Where To Buy A Beer Ball?

How many beers are in a beer ball?

Beer ball – Another type of mini keg is the “beer ball” or the “party ball”, a disposable plastic ball that usually holds around 5.2 US gallons (20 L), roughly the equivalent of 55 twelve- ounce beers, though they can also be found in a smaller 3.8-US-gallon (14 L) size. Like kegs, it is necessary to tap the ball before the beer inside can be served.

When did beer balls come out?

This past April Fools’ Day, Genesee Beer tweeted an old beer ball picture and joked that the iconic 1980s beer delivery system was coming back at $150 a pop. One follower, @SourdeathSam, tweeted back a message that resonates with many who fondly remember the beer ball. A 1981 ad shows how easy it was to keep a beer ball cool. Invented in Illinois, the beer ball was perfected and marketed by Utica’s West End Brewery starting in 1977. The makers of Utica Club Beer produced the 5.16-gallon plastic spheres, filled them with Matt’s Premium Draft and started a revolution in the way that a generation of guys bought beer. Smaller breweries, like Schmidt’s and Genesee, followed the lead of West End Brewing into the beer ball market. West End became F.X. Matt Brewery, and is now the maker of the Saranac line of beers. Schmidt’s was a value beer regularly available in the Buffalo market until the Philadelphia brewery closed in 1987. A SUNY Brockport administrator lived in a dorm room for a semester and reported rowdiness, “students crocked out of their minds, parties at all hours” and the occasional beer ball sailing past his window on its way to the ground. Aside from pitching them out of dorm windows, the empty 5-gallon, beer bottle-colored plastic spheres were put to plenty of imaginative household uses. An early beer ball experience, 1978. Through the ’80s and ’90s, half a beer ball attached underneath a bird feeder – to keep the squirrels out – wasn’t an entirely unusual sight around Western New York. That wasn’t the only outdoor use. During the late ’90s, the beer ball hit its pinnacle as not only a festive holiday drink, but also as a part of the yuletide décor.

Southwest of Rochester, an Ontario County man fashioned old beer balls into a flashing light display that also included a light-covered 1989 Plymouth Voyager minivan. It helped make his Manchester trailer park a tourist attraction during the 1998 Christmas season. It wasn’t just Western New York. Described as “one of Long Island’s more offbeat Christmas trees,” an insurance company executive in the Suffolk County hamlet of Coram decorated his oak tree with 12 stylized empty beer balls.

“They look just like old-fashioned traditional ornaments,” said the Clark Griswold protégé who inserted electric lights into the spray-painted balls and placed them among the Nativity scene and Santa sleigh displays. Not every beer ball was put to good use.

1. There was a mini-soap opera in the Elmira area in 1991 when a woman called the DEC to report a deer was seen running around with a beer ball stuck on its head.
2. The plastic jug was over the antlers and snout down to the animal’s neck – preventing it from eating or drinking.
3. Six days after the deer was first spotted, a hunter bagged the animal, beer ball hopelessly stuck on its head.

The life of the beer ball started tapping out through the first decade of the 2000s. The last beer balls were available in some markets as late as 2008, but growing costs and changing tastes put an end to the amber-colored, beer-filled, plastic sphere.

Chances are these days that five guys getting together for a beer would almost certainly be a mix of microbrews and IPAs. Chances are pretty good, however, if any of those five guys can remember life before texting your friends from the beer aisle, that they’ll probably smile at the memory of a simpler time when everyone drank beer from the same pump.

Steve Cichon writes about Buffalo’s pop culture history for BN Chronicles, has written six books, and teaches English at Bishop Timon – St. Jude High School.

Are beer balls still sold?

What Happened to the Party Ball? – Unfortunately, the beer party ball was a victim of simple economics. For the extra effort required in beer ball production, and to make it worthwhile for both the brewers and distributors, the beer ball concept needed large volumes.

• Many beer wholesalers just didn’t want to bother with beer balls as they took up so much more storage space for what was seen just as a niche product, and that’s without mentioning the valuable cooler space they took up in supermarkets.
• A 1987 Post-Standard story estimated that of the 187.5 million barrels the beer industry brewed in the previous year, beer ball sales only accounted for just over 100,00 barrels.

Even Matt Brewing’s then-PR manager has been quoted as saying the beer ball accounted for less than 15% of the brewery’s total sales. Other critics would argue that compared dollar for dollar a quarter or even a half keg is a much better buy. When priced at around $15 for 55 12-ounce beers a party ball was a good deal, but as the price rose above the $20 marker, the cost would become prohibitive.

Unfortunately, the good deal on plastic prices Matt Brewing had originally secured didn’t last and as the price of plastic rose so did the cost of a beer ball. Another issue for Matt Brewing was the surge in light beers, which happened in the late 1970s to the mid-’80s, with Matt Brewing not producing a light beer to package in the beer balls as people were demanding.

Bud Light made a large inflatable ball that could hold up to enough beer for 30 people and was sold through the retailer Walmart, but stopped producing the Party Balls in 2007. Coors and Budweiser both officially discontinued the plastic beer Party Balls in 2011 on their websites.

Does Guinness beer have a ball in it?

How does the Guinness ball work? –

The Guinness ball is a hollow, spherical piece of plastic with a tiny hole in it and it looks a little like a mini ping pong ballBrewers add pressurized nitrogen to the beer during the canning process, which trickles into the widget’s hole – along with a little bit of beer.

The whole can is then pressurized. The pressure inside the can drops when it is opened, to equalise with the pressure in the room. But the pressure inside the widget remains higher than the pressure in the beer around it – due to the tiny hole which allows gas to escape.

Can you bounce in beer ball?

If they bounce a ball in, drink two cups. You choose the second cup. HOWEVER, if they bounce, you have free reign to swat that shot away.

Can you bounce the ball in beer ball?

Players are allowed to shoot via bounce.4.3.2. If a bounce shot is made, that cup will count for 2 cups.

What happens if you knock a beer over in beer ball?

The Rules – When it’s your team’s turn, you’ll need to throw the Ping Pong ball at the opposing team’s beer cans. While there is no timer involved, Beer Ball is a very fast-paced game. So, it would be best if you didn’t take too long to position your shots.

• It’s not strictly against the rules but is against the spirit of the game! If you hit a beer can, then you should immediately take it and start drinking.
• The team that’s not throwing the ball will need to quickly pick up the Ping Pong ball and slam it down on the table.
• Once the ball has hit the table, you should stop drinking.

The first team to drink the opposing team’s beers wins! Whether you’re actively throwing the ball or trying to retrieve it, Beer Ball is a game that requires concentration at all times.

Who made the first beer ball?

History – Old Milwaukee Beer was first brewed in the 1930s as a value-priced beer by the, In 1982, the Schlitz Brewing Company and the Old Milwaukee brand were acquired by of, In 2000, Stroh’s and all of its beer brands and recipes were acquired by Pabst Brewing Company, where the brand currently resides.

• Canada is one exception: in 1999, of (a division of ) acquired Stroh Canada, becoming the Canadian manufacturer and distributor of Old Milwaukee.
• The purchase doubled Sleeman’s volumes, although the Old Milwaukee brand competes on lower margins than premium beers.
• In 1987 Old Milwaukee introduced a beer/party ball to the market.

It contains five gallons of beer. The “Beer Ball” was first introduced by F.X. Matt (at the time called the West End Brewing Co.) of Utica, New York, and that brewer coined the name “Beer Ball”. Matt’s first Beer Ball hit the market in 1977 and by 1982 it was being used by 10 other US and Canadian breweries.

Why does beer have a ball in it?

It’s essentially a small, white nitrogen filled ball that sits inside the can, and the second the can is opened, the widget does what it has so patiently been waiting to do. It releases the magic surge of bubbles, replicating the draught experience in a can.

Why is there a ball in beer?

INSIDE your Guinness can lurks a secret – a tiny plastic ball that makes sure the iconic creamy head is achieved. Called widgets, these plastic balls blast the stout beer with nitrogen gas to aerate the head, making your Guinness taste as though it was just poured fresh from the tap. 1 The plastic devices inside a can of Guinness are called widgets Credit: Wikipedia

Why is Guinness black?

Guinness Draught beer is not actually black but rather dark ruby red because of the way the ingredients are prepared. Some raw barley is roasted, in a similar way to coffee beans, which is what gives Guinness Draught its distinctive colour.

Is Guinness a good beer?

Guinness is an iconic Irish beer known for its velvety mouthfeel and richness. It’s also known for several touted health benefits, like its iron content and being good for your heart. We wanted to know if Guinness is good for you and has any health benefits—or if drinking it just gives you the luck of the Irish.

Can I drink Guinness from the can?

While Guinness from a bottle should be drunk from the bottle, Guinness from a can should be poured into a glass prior to the first sip. To start, brewers at Guinness suggest your beer be chilled to approximately 46 degrees Fahrenheit.

Does Austen Kroll still make beer?

The Southern Charm star started rolling out his IPA line of beers in 2020, but there seems to still be some confusion as to its quality. Via: TheThings Anyone who’s watched Southern Charm knows that Austen Kroll loves a good drink. Specifically, an ice-cold IPA. Naturally, the reality tv star took it upon himself to craft the ultimate IPA and his dreams came to fruition with the release of Trop Hop in 2020.

1. While the brand hasn’t made him the richest member of the cast, it’s still done well over its two years in business.
2. Austen is thrilled by the “overwhelming support” he’s gotten from friends, family, and fans about the product.
3. From having no taps for his beer kegs to show off to friends in season six, to becoming a staple on tap beer at numerous local bars in Charlotte, the company has come a long way, as well.

But does the IPA beer live up to all the hype or are people just supporting the brand because they love the celebrity behind it?