Nevertheless, Hamm’s persisted.
Hamm’s beer, which originated in 1865 at the massive Hamm’s Brewing Company on the East Side of St. Paul, is no longer the nationally-advertised brand it once was, and it’s no longer based in Minnesota. Still, reports of its demise are greatly exaggerated, at least according to current ownership.
“A classic beer is slowly phasing out after decades of popularity,” reads the April 15 headline carried by PennLive.com/The Patriot News, central Pennsylvania’s largest newspaper. The article noted that the brand changed hands some 18 times in the 1970s alone, before current owners, Chicago-based Molson Coors, purchased the Hamm’s name in 1999.
“You might be disappointed to know that it’s gradually making its way out,” reads The Patriot News piece, which chronicles the evolution and supposed final reckoning of the beer that for decades hailed from the “Land of Sky Blue Waters.”
So how is Sasha, the iconic Hamm’s Bear, taking the news?
The Hamm’s mascot emerged from hibernation this week to deny, deny, deny reports of its extinction. Someone donned the Sasha costume and, at the behest of company leadership, traveled from Minnesota to Pennsylvania for photo-ops on Tuesday at landmarks and dive bars throughout the central part of the state, where the giant bear distributed free beer and merchandise.
If anything, Hamm’s has experienced something of a resurgence in Philadelphia and other blue collar watering holes, where the beer is often paired with a shot of hard liquor for a “beer and a bump,” known in working-class Philly as a “Citywide Special,” or served as the central ingredient in a Mexican chelada, a type of beer cocktail.
“We’ve seen the headlines out of Pennsylvania, and we’re happy to say they’ve got it wrong — Hamm’s isn’t going anywhere,” said Chris Steele, senior director of value brands with Molson Coors, in a written statement issued Tuesday. “We’ve been around since 1865, and with the help of Sasha the Bear, we’re showing up in Philadelphia with cold, classic beer to keep our tradition going.”
Now where did Coors find the Sasha outfit? “The Hamm’s bear costume lives in MN and stays in hibernation until needed,” reads an email from a public relations consultant, who asked not to be identified as they are not authorized to speak on behalf of the company.
The article on PennLive now carries a prominent correction — “An earlier version of this story suggested that Hamm’s was phasing out of production. This is not the case and the story has been revised. We regret the error” — as well as a link to the Hamm’s beer online locator (hamms.com/##locator), which points fans to bars and retailers that carry the iconic brand, including about 100 locations in St. Paul alone.
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