A Good Beer Blog

Stubbies

Posted by Alan McLeod on in - 16 comments

BeautyI have only read two books by Douglas Coupland, Generation X (1991) and Souvenir of Canada (2002), the cover of the latter shown, and only read them in the last couple of years. I am more impressed by his observation than his storytelling which makes Souvenir of Canada perfect as it is a personal encyclopedia of things noticed about our mutual homeland. Under the entry "Stubbies" he writes

In order to get stubbies to photograph, I put an ad in the local community paper and was besieged by calls from fiftysomething men with a nostalgic lilt in their voices. They all wish that stubbies would return, but young people would probably look at a stubbie and say, "What's that thing supposed to hold - molasses?" So I think the stubbie's fate is sealed.
Today, in the bewilderingly diverse selection at the amazingly well named The Beer Store, I picked up a 12 of Waterloo Dark. It came in stubbies - despite the web image. While it was not the useful 6x2 packaging of yore, cracking open the corrugated cardboard box to see 12 cheery stout little pints was an undeniably happy moment. Holding one immediately reminded me of the feeling of holding a beer in a mitten, something you would likely have only done if you were underage in winter in Canada.

Coupland also tells the story of how he went some way to reinstating the brand Extra Old Stock during a grade 12 work experience day spent at an ad agency. The role of beer in being Canadian is particular. In his 1977 edition of The World Guide to Beer, Micahel Jackson (the other one) spends four pages describing product lines which largely no longer exists. Unlike the UK, brands do not necessarily survive (think James Ready or the elaborately but pointlessly marketed Labatt Copper). Unlike the US, what ever the label, our beers are stronger, bigger and a bit sweeter - something of more sustenance than a cause for unzipping and unwrapping the layers under the ski-doo suit while doing the gotta pee dance at 15 below. Whatever the label, it is that generic taste that maybe we collectively recall. And the feel of the stubby in your mitt.

Comments

larry -

i would like a little info on the beer called james ready, when it was made back in the 80s, was it a lager or an ale? i see there is a james ready now at the beer store & it is an ale, just wondering what it was back in the 80s when i used to drink it,cheers.
larry

Alan -

That was made by Moosehead and was the first "tall bottle" in Atlantic Canada. It came in with some fanfare in 1982 or '83 but, at least in my crowd, was synomous with...er... temporary lower digestive tract issues. Below is a picture of a James Ready patch on sale at eBay which confirms it was a lager.<p><center><img src="http://www.genx40.com/images/beerblog/jready1.JPG"></center><p>James Ready was a early brewer in the Maritimes which Moosehead had bought out at some point during its history and expansion. Below is an original James Ready brewery bottle:<p><center><img src="http://www.genx40.com/images/beerblog/jready.JPG"></center>

Andrew -

James Ready 5.5 is now brewed in Niagra Falls....James Ready brewing company....much better brew and tastes great...one of the best tasting around.....new marketing and wearables make it look like a new mainstream beer...no upset stomach like some other big brewery beers...try one you'll love it.

Alan -

I wonder how that licensing worked out. Moosehead in NB owned the James Ready license after buying a local brewer and now it is brewed in SW Ontario 1000 miles west.

Dennis -

Moosehead owns the Niagra Falls/James Ready Brewing Company

Jonathan -

I have recently switched from Moosehead Lager to James Ready 5.5. I remember seeing the James ready logo when I was young and always wondered about it and when they came out with it this spring I gave it a try and "it is a great tasting beer with no aftertaste!"

Scott -

I heard the moosehead and James ready were the same beer....any one else hear that

Laurentius -

Nope, never heard of JR and Moosehead being the same. They don't really taste similar so I'd say no. Though I never knew Moosehead owned the Niagara falls brewery.

But, I digress, JR is a great beer; it's cheap, no aftertaste, great taste as-is. Plus it's 5.5 so you know it's business time.

Shawn Bryans -

You guys kill me ... I paid for your TV commercial too.

On your cap's you could say "caps off, time to drink".

"stranded on a desert island".

All the best. Have a good one.
sb

Geekwad -

I'm not old enough to remember drinking from anything but long-necks, until the brief stubby revival of a couple years back. Brick issued a bunch of their beers in a limited time stubby bottle, I assume you got one of those. I found stubbies to be superior in every respect. The balance of the bottle is more satisfying in the hand. The short neck is more pleasant to drink from and pour through. And the bottles make me think more of breasts than, err, long necks. Who doesn't like that?

Mike H -

Brick bought the recipe and rights to Red Cap, and put it in a stubby since that is how they were bottled in the 50's and 60's. The stubbies by Brick were not supposed to be limited time, but Brewers Retail (The Beer Store) made them use the standard tall bottles because it made it easier for collection/sorting/cleaning, and Brewers Retail (owned by Molson, Labatt, and Sleeman) probably didn't like Brick Brewing cutting into their profits.

More info here: http://www.brickbeer.com/html/news011.html

Just one more reason to do something about the ownership of Brewers Retail.

Home brewer -

Just to clear up a few things up about James Ready beer.

It is brewed by Moosehead Breweries in Saint John New Brunswick and was never made in Ontario.

James Ready is not the same as Moose Lager, but the original James Ready was a 5% lager and slightly different from the current 5.5% version.

At one time there was a James Ready Ale and James Ready Light…not sure if they still make them.

James Ready was the first beer in Atlantic Canada to be introduced in a long necked bottle (1984) however it was not originally a twist off cap.

After the Halifax Explosion destroyed their Dartmouth brewery, the Oland family purchased the James Ready Brewery in Saint John NB and brewed James Ready Ale under the name New Brunswick Breweries. Around 1928 (?) they discovered that James Ready had registered the name Moosehead as a brand but had never used it. The brewery then made Moosehead Pale Ale, changed the name of their company, and the rest is history.

Alan -

Not that they needed clearing up...

mike daviault -

i have 5 prodotype alpine lager labeled stubbie beer bottles all different styles,2 of them are styles that were never produced.they are all hand colored and hand printting .trying to find someone who knows where they were made and maybe what they are worth.check out my web page at { mike's moosehead beer bottles and cans collection }

Trudy Daigle -

I have 2 stubbies beer bottles from the 70 . One Oland Export Ale that has never been open ,one mosehead Pale Ale olso never been open. Caps & lables in mint condition. Wondering if any value to bottles. Please repely thank you

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