Natty Boh bottle says Ravens win
Bowing to public pressure, I have changed the beer bottle I spin each week trying to predict the Ravens game. This week the spinning beer bottle is National Bohemian, better known as Natty Boh. True, it is now brewed out of town, in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., but it has a storied history here.
It is the Vinny Testaverde of beers. It has been around, it is not very flashy, but it you know what you are getting. A basic performance.
There were some terrific suggestions from readers for other beers, such as one from Steve who said that in honor of our QB's recent lack of mobility, we should go with Peg Leg Stout.
But I went with a bottle of Natty Boh. And two of three times, it landed on the Ravens area of my chart. So Natty Boh says the Ravens beat the Bengals. By a neck.
A bit of history. The connection between breweries and sports has always been strong in this town. Jerry Hoffberger once owned both the Orioles and National Brewing Co. Competition among local breweries was fierce and the announcers who called the Colts and Oriole games, such as Chuck Thompson and Ernie Harwell, were hired by the breweries.
One such Baltimore brewery was Gunther’s. So when the Colts kicked an extra point, the announcer always said the point after was “Good as Gunther’s.”
Comments
"It is the Vinny Testaverde of beers. It has been around, it is not very flashy, but it you know what you are getting. A basic performance."
Rob, you're being charitable.
Posted by: Eric Trimmer | November 9, 2007 11:46 AM
I thought the Boh was brewed down in NC somewhere these days. It's been bought and sold so many times it's hard to keep up anymore.
Posted by: rpbailey | November 9, 2007 11:57 AM
Go Ravens!
Awesome choice on using Natty Boh - nothing says Baltimore quite like it. There's nothing quite like drinking the beer that was brewed in "The Land of Pleasant Living."
It really is a good beer - much better than the more popular A-B/Coors/Miller offerings, and at a much lower price.
As for where it is brewed - Pabst / G. Heileman currently contract brews National Bohemian in both the Lyon Brewery in Scranton - Wilkes Barre, PA, and at a Miller brewery in Eden, North Carolina. The way you can tell which brewery is providing your beer is that the Boh you buy in bottles comes from PA and the cans come from NC.
Also, nice mention of Chuck Thompson's ties to the old National brewery. That's where his trademark "Ain't The Beer Cold!" line came from.
Posted by: Rick | November 9, 2007 8:50 PM
At this point I think you should start spinning hard liquor bottles!
Posted by: Kim Moore | November 12, 2007 7:38 AM
Good suggestion with the hard liquor concept. I'd suggest Pikesville Rye - just as "local" as National Boh!
Posted by: Mr. Pilsener | November 12, 2007 10:55 AM
Okay, given the apparent atrocious performance of the Ravens yesterday (I don't pay any attention to anything but the headlines and potential traffic jam alerts), I strongly suggest that you stop letting this trivial sports nonsense distract you from the far more serious and rewarding business of beer tasting.
Posted by: Alexander D. Mitchell IV | November 12, 2007 11:20 AM
Boh and the Ravens have one thing in common - the ability to ruin your morning
Posted by: Anonymous | November 12, 2007 1:29 PM
Very funny anonymous.
Posted by: rob kasper | November 12, 2007 2:15 PM
Back in my college days, in the late 70s, i used to take a few cases of National Premium up to Boston each semester. I was never fond of natty boh but i though NP was much better than the regular beers of the day (Bud, MIller and the like) and about as smooth as Michelob, but for much less. Still, I do have to admit, Natty Boh screams old working class Balimore..just like the defunct Gunthers and Hamms....
Posted by: Edd | November 15, 2007 6:16 PM