Rock anywhere other than at that historic Latrobe brewery seems ... quixotic at best and nefarious, at worst. Without its history, what sets Rolling Rock apart from all the other cheap lagers out there? Not much. And since nobody in the brand's core market of western Pennsylvania is going to drink it anymore, why would A-B buy a brand that's likely to go the way of the dodo? I assume it's simply to clear more shelf space for their core products.
So say goodbye to Rolling Rock: I don't expect it'll be around for much longer. Instead, look forward to six or nine more linear feet of Bud and Bud Light in the cooler at Meijer's. Personally, I don't think I'll drink either any more. Conglomeration that reduces choice is not something I need to support. Next time I cut the grass, I'll drink a can of Wiedemann instead.
CONTACT MICHAEL SCHIAPARELLI: michael@cincinnatuswine.com
