Billy Beer
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| Billy Beer | |
|---|---|
 Official logo |
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| Brewery | Falls City Brewing Company Cold Spring Brewing West End Brewing Pearl Brewing Company |
| First Brewed | 1977 |
Billy Beer was made in the United States by the Falls City Brewing Company[1] and 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. Introduced in 1977, the beer saw dismal sales figures while in production, but at least two billion cans were produced.
Billy Carter was selected as spokesman for the beer because his brother was president and it was widely known that he enjoyed drinking beer. However, it was also known that Carter's brand of choice was Pabst Blue Ribbon.[1]
[edit] Label
Written on each can were these words of endorsement:[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 current value of a can ranges from 50 cents to one dollar.[5]
It is quite common to find Billy Beer on Ebay. It is not unusual to find an unopened can, either (as Homer does, in his old concert-going jacket, in Simpsons episode 8F21, The Otto Show).
