Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #568: Ballantine Ale Begins Where Other Brews Leave Off …

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Wednesday’s ad is for Ballantine Ale from, I’m guessing, the later 40s or early 50s. Showing a couple dressed up in their finest haute couture, the woman in a stunning blue cocktail dress and the gentleman in a tuxedo with tails. They’re toasting something pretty important by the looks of it, the confetti at their feet suggesting possibly New Year’s Eve. But it’s not champagne in their glasses, but Ballantine Ale. Because, according to the tagline; “Ballantine Ale begins where other brews leave off … in flavor … in satisfaction!” I also love the throwaway line toward the bottom. “The LIGHT ale that’s strong on flavor.”

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Beer In Ads #567: Go Team Red Cap

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Tuesday’s ad is for Carling’s Red Cap Ale. I’m not sure of the year the ad ran, but there is a clue at the bottom. It says that for 109 years it was made in Canada but as of the date of the ad was being made in the U.S. It’s a great illustration and I’m assuming it ran in the fall, sometime during football season, since the only element in the ad is the generic “Go Team!” football badge in blue and gold and some ticket stubs, presumably from the game.

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Beer In Ads #566: A Great Nation’s Greatest Beer

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Monday’s ad is for an old Pabst brand, Andeker Beer, also referred to as “Andeker of America.” It’s from 1972 and refers to itself as “The Beer Supreme.” The tagline is great: “A Great Nation’s Greatest Beer.” The painting shown in the ad is by George Caleb Bingham. The ad says the title is Pioneers Crossing the Cumberland Gap, but it’s usually referred to as Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers through the Cumberland Gap.

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Beer In Art #166: Albert Edelfelt’s Portrait of Louis Pasteur

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Today’s work of art is by the Swedish-speaking Finnish artist Albert Edelfelt, who in 1886 painted a Portrait of Louis Pasteur. Pasteur, of course, while primarily known for pasteurization of milk, did his initial studies of fermentation and unlocked many of the mysteries of how yeast worked in brewing, paving the way for brewers to better understand and control the process of making beer. In 1873 he published his Treatise on Fermentation.

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The painting today hangs in the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. The museum describes Portrait of Louis Pasteur:

Like many of his contemporaries from Northern Europe, the Finn Albert Edelfelt came to France when he was scarcely twenty to study at the fine arts school in Paris. He quickly took part in the official exhibitions and soon won medals and awards. The presentation of his portrait of the chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur at the Salon of 1886 marked a new stage in his career because it earned him the Legion of Honour. At a time when painters readily chose contemporary scientific subjects rather than historical painting, which was bogged down in the reproduction of anecdotes, this portrait of one of the most famous scientists of the time was very popular.

Pasteur is shown in his laboratory in the rue d’Ulm, in the midst of his experimental apparatus. He is holding a jar containing the spinal cord of a rabbit infected with rabies which he used to develop a vaccine against rabies. As a result of this discovery, he was hailed as a benefactor of mankind. Far from being a heroic representation, the painting is the epitome of poise, both in its composition and lighting. Light from a window out of sight on the right spreads delicately over the scene, highlighting the equipment and the scientist’s thoughtful face.

To learn more about Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt, you can start with Wikipedia, and you can also see links to his works online at ArtCyclopedia, Painting Giant, Vaasa, the Athenaeum and Wahoo Art.

Beer In Ads #565: In The Early 1800s Beers Were Dark

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Friday’s ad is the last bicentennial ad for Schaefer beer in the series. This one uses the ad copy. “In the early 1800s beers were dark, and people hid them in leather steins. Then, in 1842, Schaefer introduced a beer worth looking at.” This one also doesn’t try to make them sound 200 years old. And it does feature another beautiful drinking vessel — although I’m not fond of that leather one — and yet more impossibly perfect foam.

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Beer In Ads #564: 1842. It Was A Very Good Year For Beer Drinkers

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This week has inadvertently turned into Schaefer Week, with Thursday’s ad being yet another bicentennial ad for Schaefer beer. This one uses the ad copy. “1842. It Was A Very Good Year For Beer Drinkers.” At least this one doesn’t try to make them sound 200 years old. But it does feature another beautiful drinking vessel and more impossibly perfect foam.

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Beer In Ads #563: The First 200 Years Are The Hardest

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Wednesday’s ad is another (I think) bicentennial ad for Schaefer beer. This one uses the ad copy. “After a while, it’s easy to brew a beer as good as Schaefer. The first 200 years are the hardest.” Again, this would have been when Schafer was around 134 years old, not terribly close to 200 years, but the ad was aimed at America’s 200th birthday. In this one there’s another cool-looking stein, but the foam on that glass looks pretty fake. With the handle on the mug, if you use your imagination it looks like an elephant or I suppose you could say it looks a bit phallic.

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Beer In Ads #562: Practicing Almost 200 Years

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Tuesday’s ad is odd, at least as far as the ad copy. It’s for Schaefer beer with the following ad copy. “We’ve been practicing the art of brewing beer for almost 200 years. And practice makes perfect.” Which sounds good, right? Except that Schaefer was founded in 1842. I just bought a book celebrating their 100th anniversary in 1942. While I’m not absolutely certain, I believe this ad was from around America’s bicentennial in 1976, which would have made Schaefer 134 years old. Maybe it’s my lack of number sense, but that doesn’t seem like “almost” 200 years old, not even close. I’d say you’d have to be at least 151 to claim that, which would not have been until 1993. But that beer glass and mug are beautiful.

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