Champale

Champale is a brand of Malt Liquor, brewed with yeasts more commonly used in wine fermentation, to produce a beer resembling sparkling wines in taste.^{[citation needed]} Champale was one of the first alcoholic drinks to target the African American market in its advertising,^{[citation needed]} contributing to malt liquor's current popularity within the United States.^{[citation needed]}

History

Champale Malt Liquor was first produced in 1939 by The Metropolis Brewing Company at its brewery on Lamberton and Lalor streets in Trenton, New Jersey and later also at a related brewery in Norfolk, Virginia. The companies names were later changed to Champale, Inc. and The Champale Products Corporation, respectively. The two operating breweries were privately owned by the Hertzberg brothers until their sale to publicly held Iroquois Brands, Ltd. in the mid-1970s. During the early 1970s through the early 1980s the Trenton facility's production and distribution capacity at the Trenton location were significantly expanded, ultimately allowing for the consolidation of all operations into the Trenton plant. At about that time significant capital expenditures were made to expand production and distribution capabilities at the Trenton facility. Extra Dry Champale was the only Champale variety produced until the introduction of Pink Champale in 1977. A third variety, Golden Champale, was introduced in the early 1980s. All three varieties were sold in 7 oz., 12 oz., and 32 oz. bottles, as well as in 12 oz. cans. The Champale brands were sold to beer distributors in 46 states, being particularly popular in urban areas. Iroquios Brands, Ltd. began divesting itself of its subsidiaries in the mid-1980s and sold the Champale formula and brand rights to the G. Heileman Brewing Company in November, 1986, at which time Champale production was moved to existing Heilman brewing facilities. Iroquois sold the Trenton realty and equipment to a group of ex-Champale employees who operated a short-lived beverage contract packaging operation, but the facilities were abandoned within two years. The brewing and packaging buildings have subsequently been demolished and the distribution facility resold. The shell of the main office building, an historic structure, remains (barely) standing on Lamberton Street. ^[1] The release was accompanied by print advertisements, chiefly depicting African Americans enjoying the beverage, with slogans such as "Live a little on very little",^[2] the drink was pitched as a 'poor man's champagne'. The beer's packaging and label resembled that of wine. The beverage's huge initial success has ensured the brand's continuity, and likely contributed to the current popularity of high-alcohol Malt Liquors. The brand has been passed along a succession of companies, most recently acquired by the G. Heileman Brewing Company in 1986.^[3] G. Heileman Brewing Company was subsequently acquired by the Pabst Brewing Company, who currently produce the beer in a limited release across the United States.

Flavors

Champale is currently produced in four flavors: Golden, Pink, Dry, and Red Berry.

Cocktails with Champale

On the 1960s Champale can, viewable online at ^[4]printed "4 Ways To Enjoy" Champale on its label:

'Sahara' Highball Tall glass of ice, add jigger of vodka - fill with CHAMPALE.

Champale 'Cheer' Serve ice cold CHAMPALE in stemmed glass - add a maraschino cherry.

Champale 'Cooler' Tall glass of cracked ice, fill with CHAMPALE - add twist of lemon peel.

'Pink' Champale Add dash of grenadine or cherry juice to CHAMPALE in stemmed or champagne glass.

Pink Champale is referenced in popular music (see below.) The 'Sahara' Highball, though a potent "boilermaker" (beer and hard liquor) completely disguised the taste of the vodka.

Champale in popular culture

• Marge Simpson, a character in the animated TV show The Simpsons, has referred to the drink, notably in the episode "I Married Marge" prior to the conception of Bart Simpson. Champale was also once referenced by Marge's sister Selma, when she believed Marge had left Homer in the episode "Half-Decent Proposal".
• In the Futurama episode Mother's Day, Fry suggests the Professor get a six pack of strawberry flavored Champale and a funnel to get Mom drunk and end the robot rampage.
• The Beastie Boys, in their song Ch-Check It Out on the album To The 5 Boroughs, deliver the line "I got class like pink Champale."
• Jonathan Coulton, in his song "I'm Having a Party", sings "My brother says he won't come down and punch me / And we can drink his four-pack of Champales."
• Ghostface Killah, mentions the drink in the song "Careful (Click Click)" from Wu-Tang Clan's 2000 album The W, seemingly freely associating: "B'Gosh all that OshKosh jumpers / Pink Champale, brown paper bags, wall to wall bumpers". The drink is also mentioned in the song "In Tha Park" from Ghostface Killah's 2010 album Apollo Kids: "Strobe lights is live, Pink Champale / Little pin joints being lit up on the side".
• Champale is the preferred drink of Uncle Trash, a character in the short story Strays by Mark Richard.
• Champale was also mentioned in the hidden track ("Mama Loves Me") on Jay-Z's Blueprint album "Grandma dressed me, plus she fed me banana puddin', what's in the hood then Puffin on L's, drinkin' pink champelle".
• Craig Ferguson mentioned Champale on the Late Late Show that aired the night of June 9, 2010 during a bit about copyright issues.
• In Episode 14, Season 2 of the TV show "That 70's Show," when the character Red Forman thinks he is being offered a management-level position during an interview he exclaims "Let's break out the Champale."

External links

• The Pabst Brewing Company
• Champale Magazine Advertisements from the 1960s to the 1990s

References

1. ^ "Champale site now an eminent domain fight", Trentonian.com, 14th October 2006
2. ^ Kihm Winship, "A Story without Heroes: The Cautionary Tale of Malt Liquor"
3. ^ PHILIP H. DOUGHERTY, "ADVERTISING; Champale Is Assigned To Doner of Baltimore", The New York Times, 5 December 1986
4. ^ "Tavern Trove" "Champale Beer Can: 4 Ways To Enjoy Champale"