Today is the birthday of Rudolph J. Schaefer III (August 29, 1930-June 10, 2011). Also nicknamed “Rudie” — he was the great-great-grandson of Rudolph J. Schaefer, who was the son of Maximilian Schaefer, and he, along with his brother Frederick, founded the F&M Schaefer Brewing Company in 1842. Rudie’s great-grandfather Rudolph became the president of F&M Schaefer Brewing in 1912, and continued in that position until his death. He also bought out his uncles and their heirs, and controlled the entire company, which allowed his father Rudie to become president in 1927, a position he held until retiring in 1969. Rudie III then became president, and held that position until 1975. “In 1981 Schaefer was acquired by Stroh Brewing Company which, in turn, was acquired by Pabst Brewing Company in 1999.”
Rudolph J. Schaefer III, of Stonington and Key Largo, Fla., died Friday, June 10, 2011, in his home, surrounded by his loving family.
Mr. Schaefer was born on Aug. 29, 1930 in New York City to Rudolph Jay Schaefer Jr. and Lucia (Moran) Schaefer.
Rudie attended the Rye Country Day School, Choate, Washington and Lee and graduated from Hofstra University with a bachelor of business administration. Rudie also attended the Harvard Business School PMD Management Program.
After graduation, Rudie enlisted in the Navy in June, 1952. He served active duty aboard the USS MacGowen DD678 from 1953 to 1957 in the Middle East, attaining the rank of lieutenant JG. He remained in the Naval Reserves until 1969.
Rudie married Jane A. Isdale of New Rochelle, N.Y. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Larchmont, N.Y. in 1956.
Joining the F&M Schaefer Brewing Co. in 1957, he later served as president of the brewery from 1972 to 1975. His great-grandfather founded the F&M Schaefer Brewing Company in 1842.
Mr. Schaefer was involved, and worked on many boards throughout his life. He was vice president and board member of the New York School For The Deaf, board member of the United Hospital in Port Chester N.Y., the New Rochelle Hospital as well as L&M Hospital in New London. Rudie was also a board member of the Lincoln Savings Bank and the New London Savings Bank.
A philanthropist throughout his life, Rudie was especially proud of his work with the Mystic Seaport, serving as a trustee in 1975 and later president and chairman of the board from 1983 to 1989.
His love of the sea and yachting, sparked a life long interest in marine art. He was very proactive in supporting many aspiring marine artists. Rudie was instrumental in building the Mystic Maritime Art Gallery at the Mystic Seaport in honor of his father, Rudolph J. Schaefer Jr.
Mr. Schaefer was actively involved in many clubs and organizations including the Cruising Club of America, founder of the Stonington Country Club, Stonington Harbor Yacht Club, Ocean Reef Club, member and commodore of the Key Largo Anglers Club, New York Yacht Club. Former memberships include the American Yacht Club, Larchmont Yacht Club and the Shelter Island Yacht Club.
And here’s another obituary from the Hartford Courant, published September 18, 2011:
Extraordinary Life: Rudolph J. Schaefer III of Stonington, was a successful businessman and a generous philanthropist, but the sea was his passion. He also was an heir to the F&M Schaefer Brewing Co., New York’s longest operating brewery.
Rudie Schaefer was a successful businessman and a generous philanthropist, but the sea was his passion. He enjoyed being on the water, collecting modern marine art and working for Mystic Seaport, where he served as president of the board of trustees.
He also was an heir to the F&M Schaefer Brewing Co., New York’s longest operating brewery.
Rudie Schaefer III was born Aug. 29, 1930, and grew up in Larchmont, N.Y., outside Manhattan. His mother, Lucia, was a homemaker and his father was commodore of the Larchmont Yacht Club. Rudie grew up on the water, sailing small and large boats. He graduated from Rye Country Day School and Choate, then attended Washington and Lee University for two years. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in business from Hofstra University in 1952.
After graduation, he enlisted in the Navy and served in the Middle East from 1953 to 1957. He was en route to the Suez Canal during the Middle East crisis of 1956, when many people thought war was imminent. His ship was the last to go through the canal before it closed, but the issues were resolved and he did not see combat.
In the fall of 1956, he married Jane Isdale, a fellow sailor from Larchmont. They had six children; one daughter Anne, predeceased him.
F&M Schaefer, the family beer company, was founded by Schaefer’s great-grandfather Max Schaefer and Max’s brother, Frederick Schaefer, who came to New York in the late 1830s. They worked for a small brewery, owned by Sebastian Summers, but Max introduced the formula for lager beer, popular in Germany but unknown in the United States. Lager became extremely popular, and in 1842 the brothers bought the company. It was a family company for nearly 150 years, and its memorable slogan was “Schaefer: The one beer to have when you are having more than one.”
After his Navy servicer, Schaefer joined the family company in 1957, and went first to Albany to run a plant. The family moved several times as Schaefer rose in the company, and he lived in Rye while he served as president from 1972 until 1975. He retired in 1976.
In 1981, the Stroh Brewery bought the company, and Pabst Brewery bought Stroh in 1999, but Schaefer beer continues to be brewed and distributed in the Northeast and Puerto Rico.
For about five years, Schaefer was a partner in Aquasport, a company that manufactured small fishing boats in Florida.
He also was an outdoorsman who loved trap shooting, hunting and fishing. He once hooked a “grander,” a 1,000 pound black marlin, in Australia, which took 3-1/2 hours to reel in. Broken eardrums kept him from deep sea diving, but he loved going out on his 46-foot yacht built from the hull of a lobster boat.
In the early 1980s, Schaefer became one of the founders of the Stonington Country Club. A perfectionist, he would go around the course picking up rocks, or take a dinghy out to retrieve balls lost in the pond.
The high spirits that led him to dress up in crazy costumes for clown dives at the country club as a teenager never faded. He was a storyteller and had a sense of humor about himself. He liked to tell the story of how he once took a golf swing and missed, then knocked the ball into the clubhouse on the way back.
In 1982, the Schaefers moved to Stonington.
“Mystic Seaport brought us here,” said Jane Schaefer who like her husband, became an active volunteer at the seaport. Like his father, he became a trustee and served as president and chairman of the board from 1983 to 1989.
Schaefer was one of the early Pilots, a group of seaport volunteers who spend two weekends a year doing odd jobs, including painting and maintenance at the port. Schaefer’s preferred activity was shingling, and he would suit up in his tool belt and repair roofs wherever it was needed.
Schaefer had an encyclopedic knowledge of boating.
“He just knew every boat yard up and down the East Coast,” said Russell Burgess, a sailing friend. To make sure that old-boat-building techniques and sailing yarns weren’t forgotten, Schaefer funded a position for an oral historian at Mystic who interviewed boat builders, architects and famous sailors. He supported the library and was active in finding collections and boats for the museum.
Always interested in art, Schaefer was instrumental in establishing the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, a showcase for modern, international marine art and donated a building in honor of his father. Some of the younger artists whom Schaefer collected and promoted became well-known, such as Don Demers, a Maine painter whose work he first encountered at the gallery.
“Rudie took note of the paintings, introduced himself and made a point of complimenting me,” recalled Demers. Schaefer began buying Demers’ work, and in 1988, Demers had a one-man show at Mystic that sold out.
“He had a lot of influence,” Demers said. “If you got Rudie’s stamp of approval, you were validated, and that certainly happened to me.”
Schaefer’s approach to art mirrored his approach to life: He was gregarious and effusive.
“He’d pull people over and say, look at this. We’d talk and talk and talk about it,” said Demers. “It was really a joy to show him a painting.”
“He was a rare trustee,” said Paul O’Pecko, the reference librarian. “He really did give freely of his time, talent and treasure.”
“He had a motto,” said his wife. “Make one person smile every day.”
Today is maybe the 44th birthday of Jim Woods, founder of MateVeza, an organic brewer headquartered in San Francisco. I first met Jim when we were classmates at U.C. Davis for the brewing short course before he launched his unique business. All Jim’s beers are made with Yerba Mate, a South American herb that’s similar to tea. Technically, it’s part of the holly family, but contains caffeine and the leaves are used like tea. It works surprisingly well as a spice in beer. Several years ago now, Jim opened the Cervecería de MateVeza, a small brewpub in San Francisco, right next to a corner of Dolores Park. Rebranded as Woods Beer, there are now five locations in San Francisco and Oakland.
Jim also puts on the Beerunch one morning (usually a Sunday) during SF Beer Week, the last few years at the Public House at the Giants’ stadium. Join me in wishing Jim a very happy birthday.
Jim at the Cervecería de MateVeza in San Francisco.
Today is the birthday of Charles H. Wacker (August 29, 1856-October 31, 1929). Wacker’s family came from Württemberg Germany (though some sources claim he was from Switzerland), and he was 2nd generation American, having been born in Chicago, Illinois. His father Frederick, also a brewer, founded the Wacker and Birk Brewing and Malting Co. In 1882 or 83, Charles joined his father in the family business, and rose to prominence in Chicago throughout his life.
He was a “mover and shaker” in the early days of Chicago. He was part of the Chicago Plan Commission formed to win acceptance of the famous Burnham Plan of 1909. He was a contemporary of Daniel Burnham and helped him promote his plan for the development of the city’s lakefront and system of parks. Lower and Upper Wacker Drive (two roads one on top of the other) in Chicago is named for him.
Charles Henry Wacker, born in Chicago, Illinois, was a second generation German American who was a businessman and philanthropist. His father was Frederick Wacker, a brewer, who was born in Württemberg Germany. He was Vice Chairman of the General Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and in 1909 was appointed Chairman of the Chicago Plan Commission by Mayor Busse. As Commission chairman from 1909 to 1926, he championed the Burnham Plan for improving Chicago. This work included addresses, obtaining wide publicity from newspapers, and publishing Wacker’s Manual of the Plan of Chicago (by Walter D. Moody) as a textbook for local schoolchildren.
Prior to serving on the Commission, Wacker was a Chicago brewer and the director of the 1893 Columbian Exposition held in Chicago.
As a businessman he was part of a consortium of Chicago brewers who underwrote the methods that facilitated the commercialization of refrigeration machines.
Wacker Drive, built as part of the Burnham Plan, and Charles H. Wacker Elementary School are named in his honor. The name Wacker is also attached to other institutions in Chicago, such as the Hotel Wacker.
Charles H. Wacker was educated at Lake Forest Academy (class of 1872) and thereafter at Switzerland’s University of Geneva.
The Chicago brewery his father started was originally called Seidenschwanz & Wacker, and was located on Hinsdale, between Pine and Rush streets. It was founded in 1857, but the following year it became known as Wacker & Seidenschwanz, and was on N. Franklin Street. That version lasted until 1865. Beginning that same year, its name changed once again to the Frederick Wacker Brewery, and its address was listed as 848 N. Franklin Street, presumably in the same location as its predecessor. Sixteen years later, in 1882, it relocated to 171 N. Desplaines (now Indiana Street) and it became known as the Wacker & Birk Brewing & Malting Co. This is also when Charles joined his father’s business, when he would have been 26 years old. Just before prohibition the name was shortened to the Wacker & Birk Co., although it appears to have closed by 1920.
Here’s one more biography, from the library at the University of Illinois at Chicago:
Wacker was born in 1856 to a German immigrant who owned a brewing and malting company. Although he worked as a real estate investor and bank director, Wacker eventually took over his father’s business. In civic affairs, Wacker was director of the Ways and Means Committee for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. In 1909, Mayor Fred Busse appointed Wacker to the Chicago Plan Commission, a committee designed to convince residents to issue bonds and spend money on widening streets, improving sidewalks, and redeveloping parts of the city. During his tenure on the Commission, Wacker urged voters to approve the forest preserves referenda. Later, he served on the Forest Preserve Plan Committee. Chicago leaders rewarded Wacker by renaming a double-decker roadway after him. First proposed in the Burnham Plan and completed in the 1920s, Wacker Drive runs along the Chicago River in the Loop.
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.
Thursday’s ad is for Graupner Bock Beer, which was published on August 28, 1933. This one was for the Robert H. Graupner Brewery of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which was originally founded in 1875 as Koenig & Bro. and was also often called the Centennial Brewery, though Graupner was usually in the name after 1893. They also mention two of the other beers, Graupner’s X-Tra Fine Beer and Silver Stock Lager. But what’s most curious about the ad is that most of it is taken up by the telling of one of the many origin stories of bock beer. This ad ran in The Harrisburg Telegraph, also of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Today is the birthday of Sandy Dvore (August 28, 1934-November 20, 2020). He was a prolific American artist, graphic designer, and title designer. This short biography from his Wikipedia page gives the highlights:
Around 1962, he met Hollywood publicist Guy McElwaine playing baseball, who represented Natalie Wood, Warren Beatty, Judy Garland and Tony Bennett and needed ads created. Through this connection, Dvore became well known for designing back cover art for Sammy Davis Jr. in Variety. Dvore then illustrated an ad for Judy Garland for Judy at Carnegie Hall which caught the attention of American theatrical agent and film producer Freddie Fields. The pair worked together for 13 years on numerous projects. Dvore would go on to illustrate hundreds of ads for stars like Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Natalie Wood, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Steve McQueen. His minimal but vibrant illustrated trade ads held the coveted back pages of The Hollywood Reporter and Variety for years.
Sandy Dvore is best known for his work in designing television title sequences, such as the walking partridges in The Partridge Family, and the brush-stroke logo and paintings from the long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless. His film title credits include the 1976 film Lipstick and the 1972 Blaxploitation thriller Blacula. He also designed the opening credits for selected seasons of the nighttime soap opera Knots Landing.
Dvore’s work in graphic design won him an Emmy Award in 1987 for Carol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin.
But as memorable as that work is, that’s not why I’m sharing his birthday here, as you might expect. He also worked on a more beer-related project. Robert Leo Hulseman, whose father founded the Solo Cup Company. In the 1970s, Hulseman hired Dvore to design a new plastic cup for the company. Here’s the story, from the now-defunct design blog Design-Ago:
One rainy day in early 1970’s Los Angeles…
Leo Hulesman, founder of the Solo cup company, stopped by the studio of Hollywood designer Sandy Dvore.
“I heard you’re the best commercial artist around.” Said Hulesman.
This was true. Dvore was the hottest designer in Hollywood. His work appeared everywhere from billboards to trade ads and most famously, every week in the Hollywood Reporter and Variety publications. At the time, these were the most important pieces of the Hollywood community. EVERYONE looked to these weekly magazines to see what their peers were doing.
Hulesman was looking for a design for his new venture, children’s records that would be a promotional giveaway on the Solo cup box. You see, Dora Hall, a singer who was also Mrs. Hulesman, had given up her career in Ziegfield Follies to raise their children. This was a chance for her to get back to performing again and do something her children could enjoy.
“I’m doing very well now” said Dvore. “I’ve got some major projects and I really don’t want to do small piece work. It would take up a lot of time.”
“What if I give you a retainer?” Said Hulesman.
“He was sharp”, Dvore thought.
At the time Dvore was doing big name television projects, The Partidge Family and The Waltons.
“I could send you a chunk of money…” “What kind of number are we talking?” Asked Hulseman.
“$17,500” stated Dvore.
“Why don’t we just make it a flat $25,000.” Replied Hulesman.
They shook hands and Hulesman smiled. He enjoyed the banter as he, like Dvore, was a self made man from Chicago.
“He liked that I could handle myself.” Dvore remembered. “We became friends and I enjoyed knowing him.”
Hulesman enjoyed sharing the success he had. He would pay for entire television specials for his wife Dora so she could have an opportunity perform.
When it’s time to change.
“The Solo company at the time had an old serif logo right out of a type book.” Dvore remembers.
Dvore looked at the two O’s in the SOLO logo and the idea came to him, simple as that. He hadn’t been asked to create a new logo either. He just thought,
“as a artist, we can do better.”
Hulesman had his feet propped up on Dvore’s desk when he showed him what he had come up with.
“We should change your logo, this should be the logo for your company.” Dvore slid the concept to Hulesman.
The negative space in the SOLO, O’s replaced with cups, along with a new san-serif type.
Hulesman looked at it and replied, “send it to the company.”
And, one short phone call later, it became the logo you still see everywhere today.
Sometimes, but not often, it IS that easy.
A relationship of trust formed between Dvore and Hulesman. Which is why Dvore felt comfortable proposing new ideas.
“Why are all your cups white? You should have some colored cups.”
With this idea Dvore took the colors from his recent Partridge Family art and applied the same blue, yellow and red to the cups.
And in another short phone call to the factory, the Solo cup company started producing color cups.
“I even used the same color numbers from the Partridge Family logo.” Recalls Dvore.
And so, once again, a simple yet smart idea, a phone call, and the rest is history, the red Solo cup was born.
Whoever would have thought a cup would be so famous?
It has inspired songs, drinking games, tattoo’s, merchandise and created plenty of hazy memories.
Why red became the go-to, and a cultural icon is anyone’s guess.
“It’s become the most well known and most seen thing I have ever done.” Dvore states today.
Every day, millions of people get their morning cup of coffee and before they take a sip there it is, the Solo cup logo.
Every night, people attend a party or have a game of beer pong and there it is again, the red Solo cup.
Today is Carolyn Smagalski’s birthday. Carolyn’s a beer writer from Pennsylvania — not sure what it is about Pennsylvania and beer writing — who writes for BellaOnline. Her nickname is the Beer Fox and she does a terrific job spreading the gospel of great beer. Join me in wishing Carolyn a very happy birthday.
Carolyn with Michael Jackson at GABF in 2006.
Don Russell, Carolyn and Curt Decker, from Nodding Head.
Don Feinberg with Carolyn.
Ralph Olson, from HopUnion, the Alpha King and Carolyn.
NOTE: Previous three photos purloined from Facebook.
Me and Carolyn at GABF in 2006. [photo by Bryan Kolesar]
A big group of brewers and beer writers in Philadelphia during CBC.
Today would have been the birthday of Mike “Tasty” McDole, homebrewer extraordinaire, and one time co-host of “The Jamil Show,” or “Can You Brew It?” and also was a regular on the “Sunday Show” on The Brewing Network. Tasty would never refer to himself that way, and on Twitter he claimed to be simply a “homebrewer and a craft beer enthusiast.” But most of us who knew him would, as he also admits, “make [him] out to be much more.” And that is correct, I believe, as Tasty was one of the best. He’s a former Longshot winner, has given talks at the National Homebrew Convention and has won countless awards and had collaborated with numerous commercial breweries on beers. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years ago after battling cancer. Join me in raising a toast to Tasty’s memory.
With Justin Crossley at the Bistro Double IPA Festival in 2010.
With Shaun O’Sullivan at 21st Amendment in 2009.
Vic Krajl, from The Bistro, Mike & Shaun O’Sullivan, from 21st Amendment at GABF in 2009.
Tasty at GABF in Denver in 2014.
And a couple of years ago, 21st Amendment Brewery released Tasty IPA in collaboration with Mike.
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.
Wednesday’s poster is for Falken Schaffhauser’s Bock, and was published in 1934. This one was made for the Bierbrauerei Falken Schaffhausen, or Falcon Brewery, of Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The brewery was founded in 1799, and is still in business today, and is “considered the only independent brewery in the Schaffhausen region,” and is Switzerland’s 5th largest brewery. This one is for their Schaffhauser Bock and shows a group of protestors carrying signs, though in the end they’re just beer signs. It was created by Swiss artist Arnold Oechslin.
Today is Fred Bowman’s 80th birthday. Fred co-founded the Portland Brewing Co., which was bought several years ago by Pyramid Breweries, which in turn was bought by Magic Hat and then again by North American Breweries. Fred continues to be very active in the craft beer community, and has been supportive of the movement since the beginning. A couple of years ago, he dropped by and stayed with us during his drive ’round the country in a van, visiting old friends and family. Join me in wishing Fred a happy birthday.
By the Celebrator booth at OBF, from left, John Harris (former head brewer at Full Sail Brewing), Tom Dalldorf, and Fred.
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.
Tuesday’s ad is for Shreveport Bock Beer, which was published on August 26, 1904. This one was for, I think, the Shreveport Brewery of Shreveport, Louisiana, which was originally founded in 1902, but only appears to have been in business until 1906. This ad ran in The Shreveport Times, also of Shreveport, Louisiana.
