Whatever happened to Jax beer?

[TexasReb]

I haven't checked this thread in quite a while, but re-visited it today and saw some new and interesting posts on the subject (even if a year old or so! LOL). Thanks for the info and memories, y'all!

As I recall, there was some kind of...what would you call it?...ad and/or infomercial campaign...or both...that sorta used historical figures to entertain/illustrate what was going on...with an underlying serious effort on the part of some to actually re-name the beer? Such as "Andrew Jackson" coming into a "board meeting" and insisiting the brew keep his name. It ended in a comical "Mexican Standoff", with "Jackson" shouting "Jax!" and the other party shouting "Fabacher!"

Then, as commercial campaigns often do, they evolve into a following that, again as I recall, ended with a "compromise". Something like that, with "Andrew Jackson" approving...announcing that it would henseforth be "Jax...the Fabacher family brew" LOL

Anyway, (funny how a kid remembers things like this! LOL)... that was about 40 years ago, but I figure, today, that the TV commercials were really just an ingenious means to capitalize and boost sales by animating what was, in reality, a serious internal squabble over whether or not to change the name.

On a related tangent, Jax was the first beer I ever snuck out and drank, at age 15!

[Gil3]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

This might appear a strange thread topic, but I have always been curious about this...

Does anyone know if they still make Jax beer? I haven't seen it in ages.

As I recall, it was brewed in New Orleans and at one time (late 50's,
early 60's) was the largest selling beer in many parts of the South, including my own area of North Texas. Outselling even Bud. Some lifelong friends of my folks once owned a distributing company (Miller High Life) and the guy told me this. I found it a bit hard to believe, but I guess he knew what he was talking about.

Anyway, I remember it being widely available in my neck of the woods during the early 70's...but it just seemed to have faded from existence. At least around here.

Does anybody know if it still exists...?

This was one of my dad's favorites growing up in New Orleans, then like so many breweies, they went under. Did you ever drink Dixie Beer? It's still being brewed but in another state since the plant hasn't been operational since Katrina. Whenever I do come across a six, it's overpriced. I remember geting this stuff for 2-3 bucks a six when I was growing up.

I would love for these old and local, yet iconic brands of beer to re-emerge. I would also like to see Lone Star in my neck of the woods as well.

[cedwards48]

Does anyone know if the workers ever got paid when jax went out of business..a lot of workers, my father for one, worked there for over 30 years and did not get a dime when they closed their doors..Shame

[LarryBGood]

I know that this is a VERY old thread, but I came across it while researching something else on Google.

Jax beer produced one awful batch that was bottled and distributed throughout its distribution area. Apparently, fumes from a chemical used to clean the floors adulterated the ingredients and caused the batch to taste bad after it was bottled and shipped. This mishap affected sales, and although Jax tried to make a comeback, it was never able to overcome the bad press created by the recalled batch.

The other stories about the company may be true and may have contributed to the demise of the label, but this event kicked the Jax so hard that the brand couldn't survive. This was in the early 70's when I was stationed in Ft. Polk, Louisiana.

[tootall1121]

Jax beer ceased actual production in 1956. The name was purchased by Pearl Brewing, that was eventually bought by PBR, which is now owned by Miller. Except for a few small breweries, the continuing mergers and acquisitions leaves only two major brewers, InBev, now AB inbev now that they've merged with Anheuser Busch, and SAB Miller. The two conglomerates own most of the well known beer brands in the US and abroad.