Beer In Ads #577: The Height Of Hospitality


Tuesday’s ad is for Pabst Blue Ribbon from 1911. Showing an elaborately uniformed server pouring a PBR, you can see the bottles still have silver foil and have an actual blue ribbon attached to each bottle. Now that’s fancy. The angled shape of the label looks a lot like the same shape used by Miller High Life, though I have no idea who first used it. The text is priceless.

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Beer In Ads #548: 33 Fine Brews Blended into One Great Beer


Wednesday’s ad is for Pabst, probably from the late 1930s, early 40s. The cartoon tells the story of Pabst Blue Ribbon blending 33 different (not that different, obviously) beers to create PBR. Or as they put it, “33 Fine Brews Blended into One Great Beer.” Apparently it’s the blending that gives it “that swell flavor.”

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Beer In Ads #520: Back In The Days — The Good Old Days … When Beer Was Really Beer Was


Friday’s ad is for Pabst Blue Ribbon, from 1960. They seemed to focus on this nostalgia theme around that time, as if the 1890s or so was the best time ever for beer. I doubt that’s true, but it’s usually safe to make such a claim when few people who lived then are still around to compare or disagree. Anyone who was 20, and drinking beer, in 1890 would have been 90 in 1960. And the goofy expression with the sandwich in one hand, holding a beer up to his lips is priceless.

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Beer In Ads #463: Make It Pabst … While The Sun Shines


Wednesday’s ad is for Pabst, from 1936. It’s actually for Pabst Export Beer and specifically in the “Original Pabst TAPaCan.” I’m not quite sure about that slogan, “Make It Pabst … While The Sun Shines.” The ad copy refers to Pabst when it’s sunny as “a cool safe drink.” Also, at the bottom of the ad, there’s also another product being advertised: “Old Tankard Ale,” whatever that is.

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Beer In Ads #443: Pabst Gets The Call For Keener Refreshment


Wednesday’s ad is from 1939 and is for Pabst. The slogan claims that “Pabst gets The Call for Keener Refreshment” at the celebrated “21.” But even though everyone is dressed to the nines, the place looks like a dump, celebrated or not. With cheesy Italian tablecloths, bowls of snacks on the tables and rec-room wood paneling — there’s certainly nothing wrong with a bar like that — but tuxedos and fur coats just seem somewhat out of place.

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