Wrigley Field Without Old Style? It's a Rumor

The Old Style sign outside Margie's Pub in North Center. (Photo: Chuck Sudo/Chicagoist)

There's a rumor going around, fueled by the folks at The Wrigley Blog, that Old Style "will no longer be the Official Beer of Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs." Worse for baseball purists and folks with deep veins of civic pride running through them, Old Style would be replaced by Coors Light, according to these stories.

Problem is, we aren't so sure that's s done deal, even though Pabst owner C. Dean Metropoulos (Pabst owns the Old Style brand) said in an internal memo that he'd like to extricate the brand from its sponsorship deal with the Cubs, the long history between the two ballparks be damned.

In an internal memo to top staff one month after purchasing the company, C. Dean Metropoulos outlined a plan to see PBR sales grow 30 percent per year, Lone Star's sales to double and for the company to create a "Four Loko"-like version of Colt 45, backed by an African-American star and jingle.
"I also want to try to exit the 'Cubs' deal and divert this money behind Old Style 'Light,'" C. Dean Metropoulos wrote. The relationship between Old Style and the Chicago Cubs baseball team has existed for 61 years.

Also, it's hard to know what beer is the official sponsor of the Cubs. Aside from Wrigley Field's long-standing association with Old Style, Anheuser-Busch has had a fruitful association with the Cubs ever since the early days of Harry Caray's tenure with the team and has naming rights over the bleachers and television broadcasts through 2013.

To see whether or not there's fire related with the smoke, we placed calls into Pabst's Woodridge headquarters, Pabst's LA offices and the Cubs media relations department for comment. We're awaiting reply from the Cubs. The phone at Pabst's Woodridge offices kept ringing without an answer; maybe they're busy packing up for their move to Los Angeles.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@chicagoist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Chuck Sudo in Food on August 2, 2011 1:20 PM

Comments [rss]

magooisim

this begs the question: what's worse, coors light or miller lite? I'd go coors, if these were the options presented.

randomcha

Coors Light is one of the most amazingly crappy beers on the market, so I'd say pairing it with the Cubs is pretty much perfect.

slickpoetry

I'm a know-nothing (about the Cubs) south sider, but I always thought that Budweiser was the official beer of Wrigley and the Cubs. How strange.

BlueFairlane

I think beer is the official beer of Wrigley and the Cubs.

sat3911

What is a Cubs fan's favorite kind of beer?

Cold.

And overpriced.

pablo_rajczyk

It's crazy to me that I tweeted a rumor I heard and before long it seemed to be everywhere. Gotta love the Internet.

donjuandemarco

Would much, much, much, much rather have Coors any day!!!!!! DO IT!

Petruce_Carrier

Metropoulos, if you're going for 30% sales growth... why not also throw in a "Budweiser Chelada" like version of Old Milwaukee, backed by Salma Hayek and quebradita"?

"Divert this money behind Old Style 'Light,'" - Sounds like an efficient use of capital.

ChicagoD

"Worse for baseball purists and folks with deep veins of civic pride . . ."

Uh, what? Old Style was never brewed close to Chicago, and beer has more or less nothing to do with the purity of baseball. Plus Old Style doesn't taste very good. I like the idea that no longer having Old Style Light is what is killing the brand. Not brewing swill. Sheesh. Good riddance to Old Style.