Friday’s ad is by the Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1944, part of a series of ads the beer industry undertook during World War 2 under the title “Morale is a Lot of Little Things.” It was one of the first concerted efforts by the brewing industry after they were getting back on their feet after prohibition finally ended around a decade before. The series tried to show support for the troops and help with morale at home. And it must have worked, because the campaign won awards at the time. In this ad, a U.S. Marine is writing a letter home, reminiscing about the little things he was missing from home, like a hammock in the orchard, Mom’s bean suppers — again? — and teaching Mary how to hit a baseball with a bat. Oh, and “a refreshing glass of beer.”
Archives for July 14, 2017
Beer Words: Alebush
This morning, the O.E.D. tweeted as their “Word of the Day,” the all but obselete word “alebush,” which they define as a “n. A bunch of ivy or other plant hung up as a tavern sign.”
Illustration by Imogen Foxell.
Here’s the full entry from the O.E.D., revised in 2012:
I would certainly like to see more bars, and especially beer gardens, using bushes and trees to mark their spaces.