Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day ad is another one for Budweiser, this one from 1953. “When You Know Your Beer … It’s Bound To Be Bud, or at least that’s what the disembodied heads seem to be saying at Thanksgiving. That is a fine looking turkey she’s got there, but I’m not so sure about his beer.
Wednesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1964. A surprisingly simple, if busy, ad showing a large turkey that fills the page, laid out on a holiday decorated table, with a bottle of Bud and a full glass of beer next to it. It’s actually making me hungry, and thirsty, for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.
Tuesday’s ad is for Heineken, from 1928, when the Summer Olympics were held in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This Heineken ad both celebrated the games and declaring it the beer of the Olympiad with a cool illustration of the Olympic stadium.
Monday’s ad is for Oland’s Export Ale, from 1966. The Oland Brewery was located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and their Export Ale was a popular brand in Eastern Canada after its introduction in the 1920s. The Oland family sold their brewery to Labatt’s in 1971. The Oland’s also founded Moosehead, which different members of the family still own and operate. The 1960s illustration in this ad looks great, though I’m not sure if it’s meant to appear as if it’s clear — presaging Zima — or that it brings more color to the woman’s cheeks, thereby increasing her attractiveness, even though she, technically, is the beer holder.
Time was when today, the Monday before Thanksgiving, was the traditional day on which Anchor’s Our Special Ale — a.k.a. their Christmas Ale — was released each year. Every year since 1975 the brewers at Anchor Brewery have brewed a distinctive and unique Christmas Ale, which is now available from early November to mid-January.
From this year’s press release:
This is the forty-first annual Christmas Ale from the brewers at Anchor. It is sold only from early November to mid–January. The Ale’s recipe is different every year—as is the tree on the label—but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew.
Our tree for 2015 is the Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara), better known as the California Christmas Tree. Native of the Himalayas, it takes its name from the ancient Sanskrit devadaru, meaning timber of the gods. This coniferous evergreen, with its gracefully droopy branches and blue-green needles, has been a San Francisco favorite for over 150 years.
The annual search for the perfect tree for our Christmas Ale label usually takes us far afield. This one began and ended with the search for a parking space near the Brewery! Getting out of the car, we couldn’t help but notice the way the late-afternoon sun danced amid the branches of two lovely Deodars just half a block from Anchor’s front door.
Our longtime label artist Jim Stitt — who has been drawing trees for us since 1975 — loved “our” Deodars and, like us, was amused that they were about as local as local gets! His charming illustration evokes the radiant beauty of our arboreal neighbors as well as the spirit of the season. Cheers from the Anchor brewers!
Even though for the last several years, Anchor’s Christmas Ale is released in early November, I continue to observe Anchor Christmas Day on the Monday before Thanksgiving. I know I’m a sentimental old fool, but I liked that they used to wait that long to release it, even though I understand why they had to abandon it. But some things are worth waiting for. If you agree with me, please join me in drinking a glass of this year’s seasonal release tonight. Happy Anchor Christmas Day!
Sunday’s ad is for Heineken, from I’m not sure when. It looks like it may be older, but it could just as easily be a newer at playing on the nostalgia when most breweries delivered by horse and wagon. I like the bright colors of the ad and even though they’re not Clydesdales, they’re still some fine-looking horses.
Saturday’s ad is for Stella Artois, from 2006. This is not a particularly old ad, but it’s meant to look older, or at least more classic, than it is. I really like the visuals of it, if not the beer itself. But then I love flags and am an amateur vexillologist. I visited the Stella Artois brewery in Leuven last year, with a large group of beer judges, and it holds the record for “worst beer tour” ever. Not the longest (that was a couple of days later) but they kept us sweating in hot, confined area, restricted our movement like they were afraid we were spies and generally treated us like children. Oh, and I later found out they thought we were rude, which is hilarious. I had also hoped that at the source, I’d finally understand what all the fuss is abut the beer. Nope, it still didn’t taste very good, at least to me.
Friday’s ad is for Heineken’s Extra Stout, from maybe the early 1960s. I did come across a label for Heineken Extra Stout from 1961, but little else about the beer. Given Heineken’s image today, it certainly seems odd that they would have brewed a dark beer, but why not.
Thursday’s ad is for Brand Bier, which was established in 1430. If you’re going to pick a brand name for your beer, Brand seems like a pretty good way to go. Brand Bier is still a going concern, and is the oldest brewer in the Netherlands. As for this ad, I’m not sure when it is from, though given how generic it is, it could really be from any time. I’m also not sure if the dozen full beer glasses are meant to spell out anything or otherwise represent some shape.
Wednesday’s ad is for Heineken’s Bierbrouwerij Maatschappij, which was established in 1873. A few years before, 1864, Gerard Adriaan Heineken bought the Haystack Brewery, later changing its name to HBM, which essentially means Heineken’s brewery or beer company. I suspect this ad is from the late 1800s, as it resembles ones from that time period.
