Why Breweries Are Reviving Beloved Bygone Beer Brands | VinePair

Beer brands regularly disappear into the historic dumpster. After 177 years, Pabst Brewing recently put Schlitz Premium out to pasture. But will it stay gone forever? Nowadays, no once-popular beer brand needs to remain dead in a world nostalgic for simpler days and maybe a favorite amber ale.

Earlier this year, New Belgium released a 35th-anniversary variety pack reviving Blue Paddle Pilsener, Sunshine Wheat, and original-recipe Fat Tire Amber Ale. “People clamor for beers they loved from a long time ago to come back,” says Brad Wellman, a regional brand manager for New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colo., and Asheville, N.C. At a moment when the beer industry is struggling and fighting for relevance and market share, rebooting once-loved beers and brands can be a successful strategy for some producers.

For VinePair, I explore how breweries are pulling a reappearing act.