Beer of the Weekend #477: Louie's Demise

My back hurts. Beer me!

The beer tonight is Louie’s Demise, brewed by the Milwaukee Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.


Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is beautiful amber/copper. A finger of buttery, light tan head leaves a ring around the edge and a skim of foam. It features a little chill haze and there is quite a bit of carbonation.

Smell: Rich and malty. It kind of smells like a 3 Musketeers bar. Milk chocolate, caramel, toffee, and very subtle hints of cherry.

Taste: Not so much like 3 Musketeers, which is okay. (I do like 3 Musketeers, though.) Toasted malts are complemented by caramel, toffee, earthy hops (which offer an adequate, beery bite), a hint of cocoa, and a hint of lemon.

Drinkability: Very pleasing and tasty, and also very easy drinking. It certainly is a good beer to toast with.

Fun facts about Louie’s Demise:

-Style: Amber Ale.

-Price: $1.69 at the Otto’s Elm Grove Liquor in Elm Grove, Wisconsin.

-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.

-Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.

-IBU: 24.

-Very interesting info about the beer’s name, courtesy of the beer’s website:

Jim McCabe (owner and founder) started as a homebrewer, brewing beer with his original partner in a farmhouse in Cedarburg. On the wall was a picture from the 19th century of several men drinking from dimple glasses, every time they would drink they would toast to these men. After looking into it, they found out they were at a distant relative’s wake. That distant relative was Louie, they decided that all this time they had been toasting to Louie’s Demise.

The next question they asked was how did Great Great Uncle Louie? Our friend Bruce was able to supply us with some of the answers we were looking for.

Sheboygan, 1886, Great Great Uncle Louie was cracked over the head with a glass and killed. For several years we speculated with our friends; why was Louie killed? Turns out, Louie had it coming, it was over a woman! He was picking a fight with another bar patron over his beautiful wife. After a scuffle moved outside, Louie was sent on his way bruised up. But, near closing time, he had returned. The fight escalated, and the man whacked Louie over his head with a glass. Legend has it, an onlooker pried the beer from Louie’s dying hands and toasted his lustful life.

After Bruce gave us the lowdown, he reluctantly told us it was his great great uncle that killed Louie.

The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.

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