Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #729: J-Day 2012

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Friday’s ad is specifically for today, 2012. It’s for Tuborg’s Christmas beer, Julebryg, which is released each year at 8:59 p.m. on the first Friday of November. It’s become a big holiday in Denmark, known as J-Dag (or J-Day). It’s hard not to love a beer holiday called “J-Day,” or that just me? NPR has the full story.

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Back in 1980, they debuted an animated television commercial which was such a huge hit that it sparked the tradition for the seasonal beer’s release each year, and the same ad has now run every year since then.

Beer In Ads #728: A Magnet For Me!

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Thursday’s ad is from the 1950s, for the English brand John Smith, specifically their Magnet Pale Ale, which they registered as a trademark in 1911. This ad appears to use a Marilyn Monroe lookalike, or at least drawn-alike, to entice people to but John Smith’s Magnet Pale Ale, along with the tagline. “A Magnet for me!”

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Beer In Ads #727: Say Cheese

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Wednesday’s ad is for Budweiser, another Halloween ad from the 1950s or early 60s. This one’s part of A-B’s “where there’s life … there’s Bud” series. Showing the makings of a Halloween party, with loads of cheese on plates, and a can of Bud being poured into a glass. The expression of the woman watching the beer is pretty funny, along with the tagline. “Say cheese. Or anything else good to eat.”

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Beer In Ads #726: Your Face Will Light Up, Too!

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Tuesday’s ad is for Blatz, a Halloween ad from 1947. Showing a smirking jack-o-lantern eyeing a full pilsner glass and bottle of Blatz beer next to it. Notice the plate of food below the main ad, with the glass of beer next to it? What exactly do you think that food on the plate might be? It’s lovely presentation, but what the hell is it?

Blatz-1947-halloween

Beer In Ads #724: Among The Hardships Of The 1856 Frontier Was The Taste Of The Beer

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Friday’s ad is for Hamm’s, from 1970. What great conceit. “Among the hardships of the 1856 frontier was the taste of the beer. Then came Hamm’s.” But my favorite bits is at the end, where they claim that Hamm’s flavor, such as it is, “runs as deep as ever. And nothing’s come along that can beat it.” It’s a good thing that ad was in 1970, because that statement surely would not stand up to scrutiny today.

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Beer In Ads #723: Old Friends Appreciate Young Beer

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Thursday’s ad is for Budweiser. Showing a pair of old men sharing bottles of Budweiser, it’s such a simple ad, that it may have been from the early part of last century, if not even older. At least one other source claims it’s from the 1940s, but there’s no evidence for that, so I’m still not so sure. Still, it’s nice illustration and undoubtedly made a good poster for a bar.

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Beer In Ads #722: Congratulations To The Pennant Winners!

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Wednesday’s ad, as the first game of the World Series begins, is from 1955 for Knickerbocker Beer. Calling itself “Your World Series Favorite,” it must have tough for the New York City beer to choose sides, as the world series that year was between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers won the series in seven games. Go Giants!

Knickerbocker-1955-world-series

Beer In Ads #721: Time For Fun …

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Tuesday’s ad is for Schmidt’s, but this time it is the one you probably know. The ad is from 1963, a very colorful, but still pre-hippie sixties. “Time for fun” … “Time for Schmidt’s” … “The Full-Taste Beer.” What is “full-taste beer,” you ask? Helpfully, the ad provides an answer. “Schmidt’s takes light beer, mellow beer, hearty beer — then blends them together.” So now you know.

Schmidts-1963

Two Is Better

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I’m a fan of the website Woot!, which offers special deals, one each day. They’ve since added additional daily deals, such as tech woot!, sport woot!, home woot!, and even kids woot!. Most days, it’s not something I’m interested in or need, but every now and then it’s totally worth it and I buy the daily deal. They also have shirt woot!, where they sell daily t-shirts, too. Generally, those are pretty interesting, a few funny ones, some clever. Today’s is a beer shirt. I personally wouldn’t wear it, but I thought it was interesting. And it’s nice to see beer shown in a positive light, even if just on a silly t-shirt. The shirt is called Two is Better and shows two full mugs of beer high-fiving with a rainbow connecting them. They’re the twin pots of gold, so to speak. Hard to argue with that.

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