Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Houston: trip, retail)

[todd00]

Hey I was just looking at a clip from the movie Viva Max (1969) with Jonathan Winters. I understand part of it was filmed in SA and the surrounding area. Anyone recall that, or go see them filming?

[Basse Bud]

Huck,

The only scenario that would make sense is that Coors chose, for what ever reason, to NOT sell their product in the
major (or even large, small markets - Austin) urban areas. The demand for Coors in San Antonio or even Austin, for that matter, would have been a major logistical headache (keeping boxcar loads of Coors cold). Rather, distribute to near-by markets, a tractor trailer load at a time. Crazy as it sounds, it does keep the "exclusivity". or "cult demand in play.

The only other option could have been the retailers had "special" distributorships for selected folks/locations. To the best of my knowledge, there were no Coors distributors in the major market areas of Texas, (or other equally distant areas). Come to think of it, there was no rail service in Golden at the time.... everything moved by truck!

Ah, the mystery of the brewing business!

[outafocus]

Originally Posted by todd00

Hey I was just looking at a clip from the movie Viva Max (1969) with Jonathan Winters. I understand part of it was filmed in SA and the surrounding area. Anyone recall that, or go see them filming?

Most of it was filmed in San Antonio. It had it's world premiere here at the Texas Theatre, Century South, and also premiered as the first movie to play at the NEW Central Park Fox Twin Theatre. Century South was also new in 1969, but had opened a few months earlier. They used a lot of San Antonians as extras.

[Basse Bud]

Outta...
Yes, and as I understand it, PO'ed a lot of locals as well! Except for the bartenders and waitresses...

[huckster]

I entered this 44 yr. old question into the Google Chrome browser and page after page of answers to this mystery exist. " Coors was not pasteurized so it had to be refrigerated or else would spoil".
No preservatives either.
Coors claim is that the Movie "Smokey and the Bandit" did more for Coors sales than did anything else. That film I was the second biggest money making movie of 1977 only second to "Star Wars".
Coors was actually illegal in Oregon because Union organized Breweries made it illegal in Oregon at the time.

Lone Star did try to keep Coors out of south Texas. Even to sending 16 trucks out to follow truckloads of Coors to their destination to be certain---and see that Coors did not get more shelf space than Lone Star did in retail outlets. When Coors offered distributorships in Houston , 200 people from all walks of life applied for one.
Breweries in Florida have tried to keep micro-brewery beers out of local markets there by making the sale of beer in unconventional sized containers illegal through manipulation of local and state laws.
There are a bunch of threads in different forums dedicated to this question. One truck driver even entered that it is illegal to take a tractor trailer rig of any beer across state lines. Another person entered that he used to buy Coors in D.C. in the early seventies. A person from Minnesota entered they could not get Coors until the early nineties.

Originally Posted by Basse Bud

Huck,

The only scenario that would make sense is that Coors chose, for what ever reason, to NOT sell their product in the
major (or even large, small markets - Austin) urban areas. The demand for Coors in San Antonio or even Austin, for that matter, would have been a major logistical headache (keeping boxcar loads of Coors cold). Rather, distribute to near-by markets, a tractor trailer load at a time. Crazy as it sounds, it does keep the "exclusivity". or "cult demand in play.

The only other option could have been the retailers had "special" distributorships for selected folks/locations. To the best of my knowledge, there were no Coors distributors in the major market areas of Texas, (or other equally distant areas). Come to think of it, there was no rail service in Golden at the time.... everything moved by truck!

Ah, the mystery of the brewing business!

[Basse Bud]

Huck,

There probably as many reasons/excuses offered as there are beer drinkers! The pasteurization offering is as close to being correct as any. The others do appear to be based on several reasons; from the improbable to the insane! This may well be one of those "urban myth" items that are never fully (or correctly) explained. In any event, Coors is now available anywhere Budweiser is sold... cheers!

Bud...Basse, not Light!

[huckster]

The opinions for no Coors being sold locally in the early seventies that I read were from individuals
in threads.
The marketing tactics to limit Coors sales were gleaned from a quite extensively researched old Texas Monthly Magazine article all about the local beer sales of the early seventies.
Not opinions. Within the article was a lot of local history, extremely interesting indeed. About... the original Hall of Horns Museum located on the brewery grounds, how Harry Jersig hired LBJ as a kid to ride in the car with him so as he could save the time and effort of getting out and open ranch gates while riding in the hill country visiting and conducting business.
Jersig would not skimp on the Lone Star recipe to make it more cheaply.

Also included in the very lengthy article was the appointing of the sixteen truck drivers to follow Coors delivery trucks around so as not to let the Coors brewery get the upper hand distributing as the Coors Brand "Invaded" Texas to fill the huge surge of demand. LSB did not want to lose their market share. The fact is of course that these limited marketing tactics that tried to restrict beer sales did not work. Lone Star ultimately lost the race, Coors was too big a success. The lack of a refrigerated truck fleet was not an issue that was ever mentioned. This is what was mentioned.
(1)Armadillo Headquarters in Austin, an Armadillo "Beauty Contest" and other gimmicks to capture the dwindling market share for Lone Star. What was tried- was to win over the (2) "Youth, Latino and Black market" because the brewery, it was explained could always depend on the loyal older Redneck (described as Big Country") market to loyally stay with the Lone Star Brand. However beer sales by an enormous margin it said, were exclusively, it was revealed through research by marketing executives- were to 21-30 year old males. (3) The market of the over 35 yr. old crowd of beer drinkers was entirely insignificant. The demand of loyal Lone Star drinkers was a very, very tiny market share.
The truth was, the article also stated was that the "superior taste" of beers is entirely subjective. In reality the difference in taste, is hardly any at all. Beer drinkers are of the opinion that "Their Beer " is the best.
I agree with that Texas Monthly article that when it comes to common nationally marketed brands. Not necessarily Guinness or all beers but usually, there is not that much difference in taste when it comes to which one tastes the "best".

Originally Posted by Basse Bud

Huck,

There probably as many reasons/excuses offered as there are beer drinkers! The pasteurization offering is as close to being correct as any. The others do appear to be based on several reasons; from the improbable to the insane! This may well be one of those "urban myth" items that are never fully (or correctly) explained. In any event, Coors is now available anywhere Budweiser is sold... cheers!

Bud...Basse, not Light!

[Basse Bud]

Huck,

The TM article ( which I have not read ) is interesting. Further, in several "blind" taste test back in the late 70's
( conducted in Austin..mostly with UT students ) by local Austin bars (great gimmick, $3.00 entrance fee and you were
given 5 unidentified glasses of beer, about 4 oz each ) While no one could identify the beers by brand, aside from lucky guesses, the only one that received special mention, ( ...it taste different/better ..etc. ) WAS Coors! They had brought a few cases from Dripping springs to compete with the draft beers, Lone Star, Bud and others.

When I was young, a favorite uncle, upon recognizing what was my first (Pabst Blue Ribbon) hangover, said "....do you know why beer is the color it is? When I slowly shook my aching head "no", he said, " where do you think it comes from ? !!

An aside....when I was a young soldier and able to drink on post (3.2, canned, Carling Black Label ....THAT is where the Blue Ribbon taste originated !) we made the startling discovery : Carling Black Label, when mixed with Apple Cider, taste like like a skunk smells! Don't believe it? ....Try it!!!!

[ranchodrive]

Originally Posted by Basse Bud

Huck,

Carling Black Label, when mixed with Apple Cider, taste like like a skunk smells! Don't believe it? ....Try it!!!!

I have tried it ....it was called Pomac ...

[huckster]

I do not drink beer very often any more but will still enjoy that distinctively smooth Coors taste now and again and believe that I too, could pick Coors out in a blind taste test.
I usually , when I do, drink a light beer so as to skip over all of the sugar that is in regular beer. Speaking of Carlings Beer....
Used to have a co-worker, Bob,years ago, that swore by Carling Black Label's flavor... He was one beer drinking son-of a-gun too.
I said to him after he informed me of his preference in beer ,"Does this have anything to do with the fact that Carling is the cheapest beer around, pricewise?" He just stared at me and did not answer back anything at all.
Lone Star is still in production I know it is brewed in Dallas and still has a familiar taste to it, not exactly the same taste as when brewed here on the southside, but close.
Pearl is not brewed anymore , right ?