Hipster favorite in (where else)
Olympia, a cheap beer favored more out of
sentimentality than anything else. In its preferred form, it comes in
stubbies, a short, squat, 11.5 oz bottle. Rarely seen is an "Oly Dark" variety. The slogan used by the manufacturer has traditionally been "It's the water" though this is frequently truncated by fans to "It's water".
Historically manufactured at the Olympia Brewery (somewhat inexplicably located in Tumwater, Washington), though since the acquisition of the brewery by the Miller Brewing Company the brand has been expanded somewhat and is now produced in multiple locations across the country.
The nature of the association between Olympia youth culture and Olympia beer is cemented as much by Olympia beer memorabilia as consumption of the actual product. Until the late '90s, the Olympia brewery offered tours, which culminated in tastings (with Pepsi being substituted for underage visitors) and a trip through the gift shop, where one could purchase such key fashion accessories as tin ashtrays, keychains, and the "Oly Girl" patch that was ubiquitous on Oly kids' mechanics jackets in the early '90s.
Adding to the allure is the product placement found in numerous movies in the '60s and '70s like The Graduate and Friday the 13th: Part III.
The fate of Olympia beer at the time of this writing is unknown. The brand has been expanded geographically, but seems to have been scaled back in the Northwest somewhat. Persistent rumors suggest that the stubby form factor will be eliminated. Yet the brand's popularity among Olympia youth has been escalating in recent times after a late '90s pullback. Local nightclub Thekla sports an impressive collection of Oly beer lightbox advertisements from the '60s, and the Voyeur cafe offers "Pasta a la Oly", which is pasta cooked with vegtables and oil served arranged around a stubby.