In Defense of Malt Liquor

By Sean Derning aka A Beer Fairy

40 oz. to freedom; Malt liquor offerings from 211 Steel Reserve, Olde English 800 and Mickey’s.

Mention malt liquor to anyone over 30 and expect either a gaze waxing nostalgic from hazy memories under the influence (and probably underage) or a face that recalls a poor tasting beverage which left the drinker with a nasty hangover. Yes, malt liquor, the beer that draws an extra strong punch due to inflated alcohol content, is this month’s choice for readers. But the beverage that many shy away from has its merits and a deep history in this country. This article will define malt liquor, present a history of malt liquor in this country, its change in marketing of the product and finally, a review of three domestic malt liquors currently available nationally.

What exactly is malt liquor?

According to beeradvocate.com, they identify the style as such; Most Malt Liquors are made with excessive amounts of adjuncts (simple sugars), such as corn, rice, and refined brewing sugar (dextrose or maltose). As a result, there are very few "all malt" malt liquors. Hops are used sparingly, just enough bitterness to balance off any cloyingness..… They are highly attenuated, meaning a higher ratio of fermentable sugars are present compared to some other beers, allowing the brewer to achieve a high alcohol content without using as many ingredients. For the most part, Malt Liquor beers are sold in 40-ounce bottles.

Humble beginnings

Malt liquor was offered soon after World War II to the public as beer drinkers complained that the beers produced following the war tasted watered down, fizzy and weak. True, many breweries had changed their recipes as ingredients and supplies (barley, glass, metal, etc) had been rationed during the war, and they were slow to revert back to pre- and post-Prohibition brews in strength and taste.

Enter malt liquor, a more potent brew that was originally marketed to an upscale white audience. Images of backyard barbecues, dinner parties and the like in advertising all tried to dress up the beverage and it was contained in smaller cans and bottles than the more traditional lagers and pilsners. Eight ounces was a popular size, but the novelty of malt liquor wore off and sales steadily declined through the 50s and 60s, and several brands were retired due to poor sales.

Then brewery ad agencies started to pay closer attention to their marketing of malt liquor. In one of the most remarkable about-faces in advertising history, in the 1970s, Black Americans (mostly male) and people of color were the largest consumers of malt liquor and the breweries scrambled for their market share of this unrealized target audience. And a sizable market it was, with overall sales figures approaching $288 million at the close of the 1980s, according to faithfulreaders.com.

Racially cringworthy advertising during this time was presented, and ad campaigns featuring Black American musicians and movie stars to sell malt liquor included Richard Roundtree, Kool and the Gang, The Spinners, and Billy Dee Williams, often wearing outrageous or designer fashions and scripts written with urban slang references and gestures.

When rap music became popular in the 1990s, breweries then turned to many emerging rap/hip hop stars such as Snoop Dogg, Ice T and DJ Pooh. Malt liquor was portrayed as a drink with masculine appeal, and brand names included those of dangerous animals of the wild kingdom such as cobras, bulls, horses, pit bulls and nods to other animals that turn unpredictable when provoked.

Further pigeonholing of malt liquor continued as online beer rating sites continued to torpedo malt liquors, as Steel Reserve, Old English 800 and Mickeys all received point ratings of 58, 52 and 61 (awful to poor), respectively. But what wasn’t revealed is that both Olde English 800 and Mickey’s have both won a total of six medals each from the Great American Beer Festival, according to westword.com.

Exploring the enigma

For the tasting, three different 40 oz. malt liquors were chosen; Steel Reserve, Olde English 800 and Mickey’s. All three are affordable at about $3/bottle and translates to about $1/pint. Appearance of the three is quite different as Mickey’s is the only beer to be contained in a green colored glass bottle and resealable metal cap. The beer is also still available in 12 oz. six packs with the classic ‘hand grenade’ green glass bottle and wide mouth opening. Less impressive was Steel Reserve and Olde English 800, two beers packaged in clear plastic (poor choice for preservation and carbonation) with a wide resealable plastic cap.

Reading the label, the beers varied in alcohol content (5.6 to 8.1% alcohol by volume -ABV) and made it clear on the label that corn sugar/syrup (called adjuncts) was used in the brewing process to assist with boosting flavor and alcohol content.

Steel Reserve (8.1% ABV) was first on the list and first pour revealed a deep golden color and it maintained a nice fluffy white head with big bubbles. Aroma was deep with corn but also some light bread. Taste was rich and did not contain any of the metallic aftertaste many beer judges have been critical of when judging malt liquors. The taste was rich with a wet finish and overall was a beer that exceeded expectations and dispelled negative reviews.

Olde English (5.9% ABV) had the exact same attributes as Steel Reserve, despite the lower alcohol content, and if comparing both beers, a seasoned palate has difficulty telling the two apart. It is also a good beer and lacks the escalated alcohol kick of Steel Reserve.

Final tester was Mickey’s (5.6 ABV). It pours a nice white head with smaller bubbles that sustain, a nice light gold color, and also features the corn aroma in the nose. But Mickey’s finishes dry and invites another taste. With summer approaching, this beer is the perfect match for a grilled bratwurst with stone ground mustard and relish.

Drink for taste

In closing, malt liquor’s history in this country is as rich as the beverage itself. The ability to turn a marketing about face, refine their quality and move past negative reviews and stereotypes make malt liquor a dark horse in allowing beer drinkers who are on a budget to still enjoy a quality brew. All of these malt liquors impressed and dispelled poor perception and ratings, and were a far better taste experience than the weak Canadian beers reviewed in last month’s Valley Voice.

Perhaps the best advice when drinking malt liquor is how it is presented. Drinking the beer out of a paper bag is not the way to do it. Serve the chilled beer in a frosted glass to maintain the cold temperature, take a deep draw on a hot day and tuck the car keys away.

-Sean Derning is A Beer Fairy and offers beer/brewery reviews and videos at Beerfairytales.com