Old Style, brewed since 1902 in Wisconsin, has been closely associated with Chicago since 1950, when it became the official beer of the Cubs, sold by Wrigley Field vendors. Then, in the 1970s, Old Style’s salesmen began offering lighted signs to local taverns, whose owners were thrilled to have a glowing advertisement for a well-liked beer. The beverage’s popularity increased here in 1976, after Budweiser brewers went on strike, leaving Old Style one of the only available cheap beers. As the brand tried to expand beyond the Midwest in the 1990s, a series of TV ads starring quintessential Chicago actor Dennis Farina mocked New Yorkers and Angelenos trying to glom on to Old Style: “It’s our great beer, and they can’t have it.”

Old Style, which controlled a third of the local market in the 1980s, isn’t as popular here as it used to be. (Budweiser took its place as the Cubs’ official beer in 2014.) Still, the Old Style sign remains as a symbol of a classic Chicago tavern, labeled “Cerveza Fría” in Latino neighborhoods and “Zimne Piwo” on the Polish Northwest Side. The Old Style Bar Project has documented hundreds of Chicago-area signs on its website, out of the 2,000 installed throughout the Midwest. We may not drink as much Old Style as we once did, but no other beer is so beloved.

Send your questions about the Chicago area to emcclelland@chicagomag.com.