"... it had to be transported in a refrigerated truck..." Yes, true. And before that, it wasn't even available outside the western states, so NH did without....
Until, that is, I made a trip back here from CA in late December of 1974 in my '72 Blazer, with my future wife. Rear seat was removed and a futon put in, several quilts, sleeping bags, food, stock 22-gallon fuel tank replaced with a 38-gallon monster from Hickey Enterprises, and four cases of Coors, stacked two on each side in the back corners next to the tailgate. Yep, almost like my TDI Wagon (NOT), about 500 miles on a tankful of gas. Literally stopped for fuel six times from CA to NH, through all kinds of nasty weather. (Do I hear Janis in the background?)
Sold those cases of Coors to a bar proprietor friend when I got back to NH; that beer paid for all the fuel for that trip! Oh, the adventures with that Blazer, when I was young & foolish....
But, as Dennis is quick to point out, European beer is a tad different; after my first trip to Northern Europe in November of 1968 (talk about lousy weather!!), I was forever spoiled. American beer tasted like flavored water after that....
Sorry, trip down memory lane over....