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{{short description|American lager}}
{{Cleanup|date=June 2007}}
{{ infobox beverage
{{Infobox Beer
| name = Rolling Rock
| name = Rolling Rock
| image = [[Image:Rolling rock bottles.jpg|275px]]
| image = RollingRock301 Logo.JPG
| type = [[American lager]]
| caption = Rolling Rock bottles showing their distinctive painted labels.
| abv = 4.4%
| brewery = [[Anheuser-Busch]]
| style = [[Pale lager]]
| proof =
| manufacturer = [[Anheuser-Busch InBev]]
| year = 1939
| distributor = [[Latrobe Brewing Company]]
| abv =
| og =
| origin =
| fg =
| introduced = 1939
| ibu =
| color = Golden yellow
| flavour =
| variants =
| related =
| website =[http://www.rollingrock.com/ rollingrock.com]
}}
}}
'''Rolling Rock''' is a brand of [[pale lager]] beer. Although founded as a local beer in [[Western Pennsylvania]], it was marketed aggressively and eventually became a national product. The brand was sold to [[Anheuser-Busch]] of [[St. Louis, Missouri]] in mid 2006, which transferred brewing operations to New Jersey.
'''Rolling Rock''' is a 4.4% [[abv]] [[American lager]]<ref>[http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/174/567/ Rolling Rock Extra Pale - Latrobe Brewing Co.]</ref> launched in 1939 by the [[Latrobe Brewing Company]]. Although founded as a local [[beer]] in [[Western Pennsylvania]], it was marketed aggressively and eventually became a national product. The brand was sold to [[Anheuser-Busch]] of [[St. Louis, Missouri]], in mid-2006, which transferred brewing operations to [[New Jersey]] while continuing to label the new beer prominently with the name of Latrobe.


==History==
Rolling Rock [[beer]] is distinctive in several ways, including use of green glass bottles with painted-on labels rather than glued-on paper labels.
From 1939 until July 26, 2006,<ref>[http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_747254.html ] {{dead link|date=December 2015}}</ref> Rolling Rock was brewed at the [[Latrobe Brewing Company]] in [[Latrobe, Pennsylvania]], a small city 34 miles southeast of [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]. As stated on the bottle, it was brewed with a distinctive soft local water in large glass-lined tanks, which were considered state-of-the-art at the time of its introduction (in part due to sanitation concerns).<ref>(March 3, 1935). "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19350303&id=7qhQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5yEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2430,6404168 Inside of a Huge Glass Lined Beer Tank] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908205436/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19350303&id=7qhQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5yEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2430,6404168 |date=2019-09-08 }}". ''[[Milwaukee Journal]]''. Retrieved on April 7, 2014</ref>


On May 19, 2006,<ref>http://www.anheuser-busch.com/s/index.php/anheuser-busch-buys-rolling-rock-brands-from-inbev/ {{registration required}}</ref> Anheuser-Busch purchased the Rolling Rock and Rolling Rock Green Light brands from [[InBev]] for $82 million<ref name="wsj">[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123956245254011681 The Wall Street Journal: Anheuser Explores Sale of Struggling Rolling Rock ]</ref> and began brewing Rolling Rock at its [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] facility in mid July, 2006. The final batch of Rolling Rock was shipped from Latrobe on July 31, 2006. Union leaders in [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Westmoreland County]] organized a nationwide boycott of Anheuser-Busch and InBev brands because of the move.<ref>Scott, Rebekah (May 24, 2006). "[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06144/692526-28.stm Latrobe brewery's boosters calling for boycott]". ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]''. Retrieved on April 15, 2009</ref> Anheuser-Busch has said that Rolling Rock's original pledge on the label will be preceded by these words: "To honor the tradition of this great brand, we quote from the original pledge of quality." In July 2008, InBev reached a deal to acquire Anheuser-Busch, thereby returning ownership of Rolling Rock to InBev, now known as [[Anheuser–Busch InBev]] and based in [[Belgium]].<ref name="wsj"/>
The number [[33 (number)|33]] is printed prominently on all bottles of Rolling Rock. A widely-held belief is that it marks the repeal of [[prohibition]] in [[1933]]. However, according to James L. Tito, former CEO of [[Latrobe Brewing]], the "33" signifies the 33 words in the beer's slogan: "Rolling Rock - From the glass lined tanks of [[Latrobe, Pennsylvania|Old Latrobe]], we tender this premium beer for your enjoyment as a tribute to your good taste. It comes from the mountain springs to you."


In 2009, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced that it was exploring the sale of the Rolling Rock brand.<ref name="wsj"/> In 2015, Anheuser-Busch stopped brewing bottled Rolling Rock in glass-lined tanks. Only the canned beer was now being brewed using the traditional process.<ref>Bresswein, Kurt (January 27, 2015). "[http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2015/01/anheuser-busch_newark_goes_all.html Anheuser-Busch Newark goes all aluminum, says goodbye to Rolling Rock bottles from 'glass lined tanks']". [[lehighvalleylive.com]]. Retrieved on August 14, 2016.</ref>
A founding executive is said to have written "33" at the end of the slogan to indicate the number of words it comprised as a guide for the bottle printers. However, they thought it was part of the text and incorporated it into the label graphics. Hence, the first batch of bottles carried the number "33" and they remained that way since they were continually collected and reused (also, during the [[Great Depression]], there was no reason to throw away perfectly good merchandise and start over). This tradition has been sustained by the company as the wording on the labels has changed over the years, and the verbiage is carefully structured to retain a length of 33 words. There are several other lesser-known theories or urban legends about the "mysterious" number 33, including the fact that 33 is the highest degree in [[Freemasonry]], but none has been [http://www.snopes.com/business/hidden/rolling.asp verified].


==Pony bottle==
The term [[pony bottle]] is derived from the horse on the bottle, and refers to the smaller sized 7-ounce bottle. Some pony bottles have paper (rather than painted) labels because of space restrictions.
Rolling Rock's {{convert|7|U.S.floz|ml|0|abbr=on}} [[pony bottle (beer)|pony bottle]] had been very popular until its discontinuation, so much so that this had given rise to the [[folk etymology]] that "pony" is from the Rolling Rock horse logo. This is incorrect: the term ''[[wikt:pony|pony]]'' in "pony of beer" has been used in the United States of America since the 19th century,<ref>''Americanisms'', Farmer, [https://books.google.com/books?id=RTdcQOlzjXAC&dq=%E2%80%9Cpony+of+beer%E2%80%9C&pg=PA430 p. 430] cites ''New York Journal'', 1885 August; see ''[[wikt:pony|pony]]'' for details.</ref> predating Rolling Rock by over 50 years, and is due to the diminutive size;<ref>''Notes and Queries'', August 8th, 1896, [https://books.google.com/books?id=BIEjZLt7zxYC&dq=%E2%80%9Cpony+of+beer%E2%80%9C&pg=PA126 p. 126]: "It seems probable the origin is due to the diminutiveness of the glass;"</ref> similar words include [[pony glass]] and [[pony keg]]. Indeed, advertising for Rolling Rock since the 1950s uses the term "pony bottle" generically, stating "... Rolling Rock is the Largest Selling 7 oz. Pony Bottle of [[Beer#"Premium"_beers|premium beer]] in Pennsylvania".<ref>''The Pittsburgh Press,'' Oct 21, 1952, [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19521021&id=2l8bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pE0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6165,2606515 p. 4]</ref>


Though it did not originate the term, the popularity of Rolling Rock doubtless reinforced it: one could refer to a regular (12 oz.) or small (7 oz.) of the beer as a "horse" or "pony" respectively. It also likely led to the standardization on a 7 oz. size: major national brands introduced 7 oz. pony bottles in the early 1970s, of which the most prominent is [[Miller High Life]] (pony introduced 1972<ref>{{cite book|title=Advertising and the Food System|author1=John M. Connor|author2=Ronald W. Ward|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jftEAAAAYAAJ&q=pony|publisher=Research Division, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison|year=1983|page=309}}</ref><ref>''CSA Super Markets'', Volume 50, 1974, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZUpPAAAAYAAJ&q=%22miller+high+life%22+%227+oz%22 p. 68]</ref>).
Rolling Rock is considered to be something of a premium beer and has benefited greatly from the trend toward the consumption of less mainstream [[alcoholic beverage]]s that has been developing in the [[United States]] since the [[1970s]].


==Number 33==
From [[1939]] until [[2006]], Rolling Rock was brewed at the [[Latrobe Brewing Company]]. In May, [[2006]], Anheuser-Busch purchased the Rolling Rock and Rock Green Light brands from [[InBev]] and began brewing Rolling Rock at its [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] facility in mid July, 2006. The final batch of Rolling Rock was shipped from Latrobe on [[July 31]], [[2006]]. Anheuser-Busch has said that Rolling Rock's original pledge on the label will be preceded by these words: "To honor the tradition of this great brand, we quote from the original pledge of quality." This appears on current production (2007) painted bottles, along with "Latrobe Brewing Co., ST. LOUIS, MO."
[[File:Original Rolling Rock Bottle.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Rolling Rock bottle with original quality pledge]]


The number 33 is printed prominently on all bottles of Rolling Rock. Many have speculated on the significance of the number 33: that the "33" refers to 1933, the founding year of the Pittsburgh Steelers (who hold their annual training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA);<ref>[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/389/why-is-there-a-33-on-rolling-rock-beer-labels Why is there a "33" on Rolling Rock beer labels? ] from ''[[The Straight Dope]]''</ref> that 33 degrees Fahrenheit is the proper temperature to keep beer; the 33 degrees of Scottish Rite Freemasonry; that Latrobe test-brewed 33 batches of beer before coming up with the final formula for Rolling Rock. Other theories concerning the number 33 are that there were exactly 33 stairsteps from the brewmaster's office to the brewing floor in the original Latrobe brewery. Also that the Pennsylvania fish and game commission at the turn of the century numbered the streams within the commonwealth and the water that was used to brew this beer was taken from the stream numbered 33.
Residents of the Greater Latrobe Area organized a [[boycott]] of InBev and Anheuser-Busch brands to demonstrate their disapproval of Rolling Rock leaving the area where it was born. [http://saverollingrock.org/pledge.php] Although Anheuser-Busch has claimed that the recipe has remained the same, some Rolling Rock enthusiasts claim the taste of the beer has slightly changed since the move to Newark.


The words "Rolling Rock" appear three times on the bottle for a total of 33 letters.
In September 2006 the brewery was purchased by [[City Brewing Company]] and now brews [[Samuel Adams (beer)|Samuel Adams beer]] for the Boston Beer Company. [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07094/774830-28.stm]


One widely held belief is that it marks the repeal of [[Prohibition in the United States|prohibition]] in 1933.
==Rolling Rock in popular culture==

{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
James L. Tito, former CEO of [[Latrobe Brewing]], opined that the "33" signifies the 33 words in the beer's original pledge of quality, which is still printed on every bottle:
<!-- This section is longer then the rest of the article. -->

*Rolling Rock is seen many times throughout many of the early episodes of [[The Sopranos]].
{{Quote box
* The song title 'Jaked On Green Beers' by Alkaline Trio was inspired by Rolling Rock. Frontman Matt Skiba said "This song was named after something our dear friend Erik Anderson once said. We were in a hotel room drinking Rolling Rock in bottles, Erik came in and asked if we were, "getting jaked on green beers?" Once the laughter subsided, we decided to name our newest song that. It really had nothing to do with the song's lyrical content."
|quote=Rolling Rock - From the glass lined tanks of [[Latrobe, Pennsylvania|Old Latrobe]], we tender this premium beer for your enjoyment as a tribute to your good taste. It comes from the mountain springs to you.|source=—Current pledge written on the Rolling Rock bottle|width=350px |align=center}}
* In December 2006, a lyric from the song ''A Million Dollars'' off of [[The Joel Plaskett Emergency]]'s DVD/EP ''[[Make a Little Noise]]'', was nominated for Lyric of the Year by [[CBC Radio 3]].<ref>http://radio3.cbc.ca/features/awards/vote.aspx</ref> The lyric that was nominated was, "let's get wrecked on Rolling Rock and stroll down to the sea".

* In November of 2006, Rolling Rock launched an advertising campaign featuring a guitar playing party ape in a scene reminiscent of many lowbrow beer commercials. Later, a supposedly separate countercampaign by a group called “The Friends of Rolling Rock" was launched, criticizing the "beer ape" ad and its creator, Rolling Rock’s Vice President of Marketing, [[Ron Stablehorn]]. This has been ousted as a viral marketing scheme by Rolling Rock - neither "The Friends of Rolling Rock" or Ron Stablehorn exist in real life.<ref>http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/tribpm/s_481916.html</ref>
While the original wording on the label was somewhat different, it also contained the 33 following words:
* In the movie ''[[Old School (film)|Old School]]'', Rolling Rock is one of the two major beers featured, the other being [[Corona (beer)|Corona]]. Both beers were seen in glass bottles and aluminum cans, a rare sight for the two "premium" beers. On the dvd commentary for the film actor [[Luke Wilson]] makes light of [[Will Ferrell]] "knocking back some Rolling Rocks and getting them bones".

* In ''[[The Deer Hunter]]'' [[Robert DeNiro]]'s character orders several Rolling Rocks for his and [[Meryl Streep]]'s character, stating that it is the best beer out there. The film takes place in Pennsylvania, home of the Latrobe Brewing Company.
{{Quote box
*Rolling Rock is the primary beer brand featured in ''[[The Station Agent]]''
|quote=A little nip from the glass lined tanks of Old Latrobe. We tender this package as a premium beer for your delight and economical use. It comes from the mountain springs to you.|source=—Original pledge written on the Rolling Rock bottle|width=350px |align=center}}
* The words from the labels of Rolling Rock beer were rearranged into a comic "[[poem]]" by comedian [[Demetri Martin]], entitled "All of the Words on a Bottle of Rolling Rock Beer in a Different Order".<ref>Martin, Demetri. "All of the Words on a Bottle of Rolling Rock Beer in a Different Order" [http://www.slate.com/id/2101150/sidebar/2101284/ent/2101283/ Slate.com] 26 May 2004.</ref>

*Syndicated sports columnist [[Norman Chad]] often references Rolling Rock in his weekly column.
This was followed by the "33". The current pledge is on the 12 oz. bottles, while the "little nip" pledge is from the 7 oz. bottle version. The 7 oz. bottles were referred in some parts of Pennsylvania as “nippers”, and a popular mode of packaging was in cases of 24, with a perforation so the case could be split in two, or a dozen each.
* Rolling Rock is consumed often in the television show [[The West Wing]].

* In ''[[Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind]],'' Stan (played by [[Mark Ruffalo]]) and Patrick (played by [[Elijah Woods]]) are seen consuming Rolling Rock beer while discussing Patrick's new love interest, Clementine ([[Kate Winslet]]). (Also it's worth noting that Patrick opens the Rolling Rock bottles with a bottle opener, however all Rolling Rock bottles manufactured are of the 'Twist-Off' variety.) Not necessarily true, the returnable bottles were not twist-offs.
A founding executive is said to have written "33" at the end of the slogan to indicate the number of words it comprised as a guide for the bottle printers. They assumed it was part of the text and incorporated it into the label graphics. Hence, the first batch of bottles carried the number "33" and they remained that way since they were continually collected and reused.
* In ''[[Vanilla Sky]],'' Sofia Serrano (played by [[Penélope Cruz]]) hands David Aames (played by [[Tom Cruise]]) a bottle of Rolling Rock while he's at her apartment for the first time.

* Rolling Rock is seen several times in the popular sitcom "[[Friends]]"
Tito admitted, however, that there is no hard proof for this theory, and that at this point no one really knows what the true origin of the "33" may have been. Nonetheless, the tradition of the printing explanation has been sustained by the company as the wording on the labels has changed over the years, and the verbiage is carefully structured to retain a length of 33 words. The Rolling Rock nomenclature on the bottles was painted on, not paper or plastic.
* Both Rolling Rock and Rock Green Light have appeared at different times on the [[HBO]] series ''[[Entourage (TV series)|Entourage]]'' alongside corporate cousins [[Budweiser]] and [[Bud Light]] as the beers of choice for [[Vincent Chase]] and his entourage.

* The popular college movie "[[Van Wilder]]" features several bottles of Rolling Rock
==Rolling Rock Red==
* Singer/songwriter Cal Donnolley wrote [http://www.starpolish.com/artists/details.asp?id=9839 Rolling Rock Blues] in 1998.
[[File:Rolling Rock Red.jpg|thumb|upright|Rolling Rock Red logo]]
* In the now defunct HBO sitcom Lucky Louie, Rolling Rock was seen quite frequently.
Anheuser-Busch introduced a [[red lager]] version of Rolling Rock called Rolling Rock Red. While the number 33 has been a traditional part of Rolling Rock iconography, Rolling Rock Red's label has a "3", presumably signifying the name of the beverage ("Rolling Rock Red") or the words in the tagline "Finely Crafted Lager", which appears only on the Rolling Rock Red bottles.
* Rolling Rock is often the preferred beer of [[Repairman Jack]] in the series of novels by [[F. Paul Wilson]].

* Rolling Rock is featured in many of the party scenes in the film ''[[Swingers (film)|Swingers]]''.
==In media==
* The song "Drinking in L.A" by [[Bran Van 3000]] was used as the theme tune to a Rolling rock TV advert in the UK
Rolling Rock is a significant symbol in internet celebrity [[James Rolfe]]'s series ''[[Angry Video Game Nerd]]'', where his character, the Nerd, takes a sip from a bottle of the drink to calm himself down when getting angry at bad games.<ref>{{Citation |title=AVGN Drinking Compilation |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhYFiTQqoWM |language=en |access-date=2022-06-14}}</ref>
* Wrestler [[Jim Fullington|The Sandman]] uses a version of a [[Professional_wrestling_aerial_techniques#Senton bomb|Senton Bomb]] named The Rolling Rock.

* In the early [[Personal computer|PC]] [[CD-ROM]] game [[The 7th Guest]], one of the riddle puzzles is answered with the phrase "Rolling Rock Bottle Cap"
Rolling Rock also appeared occasionally on episodes of ''[[The Sopranos]]'', which was based in New Jersey.
* [[Kurt Cobain]] stated it was his favorite beer because, "It was like Rock N' Roll backwards" from [[Heavier Than Heaven]].

* The [[ScrewAttack#The Angry Video Game Nerd|Angry Video Game Nerd]] drinks Rolling Rock while recording his video game reviews. It is also his favorite beer.
In the 1978 film ''[[The Deer Hunter]]'', [[Robert De Niro]]’s character (Michael) offers [[Meryl Streep]]'s character (Linda) a Rolling Rock.
*In the movie Rocky Balboa Stallone's character is seen ordering a pony bottle of Rolling Rock. This was confirmed in an interview to be Rocky's beer of choice.

*In ''[[That 70's Show]]'' [[Red Forman]] is drinking some Rolling Rock in a couple of episodes.
Rolling Rock is prominently featured in the 1986 film ''[[At Close Range]]'', which takes place in rural Pennsylvania.

Red Forman is occasionally shown drinking Rolling Rock during dinner scenes in ''[[That 70's Show]]''.

Rolling Rock is also featured in the movie ''[[That's My Boy (2012 film)|That’s My Boy]]'', which has the father of the main character double fisting bottles of the ‘rock.

Rolling Rock is featured as the beer that the main character, Jonathan Banks, drinks in the movie ''[[Side Effects (2013 film)|Side Effects]]''.

Rolling Rock is shown as the beer of choice for Kate Winslet’s character and others in the series [[Mare of Easttown]] which is set in suburban Philadelphia.

==See also==
{{Portal|Beer}}
* [[Iron City Brewing Company]]
* [[Rolling Rock Club]]
* [[Rolling Rock Town Fair]]


==References==
==References==
Line 65: Line 87:
==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.rollingrock.com Rolling Rock official website]
*[http://www.rollingrock.com Rolling Rock official website]
{{Anheuser-Busch InBev}}
*[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_044.html Why is there a 33 on Rolling Rock beer labels?]
[[Category:AB InBev brands]]
*[http://saverollingrock.org SaveRollingRock.org - News and information on the sale of the Rolling Rock brand.]
[[Category:American beer brands]]
*[http://www.starpolish.com/artists/details.asp?id=9839 Rolling Rock anthem-Rolling Rock Blues]
[[Category:Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania]]
*[http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/07/28/latrobe_says_goodbye_to_rolling_rock/?p1=MEWell_Pos1 "Latrobe says goodbye to Rolling Rock", Michael Cowden, Associated Press, July 28, 2006]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1939]]

[[Category:Latrobe, Pennsylvania]]
{{Anheuser-Busch}}
[[Category:Beer and breweries in multi regions]]
[[Category:Internet memes introduced in 2006]]
[[Category:Anheuser-Busch beer brands]]

[[sv:Rolling Rock]]

Latest revision as of 23:15, 10 May 2024

Rolling Rock
TypeAmerican lager
ManufacturerAnheuser-Busch InBev
DistributorLatrobe Brewing Company
Introduced1939
Alcohol by volume 4.4%
ColorGolden yellow
Websiterollingrock.com

Rolling Rock is a 4.4% abv American lager[1] launched in 1939 by the Latrobe Brewing Company. Although founded as a local beer in Western Pennsylvania, it was marketed aggressively and eventually became a national product. The brand was sold to Anheuser-Busch of St. Louis, Missouri, in mid-2006, which transferred brewing operations to New Jersey while continuing to label the new beer prominently with the name of Latrobe.

History[edit]

From 1939 until July 26, 2006,[2] Rolling Rock was brewed at the Latrobe Brewing Company in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, a small city 34 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As stated on the bottle, it was brewed with a distinctive soft local water in large glass-lined tanks, which were considered state-of-the-art at the time of its introduction (in part due to sanitation concerns).[3]

On May 19, 2006,[4] Anheuser-Busch purchased the Rolling Rock and Rolling Rock Green Light brands from InBev for $82 million[5] and began brewing Rolling Rock at its Newark facility in mid July, 2006. The final batch of Rolling Rock was shipped from Latrobe on July 31, 2006. Union leaders in Westmoreland County organized a nationwide boycott of Anheuser-Busch and InBev brands because of the move.[6] Anheuser-Busch has said that Rolling Rock's original pledge on the label will be preceded by these words: "To honor the tradition of this great brand, we quote from the original pledge of quality." In July 2008, InBev reached a deal to acquire Anheuser-Busch, thereby returning ownership of Rolling Rock to InBev, now known as Anheuser–Busch InBev and based in Belgium.[5]

In 2009, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced that it was exploring the sale of the Rolling Rock brand.[5] In 2015, Anheuser-Busch stopped brewing bottled Rolling Rock in glass-lined tanks. Only the canned beer was now being brewed using the traditional process.[7]

Pony bottle[edit]

Rolling Rock's 7 U.S. fl oz (207 ml) pony bottle had been very popular until its discontinuation, so much so that this had given rise to the folk etymology that "pony" is from the Rolling Rock horse logo. This is incorrect: the term pony in "pony of beer" has been used in the United States of America since the 19th century,[8] predating Rolling Rock by over 50 years, and is due to the diminutive size;[9] similar words include pony glass and pony keg. Indeed, advertising for Rolling Rock since the 1950s uses the term "pony bottle" generically, stating "... Rolling Rock is the Largest Selling 7 oz. Pony Bottle of premium beer in Pennsylvania".[10]

Though it did not originate the term, the popularity of Rolling Rock doubtless reinforced it: one could refer to a regular (12 oz.) or small (7 oz.) of the beer as a "horse" or "pony" respectively. It also likely led to the standardization on a 7 oz. size: major national brands introduced 7 oz. pony bottles in the early 1970s, of which the most prominent is Miller High Life (pony introduced 1972[11][12]).

Number 33[edit]

Rolling Rock bottle with original quality pledge

The number 33 is printed prominently on all bottles of Rolling Rock. Many have speculated on the significance of the number 33: that the "33" refers to 1933, the founding year of the Pittsburgh Steelers (who hold their annual training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA);[13] that 33 degrees Fahrenheit is the proper temperature to keep beer; the 33 degrees of Scottish Rite Freemasonry; that Latrobe test-brewed 33 batches of beer before coming up with the final formula for Rolling Rock. Other theories concerning the number 33 are that there were exactly 33 stairsteps from the brewmaster's office to the brewing floor in the original Latrobe brewery. Also that the Pennsylvania fish and game commission at the turn of the century numbered the streams within the commonwealth and the water that was used to brew this beer was taken from the stream numbered 33.

The words "Rolling Rock" appear three times on the bottle for a total of 33 letters.

One widely held belief is that it marks the repeal of prohibition in 1933.

James L. Tito, former CEO of Latrobe Brewing, opined that the "33" signifies the 33 words in the beer's original pledge of quality, which is still printed on every bottle:

Rolling Rock - From the glass lined tanks of Old Latrobe, we tender this premium beer for your enjoyment as a tribute to your good taste. It comes from the mountain springs to you.

—Current pledge written on the Rolling Rock bottle

While the original wording on the label was somewhat different, it also contained the 33 following words:

A little nip from the glass lined tanks of Old Latrobe. We tender this package as a premium beer for your delight and economical use. It comes from the mountain springs to you.

—Original pledge written on the Rolling Rock bottle

This was followed by the "33". The current pledge is on the 12 oz. bottles, while the "little nip" pledge is from the 7 oz. bottle version. The 7 oz. bottles were referred in some parts of Pennsylvania as “nippers”, and a popular mode of packaging was in cases of 24, with a perforation so the case could be split in two, or a dozen each.

A founding executive is said to have written "33" at the end of the slogan to indicate the number of words it comprised as a guide for the bottle printers. They assumed it was part of the text and incorporated it into the label graphics. Hence, the first batch of bottles carried the number "33" and they remained that way since they were continually collected and reused.

Tito admitted, however, that there is no hard proof for this theory, and that at this point no one really knows what the true origin of the "33" may have been. Nonetheless, the tradition of the printing explanation has been sustained by the company as the wording on the labels has changed over the years, and the verbiage is carefully structured to retain a length of 33 words. The Rolling Rock nomenclature on the bottles was painted on, not paper or plastic.

Rolling Rock Red[edit]

Rolling Rock Red logo

Anheuser-Busch introduced a red lager version of Rolling Rock called Rolling Rock Red. While the number 33 has been a traditional part of Rolling Rock iconography, Rolling Rock Red's label has a "3", presumably signifying the name of the beverage ("Rolling Rock Red") or the words in the tagline "Finely Crafted Lager", which appears only on the Rolling Rock Red bottles.

In media[edit]

Rolling Rock is a significant symbol in internet celebrity James Rolfe's series Angry Video Game Nerd, where his character, the Nerd, takes a sip from a bottle of the drink to calm himself down when getting angry at bad games.[14]

Rolling Rock also appeared occasionally on episodes of The Sopranos, which was based in New Jersey.

In the 1978 film The Deer Hunter, Robert De Niro’s character (Michael) offers Meryl Streep's character (Linda) a Rolling Rock.

Rolling Rock is prominently featured in the 1986 film At Close Range, which takes place in rural Pennsylvania.

Red Forman is occasionally shown drinking Rolling Rock during dinner scenes in That 70's Show.

Rolling Rock is also featured in the movie That’s My Boy, which has the father of the main character double fisting bottles of the ‘rock.

Rolling Rock is featured as the beer that the main character, Jonathan Banks, drinks in the movie Side Effects.

Rolling Rock is shown as the beer of choice for Kate Winslet’s character and others in the series Mare of Easttown which is set in suburban Philadelphia.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Rolling Rock Extra Pale - Latrobe Brewing Co.
  2. ^ [1] [dead link]
  3. ^ (March 3, 1935). "Inside of a Huge Glass Lined Beer Tank Archived 2019-09-08 at the Wayback Machine". Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved on April 7, 2014
  4. ^ http://www.anheuser-busch.com/s/index.php/anheuser-busch-buys-rolling-rock-brands-from-inbev/ (registration required)
  5. ^ a b c The Wall Street Journal: Anheuser Explores Sale of Struggling Rolling Rock
  6. ^ Scott, Rebekah (May 24, 2006). "Latrobe brewery's boosters calling for boycott". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved on April 15, 2009
  7. ^ Bresswein, Kurt (January 27, 2015). "Anheuser-Busch Newark goes all aluminum, says goodbye to Rolling Rock bottles from 'glass lined tanks'". lehighvalleylive.com. Retrieved on August 14, 2016.
  8. ^ Americanisms, Farmer, p. 430 cites New York Journal, 1885 August; see pony for details.
  9. ^ Notes and Queries, August 8th, 1896, p. 126: "It seems probable the origin is due to the diminutiveness of the glass;"
  10. ^ The Pittsburgh Press, Oct 21, 1952, p. 4
  11. ^ John M. Connor; Ronald W. Ward (1983). Advertising and the Food System. Research Division, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison. p. 309.
  12. ^ CSA Super Markets, Volume 50, 1974, p. 68
  13. ^ Why is there a "33" on Rolling Rock beer labels? from The Straight Dope
  14. ^ AVGN Drinking Compilation, retrieved 2022-06-14

External links[edit]

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