BEER WOLF.

He’s one loose partyin’ dude in a loose partyin’ mood. But he wasn’t always that way. Legend has it that back in 1983, when the fine folks at the Coors Brewing Co. let him loose to the public, he was a much different, darker wolf. Initially the people at Coors marketed him as a throwback to “The Wolfman” from the 40’s and as you can imagine, Beer Wolf was not the bitchin’ wolf you see in the picture. The babe-chasing, beach volleyball playing, beer shotgunning wolf we know so well just didn’t exist.

Because this early Beer Wolf was referenced to early black & white horror films and comics, he appeared old and tired, definitely not the typeof wolf you’d invite over to help tap your keg. This amateur Beer Wolf required a complete overhaul if he wanted to be noticed.

Well in 1986, the Beer Wolf must have grown out his pubes and started working out because he exploded on the scene and was immediately the Hunkiest wolf in every city and in every town. The Coors “Silver Bullet” mascot was now a household name and noticeable differences included lighter colored fur, yellow eyes, big lips and even sometimes neon sunglasses. This new and improved Beer Wolf always ended each picture with a big smile to show that he’s always cool and ready to party. Just look at him howling in on these partygoers during a St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

With this change, this new wolf proved to be sexier by fans. Coors went on to be hugely successful during Halloween, when “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark” joined Beer Wolf campaign and posed for a complete photoshoot with the hairy ol’ stud. Promo items were introduced such as plushies, pins, dishware, T-shirts, bar ads, posters, stickers, costumes and even underwear. Also, one of the best moments for Beer Wolf was when Coors released werewolf statues in bars and supermarkets, which had a cassette tape player that people could walk by an hear the happy voice of Beer Wolf.

Sadly as we all know, the 90’s came around and tables were turned. Beer Wolf stopped making appearances and the losers at Coors abandoned our friend. The final merchandise was shipped to stores around 1992, and these days the only items that remain can be hunted down on auction sites like Ebay or at flea markets. Currently, the TNUC lair holds the Elvira poster, a party/beach t-shirt and a neon sign. Who knows, maybe one day TNUC will buy the rights to Beer Wolf and we can see this beer-loving, good-time-having, sexy ball of fur rise again.

**UPDATE** Read PT. II of our Beer Wolf feature here!