Monday, August 30, 2010

Green Death

The original brewer of Haffenreffer Private Stock Ale, August Haffenreffer, 94 (B.S. Harvard biochem.), has died (and apparently spent his later years at a retirement community in my neighborhood-whaddaya know).

Despite my familiarity with cheap domestic beer in my youth, I don't think I ever tasted his brew though I know I heard the memorable name.

It's bad form perhaps to quibble with obits, but I will anyway. The article claims Haffenreffer Ale was known as "Green Death" due to its potency and green label. Where I grew up (Western PA), I'm fairly certain that "Green Death" referred exclusively to Genesee Cream Ale which also had a green label and the name referred not to the alcoholic content but to its perceived "heaviness" (all that cream, I guess)-i.e. you didn't want to drink it if you were having a meal or, under 21 year old logic, it could stand in for a meal on its own. (We also thought it tasted bad, being experts and having drunk a great deal of it. )

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Aw, come on. Genny Cream is way better than Iron City, Rolling Rock, or Stroh's! Sure, around here Haffenreffer IS known as "Green Death", but probably isn't as bad as "Nastygansett". Informal poll around the office ranks PBR Pounders as the most popular cheap offering, but as a die hard ale lover, I'll stick with my Genny--as a meal.

12:41 PM, August 30, 2010  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A revelation after quaffing several - Strohs spelled backwards is "shorts"

2:18 PM, August 30, 2010  

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