Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Old Tankard Ale: A Step Back In Time

Beer Snob | May 11th, 2016

By Ben Rodgers

Brewed from a 1937 recipe, American-style Old Tankard is a complete opposite of the red, white and blue flagship.

Back in its heyday, Old Tankard was the second-best selling beer from Pabst for about three decades. Although it’s hard to turn down the classic Blue Ribbon, Old Tankard offers a vintage taste that should be more refined than the flagship.

Just a few hours south of the old Pabst brewery in Milwaukee is Chicago, a blues town through and through. One of the Windy City’s lesser known musical exports is the Siegel Schwall Band.

Corky Siegel and Jim Schwall played in the house band at Peppers on the south side during the 60s. It was a gig that provided them the opportunity to play with a throng of great bluesmen, including Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters.

In 1973 Siegel Schwall released “953 West.” The band broke up a year later and wouldn’t reunite until 1987. “953 West” looks quiet on the cover, a black and white drawing of a platform near the Quiet Knight, a venue the group frequented.

Both the beer and the band took some time off. Let’s see how the two hold up now.

Old Tankard starts off with a light kick of hops. It’s at a mild 35 IBUs but with an ale, the small amount of hops commands the overall taste.

“953 West” starts with an almost ragtime piano and backs it up with a slide guitar. It’s not traditional blues by any means. The slide guitar adds some twang, but the instrumentals reek of blues improvisation.

Hardly an overly hoppy brew, Old Tankard doesn’t really have much else in its taste. But back in the 1940s this would be considered bitter. By today’s standards it’s mostly considered a throwback, and not a very good one.

Siegel Schwall has the slick harmonica on “Traitor from Decatur” and switches styles with a horn-heavy track called “Good Woman.” This track is a close resemblance to Leon Redbone with influences of Tin Pan Alley. Both Redbone and Siegel Schwall were most prominent in the 70s, when there was a slight rekindling of Cole Porter and his rags.

Old Tankard leaves little to the imagination. If PBR is on the right hand side, this beer would be on the far left. It’s simple, basic, and not overwhelming but heavy, with a low drinkability.

Tracks on “935 West” so far are bouncing between genres. The first that could be classified as blues end the A Side with “Just another Song about the Country Sung by a City Boy” and “When I’ve Been Drinking.” The latter is slow with an acoustic guitar, vocals and harmonica. It’s nothing fancy, just blues. Anyone wanting to learn harmonica would be well served.

The B Side opens up with “Old Time Shimmy,” which could easily belong on the original Muppet Show. Each track on the record could be influenced by any number of styles. “Off to Denver” is another track which could very well be sung by Redbone.

Halfway through my 16 ounces and the malt is becoming more prominent. The beer is not refreshing but the light piano music certainly is.

If there ever was a track that is signature Siegel Schwall, “Blame it on the Wine” is it: humorous lyrics, blaming it on the wine, with a harmonica that doesn’t overwhelm but compliments the music. Again, not traditional blues but bluesy all the same.

Any type of beer goes down easier with harmonica, thankfully there’s plenty of harmonica on “935 West,” otherwise this beer would be a chore. It’s not a bad brew, but with craft beers becoming more and more relevant, this is a throwback to a bygone era. There isn’t anything in Old Tankard that blows away the taste buds.

At the same time there aren’t many tracks on “935 West” that melt the face the way Guy or Waters do, but it’s a quirky take on blues with hints of country and ragtime. I just wish this beer had some extra hints to make it go down easier.  

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comArea children ages 10 and over are invited to join the Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum to explore how rivers work at two Fargo Public Library locations this summer. Stream Table Workshops will…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

Friday, July 25, doors at 8:30 p.m.Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, Fargo"This is what you need to know about Daikaiju,” said Kelly Weidman. “They're loud. They're all instrumental (duh). And they're the band to see…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by…

By Ed Raymond fargogadfly@gmail.comThere might be room for Trump on Mount Rushmore after allDuring King Donald’s first term he told Kristi Noem, then a congresswoman and now his secretary of homeland security, his dream was to be…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Simone Wairickgion@gmail.com The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comAri Aster’s political satire “Eddington” premiered in competition for the Palme d’Or at Cannes in May, where Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” received the prize. A…

Press ReleaseTouchmark at Harwood Groves will host a special artist reception featuring renowned glass artist Jon Offutt on Tuesday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. in the community’s auditorium. The event celebrates Offutt’s temporary…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comPhoto by Yvonne Denault There is something intimate and personal about plays. Even in our age of multimillion dollar Hollywood productions and droves of streaming services, watching actors…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…