Ballantine Ale

Ballantine Ale first started brewing in Albany, New York in 1833. It moved in 1840 to Newark, New Jersey. It quickly became one of the top five brewers in America. It grew to be the third most popular beer in America by the 1950's.  It had celebrity endorsements that included Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Frank Sinatra, John Steinbeck, and Ernest Hemingway in his only commercial endorsement ever. They also sponsored the New York Yankees, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Boston Celtics, even owning that team for a time. It's symbols include the "XXX" and the three rings of "Purity, Body, and Flavor" inspired by the interlocking wet rings left on the bar when founder Peter Ballantine drank a pint. The brand was sold to Falstaff in 1972, and then to Pabst in the early 1990's, where the brand remains today.

The beer is 4.85% ABV and pours a pure golden yellow in color. There is about an inch of white foamy head. The aroma is grassy, with herbal and floral aromatic hoppiness, crisp, grainy. The taste is slightly sweet grainy malt, with a tangy grassiness, lightly bitter on the finish. There is citrus over grain in the aftertaste. It is well carbonated, crisp and refreshing. This is quite enjoyable.

Here is a link to the Hemingway ad.