Knoxville World’s Fair Beer could become permanent offering

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The revival of a beer to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Knoxville World’s Fair was only meant to be on the market for six months. But heavy demand has brewers considering making it a permanent offering.

Media reports the original World’s Fair Beer was introduced surrounding the 1982 event that featured the 266-foot Sunsphere as its centerpiece.

The Knoxville event was the first world’s fair to be held in the Southeast, and then-President Ronald Reagan spoke at the opening. The fair brought to town the London Symphony, Japan’s Kabuki Theater and Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda.

Fair visitors had a say about another beverage, giving the thumbs up to a canned and bottled Cherry Coke that came on the market three years later.

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*Photo from World’s Fair Beer Facebook