Inexpensive Beer Week - Pabst Blue Ribbon Bottle

Can't do an inexpensive beer review without the old standby, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, or commonly known as PBR. I remember dreading having to drink this when I was younger and going to a friends house party. We were all teens of course, and the stigma of drinking PBR was simply it was cheap. Insecurities really, now that I look back at that time of my life.

I still have snobbish views of drinking PBR in a can, and in fact, I still have a can that is in my garage fridge that's been there for about 3 years! I really need to throw it out. It's probably skunky beyond belief with a strong metal flavor.

If it wasn't for my friend Eric who has no reservation of picking up a big pack of PBR and enjoying his weekend, I probably would still be dismissing it now. I remember drinking a few cans of this because there wasn't anything else to drink, and I wasn't really liking it, but after the 3rd one, it didn't matter and I just drank it.

Eric had a BBQ over his place and invited me over. He picked up a few cases of PBR and when I opened up the cooler, he said you have to try the PBRs in a bottle. It's so much different than the cans. I know you can become a beer snob, but just try it. First of all, I never knew PBR came in bottles! I grabbed a PBR bottle, finished it, grabbed another, finished that and before I knew it, I had about a 6-pack to myself that afternoon. It didn't have any of that tinny metallic taste I can sometimes detect with the can, so it's probably just the bottle and the way it comes smoothly down the neck of the bottle when I drink it.

The beer itself is your usual light wheat color beer with a thin foamy head that's common in this category. I suggest keeping it in the bottle and not try to pour it in a glass. I feel the beer gets flat really quick when you do that and the lack of carbonation diminishes the flavor as well. It's got a nice grain hint with some detectable hops to remind you that you are drinking beer and not some carbonated mineral water. I also found it excellent to cleanse my palate after eating a fatty BBQ rib. It finishes with a crisp taste that doesn't leave you with a wet grass taste in your mouth. You will however have that metallic beer breath.

If you are going to enjoy some PBR, I suggest looking for the bottles, and when you find that store that carries it, make sure to let the store manager know so he can keep it in stock.

Pabst Blue Ribbon website