UK

Beer In Art #138: Dean Wolstenholme’s Barclay and Perkins Brewery, Park Street, Southwark

September 4, 2011

This week’s work of art is by English artist Dean Wolstenholme, Jr., which is titled Barclay and Perkins’s Brewery, Park Street, Southwark, London. It was painted between 1832-1840 and today hangs at the Museum of London. The painting shows the brewery in a wide angle shot that also shows part of the city of London [...]

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The Town of Malt

August 28, 2011

Last week, you may recall, that for the weekly beer in art last week I featured some sketches by French artist Gustave Doré. Those sketches were preliminary works that eventually were turned into engravings that became part of a larger work known as Doré’s London: A Pilgrimage, published in 1872. The final engravings appeared in [...]

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Beer In Art #137: A View of the Genuine Beer Brewery Golden Lane

August 28, 2011

This week’s work of art is by Gerard de la Barthe, a 18th century French artist, as re-created by an English printmaker, painter and draughtsman named J.S. Barth. The painting/print is known as A View of the Genuine Beer Brewery Golden Lane, Established 1804. One of the original prints is in the collection of the [...]

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Beer In Art #136: Gustave Dore’s Barclay Perkins Brewery Workers

August 21, 2011

This week’s work of art is by the French artist known for his engravings, on wood and steel, along with his simple drawings, Gustave Doré, who did at least a couple of drawings in pencil, pen and ink of Barclay Perkins Brewery Workers. One of the most well-known, titled Ouvriers Brasseurs de Barclay Perkins, or [...]

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Beer Birthday: Ben McFarland

August 5, 2011

Today is UK beer writer Ben McFarland’s birthday. I first met Ben when he was over here working on the CAMRA beer guide to the west coast with Tom Sandham and Glenn Payne. We invited Ben to join us judging Double IPA’s at the Bistro’s Double IPA Festival, which I believe was something of a [...]

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Beer Birthday: Pete Brown

July 12, 2011

Today is the 43rd birthday of Pete Brown, author of Hops and Glory and last year’s winner of the UK Beer Writer of the Year. I had a chance to meet and spend some time with Pete before and at GBBF in 2009. He’s a kindred spirit, especially when it comes to neo-prohibitionist shenanigans, and [...]

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Beer In Ads #408: Live Life … Every Golden Minute Of It

July 6, 2011

Wednesday’s ad is from 1940, and is for a New Zealand beer, Waitemata, that today no is owned by DB Breweries but is no longer made by the giant brewing conglomerate. Great artwork, though the Sparkling Pale Ale the man is pouring doesn’t look especially pale. But you have to love that tagline. “Live life [...]

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Beer In Ads #403: Mitchells & Butlers Good Honest Ale

June 29, 2011

Wednesday’s ad is from around the later 1920s and is for a Birmingham, England brewery known as Mitchells & Butlers, operating the Cape Hill Brewery. I love the idyllic scene of two mugs of beer, sitting on a bench surrounding a large tree, looking out over a field of grain. Now that’s “Good Honest Beer.”

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No Beer At Royal Wedding?

April 25, 2011

Another royal wedding’s coming up this Friday. I care about it as much as the last one in 1981 — not one whit. In deference to my British colleagues and friends who cling to the notion that the royal family matters, I’ll spare you my usual diatribe. But it was announced recently that no beer [...]

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UK Gov’t Statistics On Women Drinking Found To Be Wrong

April 19, 2011

For the second time in a few years, a UK Government agency has admitted to making a mistake regarding statistics used in the creation and furtherance of alcohol policy. The first, in 2007, was when the UK’s Department of Health revealed that the definition of a hazardous drinker, that is what the safe limits of [...]

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Beer In Ads #337: Red Tower, Famous The World Over

March 30, 2011

Wednesday’s ad is for a British beer, Red Tower Pilsner Lager from Manchester. The illustration is amazing. I love the details of the tray and all the little things on it. I have no idea when the ad is from, but it must be after 1933, when Walker & Homfray renamed its Royal Brewery for [...]

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More Absurdity From The Lunatic Fringe

March 7, 2011

In another missive from the increasingly well-named Professor David Nutt, today in the UK Guardian he announed that There is no such thing as a safe level of alcohol consumption and then proceeded to claim that the reasons he believes that “the idea that drinking small amounts of alcohol will do you no harm is [...]

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Beer In Ads #324: Boddington’s, The Cream Of Manchester

March 4, 2011

Friday’s ad is rather newer one, from 1996, is for Boddington’s, whose nickname — at least in ads — was “The Cream of Manchester.” It was a very popular imported brand for a time, though almost exclusively in the 16 oz. can. I always thought the ads with the ice cream scoop were a clever [...]

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Beer In Ads #323: Worthington’s At The Jolly Angler

March 3, 2011

Today’s ad, from 1895, is a postcard for Worthington’s White Shield. A trio of boaters are having bottles of beer poured by the bartender from The Flying Angler. It’s a pretty idyllic setting.

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Proud Of British Beer

March 1, 2011

In quasi-answer to I Am A Craft Brewer, Britain’s Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has released a video of their own: Proud of British Beer. It’s very well produced, and I like that they included not just brewers, but also farmers, publicans and salespeople to show the entire chain from farm to glass. It was [...]

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Beer In Ads #319: Double Diamond, The George & Dragon

February 25, 2011

Friday’s ad is from 1954 and is for the UK brand Double Diamond. With the slogan “A Double Diamond works wonders,” it’s part of their “Inn-Sign Rhymes” series. This ad’s sign is for “George & the Dragon.”

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