Rainier Ale

[Old Hippie]

I grew up on Rainier Ale in the PNW. Literally, it was the first beer to pass my lips under the disapproving eyes of my mother while my father chuckled tolerantly and said, "The boy's gotta learn how to handle it." So that coppery, slightly stale taste was the comfort of home for me.

I liked it so much that in my raucous youth I was given a special patch depicting the Harley-Davidson winged-shield on a background of green. (There used to be a whole underground code for different coloured wing patches. Let's not go there now.) It has long since disappeared, but the memory remains.

Then Rainier, like Blitz, fell out of production and the brand disappeared. Lately I've been able to find it again on my trips south, though it seems strange to see the R and picture of Mt. Rainier on a beer made in Irwindale, California.

My last venture netted me an unexpected stay short of home to wait out a snow storm, and two sixers of Big Green.

Any other fans in the room?

Green Up!

[Macman]

I drank a fair bit of Rainier (not the ale, though) and Oly in my younger days when I worked out of Seattle. I always liked the TV commercial with the guy on the bike: "Raaaaaayyyyyyy, neeeeeeeeeeer, beeeeeeeeeer" as he accelerated into the distance.

[Ruaraidh]

The big "R" that sat atop the old Rainer brewery located next to I-5 in Seattle is now a big "T". It was bought up by Tully's coffee. You can still get Rainer up here in a can. Technecaly speaking (Rainer Ale) was only sold in liquior stores up here. It was in a green can and was higher % of alcohal. Lucky Lager was the beer of my youth. It always was the cheapest. Figured out later it was beacuse they were 11oz bottles not 12 like the rest.

[Really a McQueen]

I remember Rainer. Although I was hanging out in Portland when I reached legal age. Somewhere I have signed poster of "Trooper" Dick Curtis. The Blitz Weinhard 'Oregon Border Patrol' man. Anyone remember "...well now. Where you fellows going ... with all that beer"?

[McElmurry]

1987 Hood River: Spent a week windsurfing and drinking vitamin R.

I also remeber the motorcycle comercial from my college days in the palouse.

[Dale Seago]

Ah yes, remember it well, from weekends while going through training as a Army officer candidate at FT Lewis. Better memories than those of finding out what my girlfriend (who was also there in a different cadet unit) was doing when she wasn't with me on those weekends.

Och, weel, but we did make up later and I still got my commission. And I let the guy live after all. Though the last two things looked doubtful for a bit there.

[vmac3205]

I remember the motorcycle commercial, but the one I liked best were the frogs, Ribbit, ribbit, rainier, rainer..
The builing that is being built on the old Lucky Lager site here in downtown Vancouver USA will have the large Lucky "L" on it, but alas will not serve beer, and Blitz morphed into Henry Weinhardts. Pretty good beer, and excellent craft sodas. The black cherry is to die for. And my favorite local beer story...
A friend was a reporter for the Oregonian Newspaper in Portpand OR. When they were renovating the old Blitz brewery for other purposes, they retained the outer shell, and completely redid the interior. During a press conference with all the city bigwigs, etc. one of the press asked the architect how the old building could be made earthquake proof. The architect, in his best snooty response replied " be assured madam, the the building will have a steel erection" at which point the pess conference was pretty much over.

[piperdown]

We had a strike up here eon's ago so all that was available was american beer. Rainer was my choice along with Schlitz Malt Liquor.
Loved them both!!

[Old Hippie]

Some memories!

I think my favourite TV commercial of all time was for Rainier Ale. (Surprise!)

Showed a "real man's man," obviously a rich fellow showing off his expensive kitchen and cookware. All the best stuff. "My beer?" he asks, then walks over to the fridge, and shoves his hand THROUGH the door and rips out a bottle of Green Death.

"Rainier Ale. It's BEYOND macho."

Used to drink a fair bit of Lucky Bock when I could find it.

I still have my old "Oregon Border Patrol" hat. Dale's gonna get this one: One day, back in the last century when Ft. Lewis was still Ft. Lewis and not "Joint Base Lewis-McChord" I was off duty and shanking along the walk outside the PX wearing a pair of brown slacks, brown long-sleeve shirt, and that cap.

This young troop pops up in front of me and is clearly trying to figure out whether he has to salute me or not. It's a special deer-in-the-headlights look you get from young men and women who are just learning that any lifeform higher on the evolutionary scale than they are needs to be saluted, as they try to decipher clues from an unfamiliar uniform.

I gave him a look and a nod. "Excuse me, Sir" he says. "I don't recognize the patch, are you with one of the border county sheriff's departments?"

My evil twin promptly answered, "No, I'm with the federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms."

"Oh, thanks!"

[Dale Seago]

I still have my old "Oregon Border Patrol" hat. Dale's gonna get this one:

Oh, I do indeed -- hee!!