Ever hear of the Volk Brewery in Great Falls? Any idea how old this unopened bottle of Volk Pilsner might be?

http://www.flickr.com/pho...932928683/

I don't think I'd drink it if I were you.

Dang....that is old. Pre-1950, at least.

http://www.taverntrove.co...s/1438.asp

Wow, that is pretty old. I had never heard of the Volk Brewery.

- Dave

P.S. Run over any deer lately, Gunnar?

Hahaha! No....but I am sure glad I am out of the Missouri Breaks after camping there this week. They are expected to get 18 inches of snow today, wind is N-NE 15-30 mph.

It certainly was an exhausting sheep hunt....climbing along steep ridges to glass for ewes.....then returning to the pick to find Bert snoring away.

FWIW, I got to taste a can of 1970 Great Falls Select beer a few years ago. My uncle had saved it from the last time it was brewed in Great Falls. It just sat in his house, not even refrigerated.

I was surprised to find that it was quite good. Tasted very malty, hops were completely gone....but then, I don't think Great Falls Select was ever much known for being hoppy.

I got to talk to Mark H. for about 3 seconds yesterday until Mark W.'s cell phone battery died. Mark W. said Mark H. had deer goo all over his manifold. Yuck.

Yeah, I doubt you would detect any hops even in a freshly-brewed Great Falls Select.

- Dave

Is that the current level of beer barely visible in the photo... just below the shoulder, above the label?

Odd how so much could evaporate out through a good, metal seal (presumably with some kind of seal inside that cap?). Even 40 year old wine gives up less, properly stored.

So, perhaps the next question is what can you do to salvage that great label? Remove it via some trick methods (don't steam) or adhere it back solidly on the bottle and leave well enough alone?

That's a great little gem you have there - hold on to it.

It belongs to a friend who lives in Miles City. Apparently he picked it up recently at an estate auction. I think he plans to leave it just the way it is.

- Dave

From a historic preservation point of view, if it doesn't need any immediate stabilization, it's better to leave it as it is. From a health point of view. . .ick.

Yes, there were bits of paunch hanging from the rear view mirror. It smelled a tad bit ripe.

Actually, there have been many bottles of beer much older than this pilsner which have aged very well and are quite delicious. British beers from the 19th century command very high prices on eBay, and are generally well-regarded, with some exceptions (i.e., the cap/cork is compromised, and they turn stale/sour). These beers share similar common denominators:

1. The beer has a high specific gravity (greater than 1.080)

2. The beer is not filtered or pasteurized. In other words, it is still alive, with suspended yeast still working.

Unfortunately, a 1948 bottled pilsner from Great Falls is likely to fail both criteria. It most probably has a gravity between 1.045-1.050, and has been pasteurized.

I live in Austin, TX and do businees with a man in the printing / graphic arts industry. We have been associates for 20 + years.

He is the grandson of Mr. & Mrs. Volk (his maternal grandmother) of Great Falls. They owned the brewery and a few taverns, in Great Falls. The Volk family were German imigrants and prosperous. The Volk Family lived next door to the Russells. When she was a little girl, my friend's mom would go over to his studio to play, and sometimes Charliie Russell would give her a nickel go to the tavern and fetch him a beer.

Cool story, Tom. Thanks for sharing with us.

Did they deliver there beer in a Volkswagon.

No, the Jedi delivered the beer in a cabriolet.

I am a relative of the Volks who owned the Volk Brewery in Great Falls. Can you contact me at snorris@norriscantulaw.com. My grandmother was the daughter of Mr. Volk.