Friday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1906. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, Schlitz is suggesting that you ask your doctor about which beer to choose. I know my doctor prefers dark beer, he doesn’t like overly hoppy beers. But I still have a hard time believing the conversation would go anything like the ad suggests. But who knows, just a few years later, when prohibition began, doctors were writing prescriptions for medicinal beer.
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