UPDATED: Hamm’s, the beer refreshed

“Hamm’s, the beer refreshing”

 So goes the Hamm’s beer jingle made semi-famous in the 1950s.  Hamm’s is back, though I guess it never really went away.  I have vague memories of the Hamm’s commercial, but I don’t remember the adults of my childhood drinking it.  But Hamm’s made an appearance in western Pennsylvania beer distributors in the ‘80s, particularly at a  Pittsburgh-area chain called Beer World.  They sold, if I remember correctly, 36-pack cases of Hamm’s for a very reasonable price.  But maybe that was just a wonderful dream.  Anyway, this was, of course, before the latest “progressive” move by the Commonwealth to allow beer to be sold as 12-packs and 6-packs in grocery stores, certain convenience stores, AND beer distributors.  Now you can even buy beer singles, for cryin’ out loud!  In the 1980s of Pennsylvania it was beer by the case at distributors or outrageously overpriced 6-packs in bars and restaurants.

My sweet Hamm’s shirt courtesy of a friend

Hamm’s was the beer of choice for the character Larry Underwood in Stephen King’s book “The Stand.”  Larry is a musician with a hit record and allows himself to be consumed by the record industry hangers-on and drug scene, until he decides to get away from California and go home to New York to clear his head and where he visits his mother.  Then the “plague” hits.

I’m not going into a critical review of “The Stand,” but if you’ve never read Stephen King, start with this book.  From what I can tell “The Stand” is universally considered to be Stephen King’s best work.  It’s the only King book I’ve read, and it is great.  I read the expanded, uncut version that was released in, I think, the early ’90s.  And Larry Underwood has some good pieces in the book, like the trip through the Lincoln Tunnel full of dead people, and his choice of women.  But most importantly, he drinks Hamm’s.

Hamm’s by the glass

I enjoy TCM, Turner Classic Movies.  They repeat too many movies, which they didn’t always do, but they recently showed “The Candidate,” starring Robert Redford as Bill McKay, a lawyer and the son of a former governor who gets enlisted to run for senate against the longtime incumbent Republican.  It’s a great satirical movie that skewers the political selection process and the notion of a sincere candidate trying to do “what’s right.”  The movie also features a great performance by Peter Boyle portraying a James Carville-like character before there was a James Carville.  Watch for Redford’s scene as he rides in the backseat of a car practicing lines to deliver to the media as Boyle’s character looks on.  And like Larry Underwood, Bill McKay enjoys Hamm’s beer, in bottles AND cans.  In his apartment, McKay shares bottles of Hamm’s with Boyle’s character.  During an impromptu visit with “young people” at the beach he grabs a can of Hamm’s from a young woman and takes a swig.  Even the venerable Melvyn Douglas, as John J. McKay, Bill McKay’s father, is drinking Hamm’s during a pivotal scene.  In these current times of political tension “The Candidate” certainly resonates.

In an episode of “Mad Men” Don Draper drinks beer…several beers, as he builds the playhouse he and his wife bought for their daughter’s birthday.  The beer he was imbibing, for some reason, reminded me of Hamm’s.  But the can was green, not the blue and gold of a true Hamm’s, and it was called “Fielding Beer,” which apparently is a fictional beer made up for the show.  Probably overthinking this, but I’m assuming the creators of “Mad Men” thought it would be too cheeky to have Don Draper drink Hamm’s since he is portrayed by Jon Hamm.  But Don did drink beer that, in my mind, probably tasted like Hamm’s.

Mad Men’s Don Draper (Jon Hamm) enjoying a “Hamm’s”

So where does this lead us?  Hamm’s is back, baby!  And it’s still reasonably priced, and it’s widely available in my area in 12-packs and 30-packs!  (Alas, I haven’t seen a 36-pack case yet.)  Hamm’s is not a craft beer.  It is not full-bodied.  But it’s not a light beer and  it tastes good cold, especially when you really need a beer.  It simply does what it says — Hamm’s refreshes!

See you next time.

UPDATE: Hamm’s Fever Is Growing Fast!

Thanks to a tip from a friend, this vehicle was spotted heading to a beer outlet of their choice, no doubt to purchase a refreshing container of Hamm’s Beer for their cookout.

Let the refreshing revolution continue!