Stroh's, the iconic Detroit beer, goes throwback, back on draft for first time in decades

Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
11
Stroh's is going back to its classic look from 1987 in cans and bottles.
Stroh's is going back to its classic look from 1987 in cans and bottles.

Stroh's beer is back on draft — and turning back time.

The iconic Detroit beer brand, owned by Pabst Brewing Company since 1999, announced its classic lager will return to draft taps in Detroit for the first time in two decades and will relaunch its classic logo and look on bottles and cans for distribution, harkening back to its look from the mid-1980s.

"We are returning Stroh’s back to the 1987 packaging with some minor updates to bring the packaging to life and we could not be more excited about it,” said Adam Powers, associate marketing manager for Stroh’s beer, in a statement. “Detroit has so much love for this beer and most locals say, ‘Stroh's is spoken here.’

"In celebration of over 240 years of rich brewing history, we return Stroh’s for the first time to draft. Cheers to the years ahead so crack open a Stroh’s beer and celebrate with friends and family."

Stroh's, going back to its classic 1987 look, will be available in 12-oz. cans (and bottles) across Michigan and the midwest.
Stroh's, going back to its classic 1987 look, will be available in 12-oz. cans (and bottles) across Michigan and the midwest.

The classic lager is 4.5% alcohol by volume, Stroh's said, and uses traditional grains and high-quality hops to produce a light body, velvety caramel malt finish. It's meant to be a refreshing beer to be enjoyed during hot summer days or "at the end of a long shift." It's brewed out of Pabst's brewing complex in Milwaukee.

Stroh's classic lager will be available in 12-ounce bottles and cans, as well as half-barrel kegs across Michigan and the Midwest. Stroh's Light, a lighter version of the lager, will be available in the same areas in cans.

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Stroh's was founded in 1850 by Bernhard Stroh as a family-owned brewery in Detroit — and remained that way until 1999, when it was sold to Pabst — and operated a downtown Detroit brewery until the mid-1980s.

In 2016, Stroh's began brewing its Bohemian-style pilsner (5.5% ABV) via Brew Detroit, a contract brewer in Corktown, marking Stroh's' return to brewing beer in the Motor City, though it's only available in cans and bottles. Stroh's also brewed a Detroit Lager (4.6% ABV), made with traditional corn grits and Midwestern hops, but it was discontinued after a short time.

Spirits of Detroit writer Brian Manzullo covers craft alcohol for the Free Press. Contact him: bmanzullo@freepress.com and on Untappd, bmanzullo and Twitter, @BrianManzullo and @SpiritsofDET.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Stroh's, Detroit's iconic beer, returns on draft with classic design