| Manufacturer | Pabst Brewing Company |
|---|---|
| Style | Pilsener |
National Bohemian Beer, colloquially called Natty Boh, National Boh' or just plain Boh', is an American beer originally brewed in Baltimore, Maryland, but now brewed by the Miller Brewing Company in Eden, North Carolina, and distributed by the Pabst Brewing Company. First brewed in 1885 by the National Brewing Company, whose other brands were National Premium and Colt 45 malt liquor, this Bohemian-style beer's slogan had long been "From the Land of Pleasant Living," a reference to the Chesapeake Bay.
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First brewed in 1885 by the National Brewing Company. For a time, National's president Jerold Hoffberger also owned the Baltimore Orioles; Natty Boh was served at Memorial Stadium and became the "official" beer of Baltimore in the late 1960s.
After a 1973 merger with Canadian brewer Carling, the Baltimore brewery located at the intersection of O'Donnell and Conkling streets was closed in 1978 and production moved to the company's facility in Halethorpe, Maryland (Halethorpe is a Baltimore suburb in Baltimore County). "Carling-National" was itself bought out by the G. Heileman Brewing Company in 1979. Heileman added Tuborg to the list of beers brewed in Halethorpe.
In 1996, Heileman was sold to Stroh Brewery Company and, eventually, to Pabst Brewing Company. Brewing stopped at the Halethorpe facility by 2000. The facility was sold to a local interest. The Halethorpe brewing facility was demolished by 2006, while the original Baltimore brewing facility was renovated into a miniature business park called Natty Boh Towers and is home to several companies including Bravo Health and Remax and some apartments.
In May 2010, Pabst Brewing was sold to C. Dean Metropoulos, a private investor, for $250 million.[1]
For over 15 years, the famous Baltimore beer was not available on draft, only bottles and cans, but in February 2011, local taverns in the Baltimore area celebrated the ability to serve National Bohemian from a keg.[2]
The company's mascot, the one-eyed, handlebar-mustachioed Mr. Boh, has been a recognizable icon since his introduction in 1936. In an era when National Boh’s main competition was Gunther Beer, whose slogan was “Gunther’s got it,” schoolchildren would ask: “What happened to Mr. Boh’s other eye?” Answer: “Gunther’s got it.” Although the mascot itself was retired in the early sixties, it is still a highly popular image, especially in Baltimore, where it is considered an unofficial city mascot. A Mr. Boh neon sign currently sits atop the former site of the National Brewery building in the Brewer's Hill neighborhood of Baltimore and is clearly visible from I-95 just north of the Fort McHenry Tunnel. Mr. Boh still appears on all cans, bottles, and packaging; and merchandise featuring him can still easily be found in shops in Maryland, including several in Fells Point. The National line also included "National Bohemian Dark" and "National Premium", available in can, bottle and draft versions. Both were discontinued following Heileman's sale to Stroh's in 1996. National Bohemian also produces an ice beer called "Boh Ice" having an alcohol content of 5.8%.
From the 1950s through the demise of the National Brewing Company in 1978, the brewery was involved in many athletic sponsorships. Early involvements included bowling and golf tournaments held in the Baltimore metro area. During the 1950s and 1960s, National Beer sponsored the PGA Eastern Open Invitational held at the Mt Pleasant Golf Course in Baltimore. Beginning in the late 1960s, National Beer began sponsoring the National Beer Brewers softball team, composed primarily of Baltimore Clippers hockey players. Though the brand lost a great deal of local market share in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s (due mainly to the overwhelming media blitz of Anheuser-Busch) there has been a resurgence of interest in "Natty Boh" in recent years, particularly among younger beer drinkers. While once regarded as "that $6.00/case old man's beer", urban hipsters and American beer connoisseurs alike are re-discovering the health benefits and affordability of National Bohemian beer.