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Beer In Ads #5006: Valley Forge Bock Beer

June 22, 2025 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. 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.

Sunday’s ad is for Valley Forge Bock Beer. The ad was published in 1954. This one was for the Adam Scheidt Brewing Co., which was located in Norristown, Pennsylvania and was originally founded in 1866. This ad ran in The Evening Star, of Washington, D.C.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Pennsylvania

Beer In Ads #5005: Valter & Droopy Love Old Imperial Bock

June 21, 2025 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. 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.

Saturday’s ad is for Old Imperial Bock Beer. The ad was published in 1962. This one was for the Rahr-Green Bay Brewing Co., which was located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and was originally founded in 1853. This ad ran in The Green Bay Press Gazette, of Green Bay, Wisconsin. The text on this one is great. “Cool, Refreshing, Palatable.” Palatable? Not exactly a great descriptor. But even better are the two endorsements, first from Valter: “Ven I say ‘good,’ I mean ‘GOOD!'” followed by Droopy: “‘Ach! You know de answer.”

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Wisconsin

Beer In Ads #5004: Have You Tried It Yet?

June 20, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. 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.

Friday’s ad is for Jax Bock Beer. The ad was published in 1962. This one was for the Jackson Brewing Co., which was located in New Orleans, Louisiana and was originally founded in 1890. This ad ran in The San Angelo Standard Times, of San Angelo, Texas.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Louisiana, New Orleans, Texas

Beer In Ads #5003: Old Reading Bock Beer

June 19, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. 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.

Thursday’s ad is for Old Reading Bock Beer. The ad was published in 1935. This one was for the Reading Brewing Co., which was located in Reading, Pennsylvania and was originally founded in 1886. This ad ran in The Reading Times, also of Reading, Pennsylvania.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Pennsylvania

Historic Beer Birthday: Angelo Poretti

June 19, 2025 By Jay Brooks

angelo-poretti

Today is the birthday of Angelo Poretti (June 19, 1829-October 20, 1901). He was born in northern Italy, in the Vedano Olona area. He traveled in his youth, learned the brewing trade, and returned to Italy and founded the Birrificio Angelo Poretti in 1877. The brewery remained in his family until 1939, and today is owned by the Carlsberg Group.

Angelo-Poretti

This biography is from his Italian Wikipedia page, translated by Google:

He was born into a peasant family and decided in his youth to emigrate to Europe, moving between Austria, Germany and Bohemia. Enriched by the experience abroad, in the mid-seventies of the nineteenth century, he returned to Italy to spread the beer in his country. In fact the various years spent abroad gave Angelo Poretti the opportunity to acquire a deep knowledge of beer, thanks to the encounter with some of the best brewers of the time. He then sought in the province of Varese, of which it was originally, the best area to build its brewery, investing the savings accumulated with fatigue together with its Bohemian wife Franziska Peterzilka. At Induno Olona, near the caves of the Valganna, he bought the abandoned Amideria del Dones starch factory; from abroad it imported the machinery, the raw materials and the first master brewer, while the purity of the water, a fundamental element for a quality beer, was guaranteed by the source of the Valgannaknown as the “fountain of the sick”, which Angelo Poretti had purchased. The choice dictated by the search for quality also had a strong advertising impact as the water of the “fountain of the sick”, famous for its healing effects, became the basic element of the beers produced in the new Poretti brewery. Another key element in the choice of the area was the presence of the lake of Ganna and Ghirla from which it drew the ice for storing the drink.

Poretti-brewery-1904
The Angelo Poretti brewery around 1904.

This account is from an Italian museum website in Varese, Museoweb:

Angelo Poretti, born in 1829 in Vedano Olona, ​​decides to leave the province of Varese in his youth to work in Austria, Germany and Bohemia first as a laborer, then as a laborer and finally as a contractor for some railway lines.

In the mid-seventies, with his wife, the Bohemian Franziska Peterzilka, decided to return to Italy and to invest the discreet wealth accumulated in brewing which is so successful in Central Europe. His idea is to introduce in Italy a new type of beer – the Bohemian Pilsner – which compared to those sold up to that point (the “Vienna” and the “Chiavenna”) is lighter and is produced with top quality ingredients . He was convinced of the goodness of the initiative through his long experience in the euro zone. At Induno Olona he identifies the area where to build his own plant. It is located near the caves of the Valganna, where there is a spring, called the “fountain of the sick”, very famous not only in the district but even in Milan for its effects called “miraculous”. Angelo Poretti buys both with an immediate advertising effect: the water from the “fountain of the sick” becomes the basis of his beer.

In short, he buys the factory of the terminated Amideria del Dones, he gets machinery, raw materials and the first master brewer from abroad. The company, created in 1877 and formalized three years later with the establishment of Poretti Angelo and C., won great popularity a few years later, in 1881, on the occasion of the Universal Exposition held in Milan. The elegant Swiss chalet that houses the Varese company, in fact, is literally besieged by a crowd of visitors who want to taste the Italian pilsner. In the following years, the company grew and this despite a market then as now characterized by very low per capita consumption compared to the European average (today we are around 30 liters) and an extreme fragmentation of the sales points.

In addition to his entrepreneurial experience, Angelo Poretti is also active in public and economic life. Over the years, in fact, he held the office of municipal councilor in Varese and mayor of Vedano Olona, ​​while in the mid-1980s he was appointed chairman of the permanent committee of the brewers’ association. He has no children and at his death, in October 1901, he was succeeded by his grandchildren (the sisters’ children) Edoardo Chiesa, the brothers Angelo and Tranquillo Magnani and Francesco Bianchi (who died in 1918).

Until the outbreak of the First World War, the company recorded very positive results, so much so that it entered the top of the national ranking per hectolitre of beer produced. Meanwhile, in 1905, the increased production requirements led the two grandchildren to renew the Induno Olona production facility. The project is entrusted to the German studio Bihl and Woltz, which creates a factory in pure Jugendstil style able to perfectly combine industrial technology with art.

poretti-wax
As far as I can tell, this is a wax figure of Poretti on display somewhere, possibly at the brewery museum or visitor center today.

This is the description of the brewery from Wikipedia:

The brewery was founded in 1877 by Angelo Poretti in Induno Olona. In 1939, the company passed to the Bassetti family, who owned the Splügen brewery in Chiavenna. In 1982 the Carlsberg Group bought 50% of the shares from the company, followed in 1998 by a further 25%. In 2002, the Danish group acquired the remaining 25% and thus obtained full ownership of the company from Induno Olona.

poretti-label
An early Poretti label.

And according to the section on Modern Brewing Associations in the “Documentary History of the United States Brewers’ Association,” published in 1896, Poretti was president of the Italian brewers’ organization.

Poretti-USBA-italy
Birra-Poretti-hill

Filed Under: Birthdays, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Europe, Italy

Historic Beer Birthday: John Gardiner Jr.

June 19, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Today is the birthday of John L. Gardiner Jr. (June 19, 1857-October 31, 1931). Gardiner was most likely born in Philadelphia, where his father, John Gardiner Sr., moved from upstate New York to buy the James Smyth Brewery in 1874, renaming it John Gardiner & Co. Brewery. In 1883, Gardiner renamed it again, this time the Continental Brewing Co., which remained its name until it closed at the start of prohibition in 1920. I haven’t been able to confirm his involvement with his father’s brewery, but it seems likely as the eldest surviving son that he would have operated the family brewery after his father passed away in 1903. One source, “The Brewer’s Hand-Book for 1918,” appears to list him as President of the brewery that year, and another Jr., his own son, as Secretary (although his Find-a-Grave page does not list a son), so I suspect I don’t have this quite right yet..

Junior’s father and his family are mentioned in the history of Schmidt’s Brewery, where he worked:

For generations the name of Gardiner had been well known in brewing circles. The family owned the Continental Brewing Co. in Philadelphia. John Gardiner married a daughter of Christian Schmidt. John Gardiner Jr., and Edward A. Gardiner, sons of John Gardiner, joined Schmidt’s to add new luster, in, respectively, sales and finance., to the family management team.

During the entire period of relegalization- including the peak year of 1955- and through to 1958, John Gardiner Jr., a grandson of the founder, was sales and advertising manager for the brewery. Mr. Gardiner, now a vice president, saw sales rise under his management from 106,000 in 1934 to almost 2 million in 1955.

Edward A. Gardiner, his brother, now chairman of the board, was responsible for the financial arrangements which made possible the various expansions of the brewery in the 1930’s, 40’s and early 50’s. It was Mr. Gardiner’s raising of the funds to accommodate the expansion of the company in 1947 and 1948 which kept the brewery abreast of modern changes and in a position to meet the difficult competitive challenge of the postwar years.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Beer In Ads #5002: Lemp’s Bock Beer

June 18, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. 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.

Wednesday’s ad is for Lemp’s Bock Beer. The ad was published on June 18, 1914. This one was for the Lemp Brewing Co., which was located in St. Louis, Missouri and was originally founded in 1840. This ad ran in The Post Intelligencer, of Seattle, Washington, I think, Illinois.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Missouri, St. Louis

Historic Beer Birthday: Thomas M. Dukehart

June 18, 2025 By Jay Brooks

dukehart
Today is the birthday of Thomas M. Dukehart (June 18, 1835-August 1, 1912). He was born in Maryland, and became a partner in a Baltimore Brewery, the Rock Spring Brewery, in 1872 and later it was known as the Maryland Brewing Co., from 1884-1891. Dukehart eventually became the sole owner, renaming it the Dukehart Brewing Co. in 1891, and in 1900 it became known as the Dukehart Manufacturing Co. Brewery. Dukehart died just as prohibition was starting, in 1912, and the brewery was closed and never reopened.

thomas-dukehart

This story of the Dukehart and the brewery is from “100 Years of Brewing,” published in 1903.

And this is from the “Industries of Maryland: A Descriptive Review of the Manufacturing and Mercantile Industries of the City of Baltimore,” published in 1882:

dukehart-ad-1891

Filed Under: Birthdays, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: History, Maryland

Beer In Ads #5001: Decatur Bock Beer

June 17, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. 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.

Tuesday’s ad is for Decatur Bock Beer. The ad was published in 1912. This one was for the Decatur Brewing Co., which was located in Decatur, Illinois and was originally founded in 1855. And it made sense to share today because it was run for a time by Frank Shlaudeman, who was born today in 1862. This ad ran in The Daily Review, also of Decatur, Illinois.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Illinois

Historic Beer Birthday: Frank Shlaudeman

June 17, 2025 By Jay Brooks

decatur
Today is the birthday of Frank Shlaudeman (June 17, 1862-August 26, 1938). His father became a partner in what would become the Decatur Brewing Co., in Decatur, Illinois, and which was founded in 1855. By. 1884, Henry Shlaudeman was the sole owner. Frank was born and raised in Decatur.

Frank’s father Henry Shlaudeman joined the Edward Harpstrite Brewery (which was originally the John Koehler & Adam Keck Brewery when it opened in 1855). Within a few years, he’d made enough of an impact that it became the Harpstrite & Shlaudeman Brewery, and two years after that, in 1884, he bought out his partner and it became the Henry Shlaudeman Brewery. In 1888, it was again renamed, this time the Decatur Brewing Co. It reopened after prohibition in 1934 under the name Macon County Beverage Co., but closed for good the same year.

Surprisingly, I was unable to turn up even one photograph of him. He took over the brewery after his father retired in 1903. I found a record of him taking a trip in 1934 to California. But more recently, I found his obituary, from the Heralnd and Review in 1938.

And here’s a second obit:

And this biography is from the “Portrait and Biographical Record of Macon Co., IL, 1893″

Frank Shlaudeman, an educated gentleman and prominent business man of Decatur, is Vice-President of the Decatur Brewing Company, and also Vice-President of the Decatur Ice and Cold Storage Company. His entire life has been passed in this city, where his birth occurred on the 17th of June, 1862. Under the parental roof the days of his boyhood were passed, and his primary education was acquired in the public schools of the city. He afterward attended the University of Illinois, at Champaign, taking a five-years course as a mechanical enigneer in the mechanical department. He was then graduated from that institution in the Class of ’82, with the degrees of B.S. and M.E. After his graduation he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and entered the employ of the Brush Electric Light Company. He worked in all the departments of that company and became familiar with every detail of the business. Later he spent six months in Chicago. He had expected to devote his attention to electrical work, but events caused him to abandon this plan. However, he has built two electric machines, one for lighting the ice factory and one for motor purposes in the bottling works, of three-horse power. He put up the first electrical machine in Decatur, a Brush machine of ten-horse power for exhibition purposes.

In October, 1886, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Shlaudeman and Miss Josephine Baum, whose home was in Springfield, Ill. They have a pleasant residence on Webster Street, and are well known in this community, having many friends. From his boyhood our subject has been familiar with the brewing business, and in 1886 entered the brewery. Since that time he has given his entire attention to the business, and has practically been its manager. He has entire charge of the manufacturing department, and his brother Harry superintends the office and sales. The property covers a tract of several acres. The Decatur Brewing Company was oncorporated on the 27th of March, 1888, with a capital stock of $50,000. It’s officers are H. Shlaudeman, President; Frank Shlaudeman, Vice-President; and Harry Shlaudeman, Secretary and Treasurer. It has a capacity of twenty thousands barrels annually, with an annual business of fourteen thousand barrels, and they purchase about fifteen thousand bushels of barley, mainly grown in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Employment is furnished to twenty-three men. The bottling works are separated from the brewery. Mr. Shlaudeman is an intelligent and cultured gentleman, pleasant and popular, and a man of good business ability.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Germany, History, Illinois

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