National Bohemian facts for kids
"Oh boy. What a beer!"
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| Manufacturer | Pabst Brewing Company |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1885 |
| Alcohol by volume | 4.28% |
| Style | Lager |
National Bohemian Beer, often called Natty Boh, is an American lager beer. It first came from Baltimore, Maryland. The National Brewing Company started brewing it in 1885. Later, the Pabst Brewing Company bought it.
Today, most National Bohemian beer is sold in Baltimore. It is brewed in Albany, Georgia and Trenton, Ohio. The Pabst Brewing Company still owns the brand.
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History of National Bohemian Beer
For a while, the head of National Brewing, Jerold Hoffberger, also owned the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. Natty Boh was sold at Memorial Stadium. It became known as Baltimore's "official" beer in the late 1960s.
The company used a famous slogan: "The Land of Pleasant Living." This slogan was very popular in the mid-1960s. National Brewing even bought a Chesapeake Bay sailing boat. They named it the "Chesterpeake." This was after a pelican that appeared in their ads. The Chesterpeake boat sailed around the Chesapeake Bay. It visited many local events and was seen in TV commercials.
In 1975, National Brewing joined with a Canadian brewer called Carling. The original Baltimore brewery closed in 1978. Production moved to a newer brewery in Halethorpe. In 1979, the G. Heileman Brewing Company bought Carling-National.
In 1996, the Stroh Brewery Company bought G. Heileman. Stroh decided to close the Halethorpe brewery. It closed in November 1996. Over 400 workers lost their jobs. The Halethorpe brewery building was later torn down. The original Baltimore brewery became a new complex called Brewers Hill.
In 2000, the Stroh Brewery Company went out of business. Pabst Brewing Company bought most of its brands, including National Bohemian. Pabst has been brewing Natty Boh ever since.
Around 2009, Pabst announced that Natty Boh had returned to its original recipe. This was the recipe that made it popular in Baltimore. For over 15 years, you could only buy Natty Boh in bottles and cans. But in 2011, it became available on draft (from a keg) again. Baltimore taverns and Oriole Park at Camden Yards started serving it.
Mr. Boh: The Famous Mascot
Mr. Boh is the company's mascot. He has one eye and a handlebar mustache. He has been a well-known symbol since 1936. Arthur Deute, the company president, introduced him.
In the past, National Boh's main competitor was Gunther Beer. Gunther's slogan was "Gunther's got it." A popular joke asked, "What happened to Mr. Boh's other eye?" The answer was, "Gunther's got it." No one really knows why Mr. Boh only has one eye. Some think it's because his head is meant to be seen from the side.
Mr. Boh's image became a very strong symbol for the brewery. Later, the "National Bohemian" name itself became more common in ads. But Mr. Boh is still a big part of the brand.
Mr. Boh's image is used on many things. It's on a Maryland Lottery scratch-off ticket. It's also used by Smyth Jewelers. He was even the mascot for the Baltimore Bohemians soccer team. A large Mr. Boh neon sign sits on top of the old National Brewery building in Baltimore. You can see it from I-95. Mr. Boh is still on all cans, bottles, and packaging. You can easily find merchandise with him in shops around Maryland.
Mr. Boh has become a true icon for the city of Baltimore. Many stores sell products featuring him. People in Baltimore see Mr. Boh as an unofficial spokesperson for their city.
Cap Puzzles on Bottles
National Bohemian started adding "Cap Puzzles" in 1944. These are small pictures or rebus puzzles on the bottle caps. They create a common phrase. During World War II, United States spies even used these puzzles to help the allies. After the war, Cap Puzzles remained. They are now a classic part of the product.
Community Support and Sponsorships
From the 1950s until 1978, the brewery supported many sports teams and events. They sponsored bowling and golf tournaments in the Baltimore area. In the 1950s and 1960s, National Beer sponsored the PGA Eastern Open Invitational golf tournament.
Later, National Beer sponsored the National Beer Brewers softball team. This team was mostly made up of Baltimore Clippers hockey players. From 1968 to 1985, the brewery sponsored the National Brewers ice hockey team. This team played in the Chesapeake Hockey League.
Even though the brand was less popular for a while, interest in "Natty Boh" has grown again recently. Many younger beer drinkers are now interested in it.
