Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

Socialize

Beer In Ads #5229: Bock. At Last The Great Sensation Has Arrived. Read, Gaze & Ponder!

By

Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Friday’s ad is for Centilvre Bock Beer, which was published on April 24, 1886. This ad was for the C.L. Centlivre Brewing Co. of Fort Wayne, Indiana, which was founded in 1862 by Charles l. Centlivre. It went through several name changes until 1970, when it closed, however it was recently relaunched by the Centlivre family as Centlivre Beer. This ad ran in The Fort Wayne News and Sentinel, also of Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

Beer In Ads #5228: To Clarify The “Bock Beer Date” Question

By

Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Thursday’s ad is for Camden Bock Beer, which was published on April 23, 1939. This ad was for the Camden County Beverage Co. of Camden, New Jersey, which was originally founded in 1904. This ad ran in The Camden Courier-Post, of Camden, New Jersey.

Beer In Ads #5228: We Are Coming On The Run …

By

Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Wednesday’s ad is for Terre Haute Bock Beer, which was published on April 22, 1899. This ad was for the Terre Haute Brewing Co., of Terre Haute, Indiana and was founded in 1855. This ad ran in The Vincennes Sun Commercial, of Vincennes, Indiana.

Beer In Ads #5228: All Together For Newark

By

Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Tuesday’s ad is for Consumers Bock Beer, which was published on April 21, 1916. This ad was for the Consumers Brewing Co., of Newark, Ohio and was founded in 1897. This ad ran in The Newark Advocate, of Newark, Ohio.

Beer In Ads #5227: It’s Here! Bock Beer By Bosch

By

Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Monday’s ad is for Bosch Brewing Bock Beer, which was published on April 20, 1935. This ad was for the Bosch Brewing Co., of Houghton, Michigan and was founded in 1857 by William Ault. This ad ran in The Escanaba Daily Press, of Escanaba, Michigan.

Historic Beer Birthday: Henry Becker

By

indiana

Today is the birthday of Henry Becker (April 19, 1851-April 20, 1906). He was born in Bavaria, and emigrated to the U.S. when he was 21, coming first to New Orleans, and two years later settling in Terre Haute, Indiana. At some point, he became involved with the Seventh Street Brewery, which had been founded in 1848 (although another source seems to dispute that believing they are unrelated and that Becker’s was founded independently in the 1870s, which actually makes some sense to me). Its name was changed to the Terre Haute Weiss Beer Brewery in 1898 (if related to Seventh Street), but after Becker’s death in 1906, his son took it over, renaming it the Henry J. Becker Brewery. Becker’s son then sold it two years later, in 1908. The buyer, Charles J. Graf, closed it for the good the same year.

Henry-Becker-obit-abr
Obituary of Becker from the American Brewers’ Review in 1906.

There’s very little information I could find on Becker or his brewery. It appears to have been very small, with capacity below 500 bbl, making it something of a proto-nano in its day. I could also not find any photos of Becker or the brewery and no breweriana whatsoever, aprt from the bottle below, which must be from between 1906-09. One unusual fact I did find is that they brewed a Berliner Weiss.

henry-becker-bottle

Beer In Ads #5226: Broadway Brewing Bock Beer

By

Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Saturday’s ad is for Broadway Brewing Bock Beer, which was published on April 18, 1905. This ad was for the Broadway Brewing & Malting Co., of Buffalo, New York and was founded by Albert Albrecht in 1852. This ad ran in The Buffalo Evening News, also of Buffalo, New York.

Beer In Ads #5225: Fabled Ambrosia Of The Ancients

By

Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Friday’s first ad is for Pittsburgh Bock Beer, which was published on April 17, 1906. This ad was for for the Pittsburgh Brewing Co., of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was founded by Edward Frauenheim in 1861. This ad ran in The Pittsburgh Press, also of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I love the ad copy on this one. “The fabled ambrosia of the ancients never slacked [did they mean slaked?] any man’s thirst except in the imagination.”

Historic Beer Birthday: William O. Poth

By

poths
Today is the birthday of William O. Poth (April 17, 1876-March 9, 1901). He was the son of Frederick J. Poth and the older brother of Harry A. Poth. In 1870, his grandfather founded the Fred A. Poth Brewery, which by 1875 was the largest brewery in the U.S. His brother Harry was the brewer, but it’s unclear what William’s role at the family brewery was. I could find very little about him, even his Find-a-Grave page doesn’t list the date of his death. But I did find it mentioned in the trade publication The Western Brewer from March 1906:

Poth-western-brewer-1906

f-a-poth-brewery-postcard
The Poth brewery, from an illustration done in the early 1890s.

I couldn’t find any photographs of him, which isn’t too surprising given I couldn’t find any of his father and only one of his brother, Frederick J. Poth. Sadly, I could find almost nothing else about him, either.

poth-brewerytown

pothredbellbrewery1900
The Poth & Sons Brewery around 1900.

Poths-Cream-Ale-Labels-Poth-Brewing-1936
poth-buttons

Beer In Ads #5224: Harvard Bock Beer

By

Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Thursday’s ad is for Harvard Bock Beer, which was published on April 16, 1912. This ad was for the Harvard Brewing Co. of Lowell, Massachusetts, which was originally founded in 1893 as Consumer’s Brewing Co. This ad ran in The Boston Evening Transcript, of Boston, Massachusetts.