Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #5228: All Together For Newark

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Tuesday’s ad is for Consumers Bock Beer, which was published on April 21, 1916. This ad was for the Consumers Brewing Co., of Newark, Ohio and was founded in 1897. This ad ran in The Newark Advocate, of Newark, Ohio.

Beer Birthday: Steve Parkes

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Today is the 66th birthday of Steve Parkes. Steve owns and runs the American Brewers Guild, which trains brewers. I’ve known Steve for a number of years now and he’s one of my favorite Brits in the industry. I had the pleasure of writing a profile of him for Beer Advocate magazine a few years ago, from which I learned the following. Steve studied brewing sciences at Heriot-Wyatt University in Edinburgh and worked at several small UK breweries before moving to Maryland to open British Brewing (later known as Oxford Brewing). He then moved to California and created Red Nectar for Humboldt Brewing, which is also where he caught the teaching bug. Eventually buying the ABG school in 1999, several years ago making the leap to running the school full-time. In 2009, Steve was awarded the Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Brewing by the Brewers Association at CBC in Boston. Steve said at the time. “It’s gratifying when someone notices what you’re been doing every day. It just feels tremendous, like standing on the shoulder of giants. The willingness to share is the best part of this industry. I love being part of a working community that thinks like that. It makes you a better person.” Join me in wishing Steve a very happy birthday.

Steve with Mitch Steele, Shaun O’Sullivan & me at the Grand Re-Opening of Iron Hill Brewery.
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Pete Brown and Steve at the GBBF in 2009.
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Steve at Cantillon in Brussels.
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Enjoying a Rodenbach.
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Words fail me. Happy birthday Steve. [Note: Last three Photos Purloined from Facebook.]

Beer In Ads #5227: It’s Here! Bock Beer By Bosch

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Monday’s ad is for Bosch Brewing Bock Beer, which was published on April 20, 1935. This ad was for the Bosch Brewing Co., of Houghton, Michigan and was founded in 1857 by William Ault. This ad ran in The Escanaba Daily Press, of Escanaba, Michigan.

Beer Birthday: Drew Beechum

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Today is the 51st birthday of Drew Beechum, who’s a past president of the Maltose Falcons homebrewing club and its current webmeister. He’s also the author of The Everything Homebrewing Book: All you need to brew the best beer at home! and wrote a regular column for Beer Advocate magazine. Join me in wishing Drew a very happy birthday.

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Drew’s Facebook Profile picture.
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Drew at 21st Amendment.
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Drew in a Jayne hat — from Firefly — with his wife, Aymee. (NOTE: All photos purloined from Facebook.)

Beer Birthday: Des De Moor

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Today would have been the 65th birthday of Des de Moor, who was a London-based freelance beer writer who passed away in March of this year. I honestly can’t recall exactly when we met, but we’d been judging together at beer competitions and attending other beer events around the world for a number of years, and Des was great fun to share a pint with. He was also the author of the CAMRA Guide to London’s Best Beer Pubs & Bars. Join me in drinking a toast to Des de Moor tonight with your favorite English ale.

With a pint of Harvey’s Sussex Bitter.
Des from Flagship February in 2019.

Beer Birthday: Brenden Dobel

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Today is the 56th birthday of Brenden Dobel, who until recently was the head brewer at Thirsty Bear in San Francisco, but then briefly at 21st Amendment, before moving over to Almanac on Alameda. Brenden grew up in the Bay Area, but learned brewing in Bavaria, at Doemans. He also brewed at Reccow and Broken Drum, before coming to Thirsty Bear over ten years ago. Brenden’s a terrific guy to share a pint with and discuss arcane subjects like history or English literature. If he hadn’t found brewing, he most likely would have ended up a teacher, or perhaps a sailor. Please join me in wishing Brenden a very happy birthday.

Me and Brenden at the East Bay opening gala for the 2023 SF Beer Week.

Shaun O'Sullivan, from 21st Amendment, and Brendan Dobel, Thirsty Bear
With Shaun O’Sullivan at the SF Brewers Guild festival in 2010.
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Brenden at some old unknown event.
Lars Larson (Trumer) & Brendan Dobbel (Thirsty Bear)
With Trumer brewmaster Lars Larson at the Celebrator’s 22nd anniversary party in 2010.
Clockwise from Left: Rich Higgins, John Tucci, Brenden Dobbel & Aron Deorsey with the 4 bottles of dessert
Clockwise from Left: Rich Higgins, John Tucci, Brenden & Aron Deorsey with our 4 bottles of dessert at a Sierra Nevada beer dinner after beer camp a few years ago where we made a beer for SF Beer Week.

Historic Beer Birthday: Henry Becker

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indiana

Today is the birthday of Henry Becker (April 19, 1851-April 20, 1906). He was born in Bavaria, and emigrated to the U.S. when he was 21, coming first to New Orleans, and two years later settling in Terre Haute, Indiana. At some point, he became involved with the Seventh Street Brewery, which had been founded in 1848 (although another source seems to dispute that believing they are unrelated and that Becker’s was founded independently in the 1870s, which actually makes some sense to me). Its name was changed to the Terre Haute Weiss Beer Brewery in 1898 (if related to Seventh Street), but after Becker’s death in 1906, his son took it over, renaming it the Henry J. Becker Brewery. Becker’s son then sold it two years later, in 1908. The buyer, Charles J. Graf, closed it for the good the same year.

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Obituary of Becker from the American Brewers’ Review in 1906.

There’s very little information I could find on Becker or his brewery. It appears to have been very small, with capacity below 500 bbl, making it something of a proto-nano in its day. I could also not find any photos of Becker or the brewery and no breweriana whatsoever, aprt from the bottle below, which must be from between 1906-09. One unusual fact I did find is that they brewed a Berliner Weiss.

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Beer In Ads #5226: Broadway Brewing Bock Beer

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Saturday’s ad is for Broadway Brewing Bock Beer, which was published on April 18, 1905. This ad was for the Broadway Brewing & Malting Co., of Buffalo, New York and was founded by Albert Albrecht in 1852. This ad ran in The Buffalo Evening News, also of Buffalo, New York.

Beer Birthday: Neil Miller

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Today would have been the 52nd birthday of New Zealand beer writer Neil Miller. He wrote regularly for Beer and Brewer magazine, the beer blog at Real Beer NZ and the Malthouse Blog. Though born in Scotland — Broxburn — he made Wellington his home. I met Neil when he was visiting the states with Luke Nicholas and other New Zealand beer aficionados for the Craft Brewers Conferences in 2009. They came over early to tour the west coast before CBC began in San Diego that year. We met up at my local brewpub, Moylan’s, and Neil hilariously tells a story about that meeting that I was completely unaware of at the time. Thanks to the series of tubes known as the internet, we’ve managed to keep in touch since then. Unfortunately, Neil passed away June 1, 2021. Join me in drinking a toast to Neil tonight.

Neil with Luke Nicholas.
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Neil in his cups at his table at the Malthouse
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Behind the bar at the Mussel Inn.
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With recently married Kate Pullar. The correct caption: “when are you going to buy me another of these Epic Armageddon IPAs?”

[Note: Photos Purloined from Facebook.]

Beer Birthday: Alan McLeod

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Today is beer blogger extraordinaire Alan McLeod’s 64th birthday. Alan runs a good beer blog, called — curiously enough — A Better Beer Blog, which replaced his earlier “A Good Beer Blog.” I’m not sure what came first, the goodness or the blog. Anyway, though I’ve yet to meet Alan in person I feel as if he’s already a great, not just good, friend through our many conversations via e-mail and commenting on one another’s blogs. If you haven’t read his essay in the book Beer & Philosophy yet, rush right out and buy yourself a copy. He also published The Unbearable Nonsense of Craft Beer, with Max Bahnson, available as a Kindle single on Amazon, and a few years back co-wrote both Upper Hudson Valley Beer and Ontario Beer: A Heady History of Brewing from the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay. Join me in wishing Alan the very merriest of birthdays. Cheers, mate.

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Alan pondering the mysteries of Stonehenge at age 7.
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A night with bald pate, circa 2002.
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Contemplating a jump near Prince Edward Island a dozen years ago. Happily, he decided against getting wet.
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Letting everyone know his status as a VIP at an event in 2012. [Note: photo purloined from Facebook.]