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Archives for September 25, 2021

Beer In Ads #3859: Londoners Love It When It Pours

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Saturday’s ad is for “Foster’s Lager,” from 1983. This ad was made for Carlton & United, who made Foster’s Lager, although it was later part of AB-InBev but more recently was sold to Asahi. It was started by two American brothers who emigrated to Australia in 1886, and started selling it in 1889. In 1907, the Foster brothers merged with four other Melbourne breweries to created Carlton & United Breweries. The Foster’s brand barely sells in Australia, but began importing to the UK and the US in the early 1970s, and thanks to very successful advertising became a popular international brand. This one features a billboard for the UK market with an umbrella and the tagline “Londoners love it when it pours.”

Beer Birthday: Bill Owens

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Today is the 83rd birthday of Bill Owens, who founded one of California (and America’s) earliest brewpubs, Buffalo Bill’s, in Hayward, California. The brewpub opened in 1983, but in 1994 he sold it to his then-brewer, Geoff Harries, who still owns and operates it today. Bill also founded American Brewer magazine, which today is owned by Jamie Magee. Bill’s also an accomplished photographer, and has published several volumes of his photos, the most famous of which is Suburbia. More recently, he’s been involved in micro-distilling, in 2003 founding the American Distilling Institute. Please join me in wishing Bill a very happy birthday.

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Bill and Fritz Maytag at an event for Maureen Ogle’s book “Ambitious Brew” in 2006.

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Bill at Buffalo Bill’s in 1985.

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A press shot from the 1980s.

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Manning the mash paddile around 1985, the year he made his first batch of Pumpkin Ale, probably the first pumpkin beer in modern times.

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Bill Owens’ early book — more of a pamphlet really — on How to Build a Small Brewery.

Beer Birthday: Charles Finkel

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Today is the 78th birthday of Charles Finkel, one of the pioneers of the better beer movement. He founded Merchant du Vin in 1978, the company responsible for importing a number of word-class beers to the U.S., including a few favorites of mind: Traquair, Ayinger, Westmalle, Rochefort and Orval. He also started the Seattle brewpub, Pike Brewing , in 1989, where Fal Allen was head brewer there from 1990-96. I first met Charlie around 1996 during a visit to Seattle. The following year, the Finkels sold both Pike Brewing and Merchant du Vin. In 2006, they bought back Pike Brewing. In Chicago for CBC a couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to spend an evening out and about town with the Finkels, and I wrote a profile of them for Beer Connoisseur a few years back. Charlie and his wife Rose Ann are some of my favorite people in the industry. Join me in wishing Charlie a very happy birthday.

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Charlie at CBC in Chicago a few years ago, with Mark Blasingame, owner of the Map Room.

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Charlie at Pints for Prostates’ Rare Beer Tasting at Wynkoop during GABF.

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Charlie and Rose Ann Finkel behind their Pike Brewing booth at GABF a few years ago.

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Charlie and Rose Ann Finkel with past and present Pike brewers during the 2006 CBC in Seattle.