Boutique ales brewed with pine sap and eight types of exotic hops are now the norm during the craft-beer renaissance in the United States, but many beer drinkers still love the traditional American lager. That washed-out barley flavor that could only be loved by a nation whose palate was developed during prohibition.
They may be boring, but they're ours, and here's how five of the most-iconic American beers got their names.
Budweiser
Probably the most-recognizable American beer, Budweiser gets its name from the European original “Budwies” that was brewed by King Ottokar of Bohemia (now Czech Republic) in 1245. Anheuser-Busch has been in a trademark dispute with European beer makers for years over the name Budweiser, which is sold as “Bud” overseas.
PBR
Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer gets its name from a Chicago World’s Fair Promotion in 1893, where founder Frederick Pabst instructed workers to tie a silk blue ribbon around every can sold at the event. It’s questionable whether Blue Ribbon actually won an award, but there’s no doubt it's one of the country’s most-loved hipster brews.
Miller Lite
Miller Lite is the product of old-fashioned science! When a biochemist discovered an enzyme that digested the starch in beer, he began brewing Gablinger’s Diet Beer. Miller Brewing purchased rights to the recipe in 1975, changed the name and began distributing the first reduced-calorie beer in the U.S.
Coors Banquet
Founder Adolph Coors established his brewery in Golden, Colorado with a $20,000 investment in 1873. The beer was named after the miners in the little mountain town, who gathered after work every day and drank lagers banquet style.
Colt 45
This malt liquor is a corner-store favorite that boasted Star War’s Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) as a spokesperson. But the high-octane brew gets its name from Baltimore Colts running back Jerry Hill, who wore jersey number 45.