Billy Beer
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 Official logo |
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| Manufacturer | Falls City Brewing Company Cold Spring Brewing West End Brewing Pearl Brewing Company |
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| Introduced | 1977 |
Billy Beer was a beer first made in the United States of America in 1977, by the Falls City Brewing Company.[1] It was promoted by Billy Carter,[2] brother of then-President Jimmy Carter.[3] The beer was also produced by Cold Spring Brewing, West End Brewing, and Pearl Brewing Company. The beer saw dismal sales figures while in production, but millions of cans were produced.
Billy Carter was selected as spokesman for the beer because his brother, who was president, was widely known to enjoy drinking beer. However, it was also known that Jimmy Carter's brand of choice was Pabst Blue Ribbon.[1]
[edit] Label
Written on each can were these words of endorsement, which were followed by Billy Carter's signature:[4]
Brewed expressly for and with the personal approval of one of America's all-time great beer drinkers - Billy Carter.
I had this beer brewed just for me. I think it's the best I've ever tasted. And I've tasted a lot. I think you'll like it, too.
[edit] As a Collectible
After Billy Beer stopped production, advertisements appeared in newspapers offering to sell Billy Beer cans for several hundred to several thousands of dollars each. However, since the cans were produced in the millions, the value of a can ranged from 50 cents to one dollar in 1981.[5] Billy Beer is now commonly found on eBay.
