Today is the birthday of Simon Linser, sometimes spelled Lizner (September 17, 1852-May 4, 1941). He was born in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, but emigrated to the United States 1873, eventually settling in Ohio and became associated with the Washington Brewery of Zanesville, Ohio, later renaming it the Simon Lisner Brewing Co.

Here’s a more thorough biography of Lisner from Past and Present of the City of Zanesville, and Muskingum Co., Ohio (Published in Chicago by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1905)

SIMON LINSER, the president of the Simon Linser Brewing Company, at Zanesville, was born in Baden, Germany, in 1852, and came to the United States in 1873. He located in New York city, where he worked in Stein’s brewery for two years and then removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was employed in Moerlein’s brewery until 1880. In that year he came to Zanesville, where he accepted the position of foreman in the Groener & Horn brewery, acting in that capacity for four years, when in 1884 he formed a partnership with Henry Zinnsmeister, and bought the Washington brewery. This they conducted until 1891, when Mr. Linser purchased his partner’s interest and carried on business alone until 1901, when the Star, Riverside and Washington breweries were consolidated and a stock company was formed under the name of the Simon Linser Brewing Company, the officers being Simon Linser, Sr., president; David Smith, vice president; and Simon Linser, jr., secretary and treasurer.
In 1875 Mr. Linser was married to Miss Regula Kramer, who was born in Wittenberg, Germany, in 1852. They have six children, four sons and two daughters, namely: Charles F., who is foreman of the Star brewery: Simon, who is secretary and treasurer of the Simon Linser Brewing Company; Herman who is foreman of the Washington brewery; Otto, Anna and Freda. Mrs. Linser is a member of St. Nicholas church and he belongs to the Odd Fellows society and the Knights of Pythias fraternity. In politics he is a democrat and has represented the fourth ward in the city council for six years, taking an active interest in all that pertains to the material upbuilding and progress of Zanesville.
The hope that led him to leave his native land and seek a home in America has been more than realized. He found the opportunities he sought, which, by the way, are always open to the ambitious, energetic man, and, making the best of these, he has steadily worked his way upward. He possesses the perseverance, resolution and reliability so characteristic of people of his nation, and his name is now enrolled among the best citizens of Muskingum county.

Here’s his obituary from the Zaneszille Signal from May 14, 1941:

And here’s another obituary from The Times Recorder:

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 Stroh’s Bock Beer, among other beers and related things. It was published on September 10, 1975. This bock was for the the Stroh Brewing Co. of Detroit, Michigan, which was originally founded in 1850. The image below itself, however, is a portion of an ad for Tenuta’s, an institution in Kenosha since 1950. It’s both a delicatessan and a grocery and liquor store. This ad ran in The Kenosha News, of Kenosha, Wisconsin.

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 poster is for Falken Schaffhauser’s Bock, and was published in 1936. This one was made for the Bierbrauerei Falken Schaffhausen, or Falcon Brewery, of Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The brewery was founded in 1799, and is still in business today, and is “considered the only independent brewery in the Schaffhausen region,” and is Switzerland’s 5th largest brewery. This one is for their Schaffhauser Bock and, possibly a Festbier, showing figurines around the top of a Maypole, including a soldier, a bartender, a waitress and a gentleman all surrounding a giant mug of beer. It was created by Swiss artist Arnold Oechslin. This is the last one of these I’ve found by Arnold Oechslin. If you know nof any I missed, please let me know.