Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #1713: There’s Room To Grow In Canada Unlimited

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Monday’s ad is for O’Keefe’s, from 1949. The ad copy begins: “The seven-league boots of today …,” which I confess made no sense to me. Apparently seven-league boots “are an element in European folklore. The boots allow the person wearing them to take strides of seven leagues per step, resulting in great speed. The boots are often presented by a magical character to the protagonist to aid in the completion of a significant task.” In this case, it’s uniting Canada, by “shrinking time and distance … bringing our peoples closer together … that’s the role of Canadian aviation.” The Rockwell-like illustration was created by a Clare Shragge. It’s an emotionally charged painting, brimming with optimism … and beer.

Okeefes-1949-airplanes

The Comforts Of Life

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art
Here’s an interesting piece of history I came across this morning. It’s a hand-colored etching created around 1826, possibly by Henry Heath. This one is plate 3 from a set of 4, all of which apparently relate to alcohol and its effects. It’s believed to have been published by William Cole of 10 Newgate Street in London. An original of the print is in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum. It’s certainly an interesting caricature of life in the early 19th century.

comforts

According to the text at the bottom of the print, each of the gentlemen are drinking the following. Double-X / Half & Half / Porter / Swipes (Which appears to be beer that is weak, thin, watery or even spoiled).

Beer In Ads #1712: The Leipzig Monument

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Sunday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1914. The pre-prohibition ad is their attempt to sway people against supporting prohibition. The series used the tagline “Budweiser spells Temperance.” This one features the obscure (at least to me) Leipzig Monument, which was dedicated today, October 18, 1913, commemorating the “Battle of Nations,” also known as the Battle of Leipzig, which took place 100 years earlier in 1813. It was fought in Leipzig, in Saxony against Napoleon.

The coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Sweden, led by Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg, decisively defeated the French army of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. Napoleon’s army also contained Polish and Italian troops, as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine. The battle was the culmination of the 1813 German campaign and involved nearly 600,000 soldiers, making it the largest battle in Europe prior to World War I.

Being decisively defeated for the first time in battle, Napoleon was compelled to return to France while the Coalition hurried to keep their momentum, invading France early the next year. Napoleon was forced to abdicate and was exiled to Elba in May 1814.

Proposals to build a monument commemorating the battle began a year after the battle took place, in 1814, and an architect, Friedrich Weinbrenner, designed a version of the monument that was never used. Fifty years later, a foundation stone was placed at the site, but no memorial was built. It would be another 50 years before it was finally completed, financed primarily by the city of Leipzig, it was dedicated in 1913, on October 18, for the 100th anniversary of the battle, at a cost of 6 million Goldmark ($3,484,966 U.S.).

The monument commemorates Napoleon’s defeat at Leipzig, a crucial step towards the end of hostilities in the War of the Sixth Coalition, which was seen[by whom?] as a victory for the German people, although Germany as we know it did not begin to exist until 1870. There were German speakers fighting on both sides, as Napoleon’s troops also included conscripted Germans from the French-occupied left bank of the Rhine as well as from the Confederation of the Rhine.

The structure is 91 metres (299 ft) tall. It contains over 500 steps to a viewing platform at the top, from which there are spectacular views across the city and environs. The structure makes extensive use of concrete, although the facings are of granite. The monument is widely regarded as one of the best examples of Wilhelmine architecture. It is said to stand on the spot of some of the bloodiest fighting, from where Napoleon ordered the retreat of his army.

So that was the monument that Anheuser-Busch decided would help sell their beer.

bud-spells-temperance-1914

Beer In Ads #1711: Good Taste

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Saturday’s ad is for Blatz Beer, from 1944. Having finally managed to grow some tomatoes on our back deck this year, this ad called to me, especially the copy “nothing can describe the thrilling good taste of red-ripe tomato fresh from your own Victory Garden!” I concur, though I’m not sure how it compares to a beer. Not even one that’s “Never sharp … never bitter … always mellow.”

Blatz-1944-good-taste

Beer In Ads #1710: Let’s Get Together With A Friendly ’50’ Ale

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Friday’s ad is for Labatt’s ’50’ Ale, from 1956. This is another example of my theory that beer in the Fifties was much more “friendly” than today. I keep finding examples of beer companies at that time describing their beer as “friendly” in advertising, but this is the first Canadian example I’ve come across. I do love the backyard party scene, such a happy-looking gathering. How friendly, just like the beer.

Labatts-1958-backyard

Beer In Ads #1709: When Life At Its Best Calls For Beer At Its Best …

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Thursday’s ad is for Falstaff, from 1956. Now matter how you feel about the issue of guns and gun control, it doesn’t seem to me that it’s a great idea to mix a romantic evening by the fireplace with a couple of beers and a shotgun. Don’t worry honey, it will be fun. I’ll clean my gun and we’ll drink a few Falstaffs. What could go wrong? But look how happy they look.

Falstaff-1956-guns

Beer In Ads #1708: One Of “Those Moments”

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Wednesday’s ad is for Carling’s Black Label, from 1955. By “those moments,” an example might be it starting to rain just as you finished washing your car. That would drive anyone to drink, I suppose. But not just any beer, according to the ad copy, will do. You need the “most satisfying beer of all,” a.k.a. “the beer with the heart of gold.”

Carling-1955-rain

Beer In Ads #1705: Certainly It’s Schlitz

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Sunday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1934. It’s just after prohibition ended and Schlitz is definitely going classy. Apparently Schlitz is seen in “the smartest places” and is “served in well-ordered homes.” Not to mention what a big deal out of their brown bottles. But by far, my favorite line in the ad copy makes no sense whatsoever. “Flavor in Schlitz beer is like style in a Worth frock.”

Schlitz-1934-certainly

Beer In Ads #1704: Changing Beer Bottle Behavior

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Saturday’s ad is for Duraglas, from 1940. It’s Duraglas, a brand of glass bottles owned by the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, that’s “Changing Beer Bottle Behavior.” If you peek behind the action of the woman handing a green bottle to one of the two tuxedoed gentlemen into the refrigerator, you can see a green, brown and clear glass bottles sitting on the shelf inside. But in the foreground, it’s a brown bottle of beer being poured into the glass next to the salad. If you look closely at the bluish wallpaper around the ad, there are bottles of beer with brands on them, like Carnegie Pilsener Beer, Kato Pilsner Beer, Felsenbrau, Old Ox Head Ale, Mule Head Stock Ale, Topaz, Stegmeier Porter, Monarch Beer, Ruppert Ale, Hillcrest Lager Beer, Lucky Lager, Cincinnati Burger Brau, Top Hat Beer, Lucky Ale, Edelbrau Porter, and that’s just some from the left side. They all appear to be different, which is pretty amazing. I recognize enough of the brands to assume they must all be real brands from the time period.

Duraglas-1940-changing