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Beer In Ads #5016: Enjoy The 4th With Del’s Bock Beer

July 5, 2025 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising.

Saturday’s ad is for Bock Beer at Del’s Tavern, which was published in July 1942. This one was for an unnamed bock, though itvwas probably a local one. The iconic La Crosse bar was originally founded in 1933. This ad ran in The La Crosse Tribune, also of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Holidays, Wisconsin

Historic Beer Birthday: Alfred Marti

July 5, 2025 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

august-schell
Today is the birthday of Alfred W. Marti (July 5, 1886-November 22, 1977). He was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and was the son of George Marti and Emma Schell, whose father founded August Schell started the Schell’s Brewery in 1860 in New Ulm, Minnesota. Schell’s Brewery is still in business today, and is still owned by the family who started it. “It is the second oldest family-owned brewery in America (after D. G. Yuengling & Son) and became the oldest and largest brewery in Minnesota when the company bought the Grain Belt rights in 2002.” A pharmacist by trade, when August’s son Otto, who had been running the brewery after his father died, also died suddenly in 1911, George stepped up and became the manager and president of the brewery. He thought it would be temporary, but he remained at the brewery for the rest of his life, and in 1934 when he passed away, his son Alfred took over for him. He remained in charge of the brewery until 1969, when his son Warren took over for him.

This account of the Schell Brewery under Alfred Marti is from the “Land of Amber Waters: The History of Brewing in Minnesota,” by Doug Hoverson:

alfred-marti

This portion of a history of the August Schell Brewery, from Funding Universe, mentions Alfred Marti and his role in the company:

The next generation, represented by Alfred Marti, took over brewery management in 1934 after George Marti passed away. The younger Marti added entertainment to the brewery’s local allure by establishing the Schell’s Hobo Band, which still performs in the community today. In 1969, Alfred Marti retired, passing on leadership to his son Warren.

Schell-brewery-1879

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: History, Minnesota

Beer In Ads #5015: Washington Brewery’s Pure Bock Beer

July 4, 2025 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising.

Friday’s ad is for Washington Brewery’s Pure Bock Beer, which was published on July 4, 1894. This one was for the Washington Brewery Co. of Washington, D.C., which was originally founded in 1857. This ad ran in The Washington Post, also of Washington, D.C.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, D.C., History

Historic Beer Birthday: Sammy Fuchs

July 4, 2025 By Jay Brooks 1 Comment

sammys-bowery-follies
Today is the birthday of Sammy Fuchs (July 4, 1884-April 5, 1969). He was born in the New York City neighborhood known as the Bowery, probably in 1884, although at least one source gives 1905 as his birth year. “He was a busboy, waiter, and a restaurant manager before he opened up his famous saloon at 267 Bowery in 1934” known as “Sammy’s Bowery Follies.” Open until 1970, eight years before I moved to New York City, it sounds like it was an amazing place.

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Sammy Fuchs behind his bar, pouring a beer.

This account of Sammy Fuchs is from “The Bowery: A History of Grit, Graft and Grandeur,” by Eric Ferrara:

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sammys-1958
the-bowery-sammys-2
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the-bowery-sammys-4

Restaurant-postcard-New-York-City-NY-Sammys-Bowery

sammy-fuchs-8
In their December 4, 1944 issue, Life magazine featured the bar and wrote the following:

“From 8 in the morning until 4 the next morning Sammy’s is an alcoholic haven for the derelicts whose presence has made the Bowery a universal symbol of poverty and futility. It is also a popular stopping point for prosperous people from uptown who like to see how the other half staggers”

There were lots of photographers who visited the bar, and as a result lots of pictures exist from its heyday, and many are online. See, for example, Sammy’s Stork Club of the Bowery New York: ‘An Alcoholic Haven’ of Prospering Poverty, Sammy’s Bowery Follies c. 1945 from Mashable, or The Chiseler.

This account is by photographer Arthur “Weegee” Fellig in his book “Naked City,” published in 2002, but describing the Bowery in the 1940s:

weegee-naked-city-sammys-1
naked-city-weegee-sammys-2

sammys-postcard

Here’s a few more random photos of Sammy Fuchs.

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sammy-fuchs-3

And here’s a short video of the history of Sammy’s Bowery Follies.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun, Related Pleasures Tagged With: Bars, History, New York

Beer Birthday: Dave Hoops

July 4, 2025 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

hoops
Today is the 58th birthday of Dave Hoops, former Master Brewer at Fitger’s Brewhouse in Duluth, Minnesota. After leaving Fitger’s he’s formed a consulting business, Bev-Craft, to help new breweries get started and also specialized consulting services for existing breweries, but even more exciting is he’s started his own brewery, Hoops Brewing, which has recently opened in Duluth. I first met Dave when he was brewing in the Bay Area in the 1990s, but lost touch after moved to the midwest. Happily, I’ve been seeing more and more of him at beer events and judging for GABF. Join me in wishing Dave a very happy birthday.

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Dave, sporting a kilt, with his wife Laura.
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A cleaned up Dave with his daughter Daisy.
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Hoops and hops.
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In full beard.
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But here he’s again cleaned up for a Fitger’s promo shot.

[Note: All photos purloined from Facebook.]

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Minnesota

Historic Beer Birthday: J.P. Binzel

July 4, 2025 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Today is the birthday of J.P. Binzel, who sometimes went by J. Philipp or J. Philip (July 4, 1833-1902). He learned to brew as an apprentice at both the Schlitz Brewery and the Val. Blatz Brewery, both in Milwaukee. He first started his own brewery in Wapun, Wisconsin, but it burned down and was a total loss. In 1866, he bought the Farmer’s Brewery in nearby Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, which had originally opened in 1857.

The Farmer’s Brewery, before Binzel bought it in 1866.

Localeben Magazine picks up the story:

Philip Binzel passed away in 1902, and his wife with the assistance of two sons, Edward and Alvin, continued to run the business.  The name was changed from Farmer’s Brewery to J. Philip Binzel Brewing Company to honor her late husband. A third son, Rudolf, bought the brewery four years later and operated it until they quit brewing in 1920 at the beginning of Prohibition.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Wisconsin

Historic Beer Birthday: Alonzo Gilford Van Nostrand

July 4, 2025 By Jay Brooks 1 Comment

van-nostrand-bunker-hill
Today is the birthday of Alonzo Gilford Van Nostrand (July 4, 1854-November 5, 1923). He was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father, William Tredwell Van Nostrand bought the Bunker Hill Breweries, which had been founded in 1821, and in 1878, Alonzo Gilford became a partner and took over the brewery from his father. It was originally known as the John Cooper & Thomas Gould Brewery, and Crystal Lake Brewery, but Alonzo’s father renamed it the Wm. T. Van Nostrand & Co. Brewery in 1877, though they used the trade name Bunker Hill Breweries Brewery from 1890 on. It remained open until prohibition, but reopened briefly after repeal as the Van Nostrand Brewing Co., but lasted less than a year, closing in 1934.

van-nostrand

Here’s a short biography from Find-a-Grave:

Some records say he was born on Jul 3rd 1854, but on a passport application Alonzo himself says he was born on July 4th 1854 in New York. He graduated from the English High School of Boston, Mass. From 1872 to 1875 he was employed in his father’s brewery and was admitted as a partner in 1878. Following his father, he was the proprietor of the very famous Bunker Hill Breweries of Charlestown (Boston), Massachusetts, which was in business in Massachusetts from 1821 until prohibition. The plural “Breweries” does not indicate locations in different towns, but rather was used because there were two facilities in Charlestown which made beer (using bottom fermenting yeast) and ale (using top fermenting yeast). in 1879 Alonzo originated the “P & B” (Purest & Best) Trademark for his ale. He started bottling ale in the English fashion to compete with Bass. At the time, “P&B ale had a reputation second to none and was the only malt liquor used in the Massachusetts General and City Hospitals and others for the sick and convalescent.” Before closing, Bunker Hill was undoubtedly the most prolific advertiser among the Boston area breweries. Brands included Boston Club Lager, Bunker Hill Lager, Old Musty Ale, Owl Musty, Van Nostrand’s Porter, and P.B. (Purest Best) Ale, Bock, Lager, Porter, Stock Ale, and Stout. PB Ale reappeared briefly after prohibition circa 1933 or 1934, as shown on post prohibition items including a tin over cardboard sign and 2 different labels from the Feigenspan Brewery of Newark New Jersey and a label from the Dobler Brewery of Albany New York. Alonzo died in the Vanderbilt Hotel, Park Avenue and 34th Street, Manhattan, New York. He was a member of the Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company and the Bostonian Society. He traveled extensively, and in 1907 made a trip around the world. He was a member of the Merchants Club, the Boston City Club, the Eastern Yacht Club, the City Club of New York, the Beverly Yacht Club, the Sphinx Club and various other clubs and societies.

Van-Nostrands-P-B-Ale-Paper-Ads-Bunker-Hill-Breweries-A-G-Van-Nostrand

And this is from “Who’s Who in New England,” published in 1909:

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bunker-hill-brewery-tray-1906

This account of Van Nostrand is from “Herringshaw’s American Blue-book of Biography: Prominent Americans of 1919:”

van-nostrand-blue-book

PB-Ale-Paper-Ads-Bunker-Hill-Breweries-A-G-Van-Nostrand

And this is a history of the Bunker Hills Breweries from “100 Years of Brewing History:”

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bunker-hill-100yrs-2
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The Bunker Hill brewery in 1987.

This biography is from the breweriana website, Rick’s Bottle Room:

ALONZO G. VAN NOSTRAMO

Dutch forbears, can turn to the maternal line and trace his ancestry from those who settled in New England, who suffered the deprivations of the early colonists, who participated in the wars with the Indians and French and finally in the Revolution, and who helped to make this part of the United States what it is to-day. Mr. Van Nostrand’s mother’s maiden name was Mehetabel Bradlee. She is the daughter of Thomas and Ann (Howard) Bradlee, and was born in the old house at the corner of Tremont and Hollis Streets in Boston, from which her grandfather and other patriots disguised as Indians sallied forth as members of the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Her ancestor in direct line was Daniel Bradley, who came from London in 1635 in the ship Elizabeth, settling in Haverhill, Massachusetts, where he was killed in the Indian Massacre of August 13, 1689.

Alonzo G. Van Nostrand was born July 4, 1854. He was not quite eighteen years of age when, graduating from the English High School, he was given a clerkship in the small brewery on Alford Street. During the three years following he worked his way through every department, gaining a comprehensive and practical knowledge of the business and its possibilities. In 1875 he was taken into partnership by his father. Thereafter the development of the plant and the business was steady and significant. It was in 1875 that the P. B. trademark was originated and adopted. A bottling building was erected, with a storage capacity of 240,000 bottles. In 1891 the brewing of Bunker Hill Lager was begun in a new brewery. Later another brew house was completed at a cost of $100,000 to meet the increasing demand. At the present time the breweries cover an entire block of four acres and there is no room for further expansion, except by increasing the height of buildings. Mr. Van Nostrand made a trip around the world in 1907. He is married and has one son now in Harvard College. Mrs. Van Nostrand’s maiden name was Jane Bradford Eldridge. She is a daughter of Captain Eldridge, of Fairhaven, and is a lineal descendant of Governor Bradford, of the Plymouth Colony, who landed from the Mayflower in 1620. Mr. and Mrs. Van Nostrand occupy the Van Nostrand residence at 482 Beacon Street. Mr. Van Nostrand holds membership in a score or more of clubs and associations, including art and historical societies in Boston and New York, and is a member of the leading yacht clubs.

bunker-hill-letterhead

He considers that the best advice that he can offer to young men just starting in life can be tersely stated as follows:

“Be honest, and particularly with yourself. Concentrate your efforts on one thing at a time. Undertake only what you believe you can accomplish, but when once started, never give up.”

Mr. Van Nostrand has developed a group of splendid, modern brewery buildings, each equipped for a special purpose, but those buildings would be useless, that equipment would rust in idleness, were it not for the fact that, in the midst of intense competition and in resistance of the constant temptation to consolidate forces and reduce standards, he has chosen his own path, has sought to produce, without regard to cost, malt beverages that will surpass any of domestic brewing and will compare with the best of Europe, and has made the P. B. Brewery the standard by which all others in New England are gaged, or seek to be gaged, in public estimate. And that takes us back to the original point that pride of ancestry is a good thing and that business ability is better; but that, when pride of ancestry and superlative business ability are blended and aged in the vat of commercial experience, the output is inevitably as good as can be asked for, the best that can be obtained.

good-ale-owl-musty

Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite old beer names: “Owl-Musty Good Old Ale.” What a crazy name. Who would want something “owl-musty?” But it was obviously popular, so who knows? Hoo! Hoo!

old-musty-button

Filed Under: Birthdays, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Boston, History, Massachusetts, New York

Historic Beer Birthday: Cord Hinrich Haake

July 4, 2025 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Today is the birthday of Cord Hinrich Haake (July 4, 1801-1845). He was born in Bremen, Germany. His father was Heinrich Wilhelm, who was a farmer from Möhlenhoff in the Freudenberg district near Bassum, who already had a beer bar there and his own “brewing rights.” In 1805, his father was accepted into the Brauer-Societät Bremen and won the “Gerechtsame” — permission to brew in-house. In 1826, Cord acquired the neighboring house of his future father-in-law, Hans Ehntholt, and in May of that year, he founded the C.H. Haake brewery. In 1832, Haake became the first to start producing bottom-fermented beer. In 1845, at age 44, Haake died, leaving the brewery to his widow.

In 1921, the Haake brewery merged with Kaiserbrauerei Beck & Co and the combined company name the two became Haake-Beck Brauerei AG. In 2002, it was bought by Interbrew, who today is Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Germany, History

Beer Birthday: Christian Ettinger

July 3, 2025 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

hub-new
Today is the 52nd birthday of Christian Ettinger, founder of Hopworks Urban Brewery, or HUB, in Portland, Oregon. I first met Christian when was the head brewer at Laurelwood, also in Portland. A few years later, having won several medals and awards, he struck out on his own in 2007, and it’s been forever now. They started canning their beer in 2012, and also hard cider, and they make some wonderful beers. Join me in wishing Christian a very happy birthday.

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Former HUB brewer Ben Love (now owner of Gigantic) with Christian on the brew system at HUB when it was still under construction in July of 2007.

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At the HUB brunch after OBF in 2008: Assistant brewery Jeremy, Christian and brewer Ben Love.

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Saturday at OBF in 2006, relaxing behind the Celebrator/Oregon Brewers Guild booth, Christian takes his son on a flying trip.
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Filling pints from a keg in the basement brewery at HUB, 2008.

Filed Under: Birthdays Tagged With: Oregon, Portland

Beer Birthday: Max Finnance

July 3, 2025 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Today is the 40th birthday — The Big 4-O — of Max Finnance. Max who until quite recently was the Senior Manager, Education & Training at Artisanal Brewing Ventures, the group that owns Sixpoint Brewing, Southern Tier and Victory Brewing. He’s also an Advanced Cicerone. I first got to know Max through Emily Sauter, and have now spent enough time with him to know he’s a great ambassador for beer. Join me in wishing Max a very happy birthday.

Max and me at CBC in Minneapolis a few years ago.
Me, and some friends with Max at CBC last year in Nashville.
Max and Jim Koch in 2015.
Garrett Oliver and Max in 2016.
Max with Kevin Youkilis, of Loma Brewing,” and Em Sauter.at GABF in 2018.

NOTE: [Last three photos purloined from Facebook.]

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Connecticut

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