The Cheap Alcoholic Drink Gen X Grew Up With At Parties - Tasting Table

"At its most popular in the '70s, this was like a beer-and-wine hybrid, combining beer with red grape juice. It offered the crisp, effervescence of beer, softened and sweetened with lightly tart fruit juice. And, perhaps more importantly for the Gen X crowd that would have been its target demographic, the drink was also a bargain. On a Gen X Facebook group post, a commenter says Malt Duck was the go-to for Friday-night celebrations when they only had five bucks."

"By 1974, Malt Duck's producer National Brewing Co. had clocked the popularity of the fruity product and added an apple variety among others. Beers with fruit flavors, considered flavored malt liquors or flavored malt beverages, were all the rage in the early '70s. There was Hop'n Gator, a lemon-lime Gatorade-infused lager from Pittsburgh Brewing Company; Right Time, a red flavored malt drink from Hamm's Brewing; and a zesty Lime Lager from Lone Star Brewing Company. Malt Duck, however, outlasted them all."

"While it may not seem like much in today's craft beer scene where 7% ABV IPAs are the norm, Malt Duck packed nearly 5% alcohol in an era when the average beer hovered around 3.5%. Gen X college students looking for an accessibly tasty, fruity buzz on a budget had found their golden ticket. So how did Malt Duck eventually become of the many once-popular drinks that have now disappeared from store shelves?"

Malt Duck was sold from the 1960s until the 1990s as a beer-and-wine hybrid that combined lager with red grape juice, producing a crisp, effervescent drink softened by lightly tart fruit. The brand expanded by 1974 to include apple varieties and joined a trend of fruit-flavored malt beverages like Hop'n Gator, Right Time, and Lime Lager. With nearly 5% ABV it offered more alcohol than typical beers of the era and appealed to budget-conscious Gen X college students. G. Heileman Brewing Co. acquired National Brewing Co. in 1975 and production continued until 1992 amid shifting tastes toward craft styles.

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