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Archives for February 2019

Beer In Ads #2901: Bières La Semeuse

February 10, 2019 By Jay Brooks

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Sunday’s ad is for Bières La Semeuse, from 1900. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for possibly a brewery in Alsace region of France, maybe Strasbourg, but I’m not sure. La Semeuse means “The Sower” and was a “French pictorial allegory invented by Oscar Roty around 1887, presenting a young woman wearing a Phrygian cap sowing seeds at sunrise, and who has become over time one of the symbols of the French Republic,” of which this seems to be at least based on that.

Bieres_La_Semeuse_c1900

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, France, History

Song In Praise Of Ale

February 10, 2019 By Jay Brooks

lamb

Today is the birthday of Charles Lamb, who “was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, best known for his Essays of Elia and for the children’s book Tales from Shakespeare, co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb.” In addition to his own works, and adapting others, he also collected works of earlier authors. One such work was entitled “Specimens of English Dramatic Poets, Selected by Charles Lamb,” published in 1803.

One of his choices has an anonymous author, and is ascribed to the London Chanticleers, and is characterized as “a rude sketch of a play, printed 1659, but evidently much older.” It’s entitled “Song in praise of Ale.”

Song in praise of Ale

I.

Submit, bunch of Grapes,
To the strong Barley ear;
The weak Vine no longer,
The Laurel shall wear.

II.

Sack and drinks else,
Desist from the strife,
Ale’s th’ only Aqua vitae,
And liquor of life.

III.

Then come my boon fellows,
Let’s drink it around;
It keeps us from th’ grave,
Though it lays us o’ th’ ground.

IV.

Ale’s a Physcian,
No Mountebank bragger,
Can cure the chill ague,
Though ’t be with the stagger.

V.

Ale’s a strong wrestler,
Flings all it hath met;
And makes the ground slippery,
Though ’t be not wet.

VI.

Ale is both Ceres,
And good Neptune too,
Ale’s froth was the Sea,
From whence Venus grew.

VII.

Ale is immortal:
And be there no stops,
In bonny Lads’ quaffing,
Can live without hops.

VIII.

Then come my boon fellows,
Let’s drink it around;
It keeps us from the grave,
Though it lays us o’ th’ ground.

Charles_Lamb_by_William_Hazlitt
Charles Lamb (February 10, 1775 – 27 December 27, 1834)

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: England, Great Britain, Literature

Beer In Ads #2900: Actien-Bier Brauerei

February 9, 2019 By Jay Brooks

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Saturday’s ad is for the Actien-Bier Brauerei, from the 1890s, I believe. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for the St. Pauli Actien-Brauerei, which was located in the town of Hamburg, in Germany. It is not the brewery that produced St. Paul Girl. It was founded in 1862, but merged with Bavaria Brauerei AG in 1922 to become the Bavaria – St. Pauli – Brauerei AG.

Actien-bier-Brauerei

Filed Under: Beers

Beer In Ads #2899: The Beer That Limburg Is Proud Of

February 8, 2019 By Jay Brooks

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Friday’s ad is for Brands Bier, from the 1950s, I believe, though some sources say it’s 1950. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for Brand Bierbrouwerij, which was located in the town of Wijlre, in the Limburg region, located in the southeastern part of the Netherlands. It was founded in 1871, although there had been a brewery on the same site since 1340. The text at the bottom, “Het bier waar Limburg trots op is,” translates to “The beer that Limburg is proud of.”

Brands-bier-1950s

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, The Netherlands

Beer In Ads #2898: If Only I Had A Glass Of Cold Three Horseshoes Beer!!

February 7, 2019 By Jay Brooks

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Thursday’s ad is for Van Roy Wieze, from the 1940s, I believe, though some sources say it’s 1950. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for Drie Hoefijzers, which was located in Breda, in the central western region of the Netherlands. The Three Horseshoes was founded in 1628, although there had been a brewery on the same site since 1538. The poster features a man sitting in the sand on what I can only assume is a very hot day. The text at the bottom, “Had ik nu maar een glas koud Drie Hoefijzers Bier!!,” translates to “If only I had a glass of cold Three Horseshoes Beer!!”

De-Drie-Heofijzers

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, The Netherlands

Beer In Ads #2897: Van Roy Wieze

February 6, 2019 By Jay Brooks

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 3993724870_6a0224e391.jpg

Wednesday’s ad is for Van Roy Wieze, from the 1940s, I believe, though some sources say it’s 1950. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for Brouwerij Van Roy (a.k.a. Brouwerij Het Anker Wieze), which was located in the East Flanders town of Weize since it was founded in 1866. The poster was created by an artist whose name appears to be Rvan Doren, though it’s hard to be sure with that stylized first name.

Van-Roy-Wieze-man

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, Belgium, History

Beer In Ads #2896: Biere Titan

February 5, 2019 By Jay Brooks

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Tuesday’s ad is for Biere Titan, from 1933-34, though some sources say it’s 1926. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for Grandes Brasseries de Jarny et Uckange, which was located in the Moselle region of Eastern France. The company was created in 1926 by the merger of two breweries. The poster was created by Dutch artist Gabrielle Favre.

Biere_Titan

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, France, History

Beer In Ads #2895: 3 Hoefijzersbier

February 4, 2019 By Jay Brooks

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 3993724870_6a0224e391.jpg

Monday’s ad is for 3 Hoefijzersbier, or three horseshoes, from around 1935. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for Drie Hoefijzers, which was located in Breda, in the central western region of the Netherlands. The Three Horseshoes was founded in 1628, although there had been a brewery on the same site since 1538. The poster was created by Dutch artist Bernard Leemker.

3-Hoefijzersbier-clown

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, The Netherlands

Sierra Nevada Acquires Sufferfest Beer Co.

February 4, 2019 By Jay Brooks

sierra-nevada

Today, Sierra Nevada Brewing announced the acqisition of their first brewery, San Francisco’s Sufferfest Beer Company. According to today’s press release, Sierra Nevada is buying 100% of the brewery. A relatively new brewery, founded in 2016 (according to the press release) or 2015 (on their Facebook page), their focus has been on beer aimed at active, athletic beer-drinkers.

sufferfest-beer-log

Here’s the press release:

“While still in its infancy, Sufferfest is at the front of the wave of ‘functional’ alcoholic beverages,” said Sierra Nevada President and CEO Jeff White. “By joining with Sierra Nevada, Sufferfest will be better positioned to grow and continue to lead the way in a rapidly growing and highly competitive space.”

Sufferfest, which launched in 2016, is beloved by athletes for its gluten-removed line of beers like its 95-calorie Kolsch brewed with bee pollen and its FKT (Fastest Known Time) Pale Ale brewed with salt and black currant.

“The complementary nature of our offerings and their position at the cusp of this emerging category are not the only reasons Sufferfest made sense,” said White. “From the moment we met, it was clear that our two companies are deeply aligned in our values and our commitment to do the right thing.”

Sufferfest is a Certified B Corporation and a values-driven company. Founder and CEO Caitlin Landesberg, a long-distance trail runner, started the company with a vision to create the perfect post-sweat beer for herself and fellow sufferers.

“I’ve always craved a beer after a race, but when I couldn’t find a beer that agreed with my dietary and performance needs, it left a genuine void in the post-race social experience,” explained Landesberg. “The finish line is where we get to celebrate the ail, anguish and suffering we’ve all been through together. I so wanted to continue to be part of this occasion, but didn’t want to keep compromising on taste or ingredients.”

A homebrewers course in 2012 followed by coursework at UC Davis enlightened her on the microbiology of beer and its many positive attributes. She started her quest to develop a beer by athletes, for athletes, and after years of improvements and sampling her beers among fellow runners, local heroes and professional athletes, Sufferfest Beer Company was born.

“Sierra Nevada is the perfect fit,” explained Landesberg. “If it were any other company, this would not be a consideration for us. Sierra Nevada is a family-owned and operated business that isn’t driven by shareholder pressure to meet quarterly numbers,” she continued. “I’ve always been so impressed by their commitment to the communities they serve. They are really driven by their own north star.”

“Sufferfest represents an authentic and genuine platform for us to connect with more and different people,” said White. “This isn’t something cooked up by an ad agency. Sufferfest is a group of tireless, deeply committed people who love to have fun. In other words, they feel like us.”

pale-sufferfest

And on Sufferfest’s website, founder Caitlin Landesberg issued a statement about the acquisition:

When I think back to the early days of Sufferfest Beer Company, it’s humbling and gratifying to remember the coursework I pursued at UC Davis School of Brewing. And the time I spent sitting in line at the City Planning office, or haggling at the Alcohol Beverage Control. There were also the days I hand labeled each of our beers and personally visited each account on a weekly basis. We are aptly named because building this company has been nothing but a sufferfest.

The most fulfilling part, however, has been the people I’ve met and have had the pleasure to work with along the way. Our team of employees are truly a family — we are connected by our belief in this company’s values and purpose. Despite never belonging, we’ve changed the craft beer landscape and created something lasting. Thank you for believing in me and taking this leap of faith with me.

It is with great excitement that I’m announcing the next chapter in Sufferfest’s wild and wonderful story. Today, we officially join the Sierra Nevada Beer Company family.

As a founder, this partnership feels like a dream: Sierra Nevada not only possesses the operational and manufacturing muscle we need to grow Sufferfest, but also is so aligned with Sufferfest in terms of values: sustainability, conservation, and a deep love of the outdoors. They are masters of their craft, and we have a lot to learn from them. Given any choice of a strategic partner, I would choose Sierra Nevada each and every time. The stars aligned.

The most exciting thing here is the vote of confidence in our ability to change the craft beer landscape. We’ve spent the last few years doing things differently, and it speaks volumes to the power of what we’re building that we were able to secure the partnership of Sierra Nevada, a leader in the craft beer space.

This partnership with Sierra Nevada enables us to do more of what we love: brew award-winning, functional beer, grow our tribe, and be in the hands of sweaty consumers all over the country. I am so proud of this team and so moved by all that we’ve done to bring Sufferfest to this exciting day. 2019 is going to be a wild ride, and I couldn’t more confident in the ability of this team to rise to the occasion and keep winning.

Filed Under: Breweries, News Tagged With: Announcements, California, Northern California, Press Release

Beer In Ads #2894: Bière Allary

February 3, 2019 By Jay Brooks

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 3993724870_6a0224e391.jpg

Sunday’s ad is for Bière Allary, from 1928. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for Bière Allary, which I think was a beer brewed by the Brasserie Schneider in southern France. The poster was created by French artist Jean D’Ylen.

Biere-Allary-1928

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, France, History

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