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Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #2223: Why Responsible Brewers Are Adopting This Symbol

March 22, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Wednesday’s ad is a trade ad, by the United States Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1938. After prohibition ended, the industry started doing PSA-type ads in an attempt to create goodwill for beer and brewers. They would later go on to do a fairly sophisticated series of ads between 1946 and 1956, known unofficially as Beer Belongs. Officially, they were “The Home Life in America” series, consisting of 120 ads, with a new ad running in major periodicals each month. Last year, for my Beer in Ads series, I featured every one of them. But in the years before that, the U.S. Brewing Industry Foundation (a precursor to the original Brewer’s Association) dabbled with a variety of similar ads promoting the industry as a whole. These were especially popular during World War 2, and in fact they even won an award from the government for some of these ads. Most of the ads were black and white, although a few were in color, though usually in a minimal way, with a few colors accented rather than being in full color.

In this ad, just six years after the repeal of prohibition, the brewers had formed a trade organization, the United Brewers Industrial Foundation in an effort to promote themselves as not just good brewers, but also as good citizens. You do start to see the logo pop up in member’s advertising after this point, so at least some made the effort. I don’t think it was overly effective, however, and they seemed to try several different advertising strategies over the next few years. It also doesn’t seem like the best of names, either. I wonder who thought “Industrial Foundation” sounded like a name consumer would respond positively to?

1938-Beer-ale-United-Brewers-Industrial

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, Brewers Association, History

Beer In Ads #2222: Firelight And Mellow Beer Weave Memories To Cherish

March 21, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Tuesday’s ad is a trade ad, by the United States Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1942. After prohibition ended, the industry started doing PSA-type ads in an attempt to create goodwill for beer and brewers. They would later go on to do a fairly sophisticated series of ads between 1946 and 1956, known unofficially as Beer Belongs. Officially, they were “The Home Life in America” series, consisting of 120 ads, with a new ad running in major periodicals each month. Last year, for my Beer in Ads series, I featured every one of them. But in the years before that, the U.S. Brewing Industry Foundation (a precursor to the original Brewer’s Association) dabbled with a variety of similar ads promoting the industry as a whole. These were especially popular during World War 2, and in fact they even won an award from the government for some of these ads. Most of the ads were black and white, although a few were in color, though usually in a minimal way, with a few colors accented rather than being in full color.

In this ad, an older couple sits on a sofa, beer in his hand, the pair of them are staring intently at something in front of them. If not for the word “firelight” in the headline, I would have thought the glow they were looking at was their television. But no, they’re staring at the fire in their fireplace. Of course, in 1942 not only weren’t there many channels, what there was wasn’t too good anyway.

Firelight-and-Mellow-Beer-Paper-Ads-United-Brewers-Industrial-Foundation-1942

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, Brewers Association, History

Beer In Ads #2221: 15 Billion Pounds Of Farm Products!

March 20, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Monday’s ad is a trade ad, by the United States Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1939. After prohibition ended, the industry started doing PSA-type ads in an attempt to create goodwill for beer and brewers. They would later go on to do a fairly sophisticated series of ads between 1946 and 1956, known unofficially as Beer Belongs. Officially, they were “The Home Life in America” series, consisting of 120 ads, with a new ad running in major periodicals each month. Last year, for my Beer in Ads series, I featured every one of them. But in the years before that, the U.S. Brewing Industry Foundation (a precursor to the original Brewer’s Association) dabbled with a variety of similar ads promoting the industry as a whole. These were especially popular during World War 2, and in fact they even won an award from the government for some of these ads. Most of the ads were black and white, although a few were in color, though usually in a minimal way, with a few colors accented rather than being in full color.

In this ad, that “15 Billion Pounds Of Farm Products” the headline refers to barley, corn, rice and hops “from 3 million acres of farm lands” that have been purchased by American breweries since the repeal of prohibition six years before. I believe their point was that it was good for the economy, but it’s so subtle I’m not quite sure. And I love that inset explaining that 3 million acres is roughly “All the potato fields in this great country put together.” It’s also “all the crop lands harvested in five New England states!” So that’s a lot of land.

USBF-1939-barley

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, barley, Brewers Association, History

Beer In Ads #2220: Prescription For A Long And Happy Life

March 19, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Sunday’s ad is a trade ad, by the United States Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1941. After prohibition ended, the industry started doing PSA-type ads in an attempt to create goodwill for beer and brewers. They would later go on to do a fairly sophisticated series of ads between 1946 and 1956, known unofficially as Beer Belongs. Officially, they were “The Home Life in America” series, consisting of 120 ads, with a new ad running in major periodicals each month. Last year, for my Beer in Ads series, I featured every one of them. But in the years before that, the U.S. Brewing Industry Foundation (a precursor to the original Brewer’s Association) dabbled with a variety of similar ads promoting the industry as a whole. These were especially popular during World War 2, and in fact they even won an award from the government for some of these ads. Most of the ads were black and white, although a few were in color, though usually in a minimal way, with a few colors accented rather than being in full color.

In this ad, a man appears to be camping alone. Which appears to be part of the “Prescription for a long and happy life,” which includes “… a brook … a browning trout … and beer.” Check. Check. Check.

UBIF-1941-prescription

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, Brewers Association, History

Beer In Ads #2219: I Buy My Beer From A Foundation Member … Do You?

March 18, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Saturday’s ad is a trade ad, by the United States Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1939. After prohibition ended, the industry started doing PSA-type ads in an attempt to create goodwill for beer and brewers. They would later go on to do a fairly sophisticated series of ads between 1946 and 1956, known unofficially as Beer Belongs. Officially, they were “The Home Life in America” series, consisting of 120 ads, with a new ad running in major periodicals each month. Last year, for my Beer in Ads series, I featured every one of them. But in the years before that, the U.S. Brewing Industry Foundation (a precursor to the original Brewer’s Association) dabbled with a variety of similar ads promoting the industry as a whole. These were especially popular during World War 2, and in fact they even won an award from the government for some of these ads. Most of the ads were black and white, although a few were in color, though usually in a minimal way, with a few colors accented rather than being in full color.

In this ad, A waiter is holding a tray with two glasses of beer in it. The headline reads. “I buy my beer from a Foundation member … Do you?” On the wall behind him hangs a sign: “The Place Observes the Law.” I’m not sure it was law, since in theory you could be a licensed brewer but not belong to the U.S. Brewers Foundation, which was, after all, a trade organization. But at least it was for a good reason. “It is a battle to clean up conditions undesirable to us all, which sometimes surround the retail sale of beer to the consumer.”

USBF-1939-American

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, Brewers Association, History

Beer In Ads #2218: Defeat And Victory

March 17, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Friday’s ad is a trade ad, by the United States Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1941. After prohibition ended, the industry started doing PSA-type ads in an attempt to create goodwill for beer and brewers. They would later go on to do a fairly sophisticated series of ads between 1946 and 1956, known unofficially as Beer Belongs. Officially, they were “The Home Life in America” series, consisting of 120 ads, with a new ad running in major periodicals each month. Last year, for my Beer in Ads series, I featured every one of them. But in the years before that, the U.S. Brewing Industry Foundation (a precursor to the original Brewer’s Association) dabbled with a variety of similar ads promoting the industry as a whole. These were especially popular during World War 2, and in fact they even won an award from the government for some of these ads. Most of the ads were black and white, although a few were in color, though usually in a minimal way, with a few colors accented rather than being in full color.

In this ad, two elderly gentleman are wearing suits, complete with vests and pocket watches, holding glasses of beer. They’re watching a football game on television, and it appears one of their fortunes has just changed. One of them is sunk low in his char, while the other smiling with his fist raised in cheer. “Defeat and victory … both grow sweeter with a glass of kindly beer or ale.” Ah, a “kindly” glass of beer. What exactly makes a beer kindly?

1941-PRINT-AD-UNITED-BREWERS-INDUSTRIAL-FOUNDATION

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, Brewers Association, History

Beer In Ads #2217: The Moderation Hour

March 16, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Thursday’s ad is a trade ad, by the United States Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1940. After prohibition ended, the industry started doing PSA-type ads in an attempt to create goodwill for beer and brewers. They would later go on to do a fairly sophisticated series of ads between 1946 and 1956, known unofficially as Beer Belongs. Officially, they were “The Home Life in America” series, consisting of 120 ads, with a new ad running in major periodicals each month. Last year, for my Beer in Ads series, I featured every one of them. But in the years before that, the U.S. Brewing Industry Foundation (a precursor to the original Brewer’s Association) dabbled with a variety of similar ads promoting the industry as a whole. These were especially popular during World War 2, and in fact they even won an award from the government for some of these ads. Most of the ads were black and white, although a few were in color, though usually in a minimal way, with a few colors accented rather than being in full color.

In this ad, two men sit at a table, having a beer. The headline is great. “Good beer and ale in wholesome , modern taverns, offer Americans pleasant, inexpensive relaxation.” Also worth noting, they described the range of available beers as “sweet or dry, dark or light … take your choice.”

USBF-1940-moderation

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, Brewers Association, History

Beer In Ads #2216: There’s Serenity In Beer & Ale

March 15, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Wednesday’s ad is a trade ad, by the United States Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1941. After prohibition ended, the industry started doing PSA-type ads in an attempt to create goodwill for beer and brewers. They would later go on to do a fairly sophisticated series of ads between 1946 and 1956, known unofficially as Beer Belongs. Officially, they were “The Home Life in America” series, consisting of 120 ads, with a new ad running in major periodicals each month. Last year, for my Beer in Ads series, I featured every one of them. But in the years before that, the U.S. Brewing Industry Foundation (a precursor to the original Brewer’s Association) dabbled with a variety of similar ads promoting the industry as a whole. These were especially popular during World War 2, and in fact they even won an award from the government for some of these ads. Most of the ads were black and white, although a few were in color, though usually in a minimal way, with a few colors accented rather than being in full color.

In this ad, two couples are having a picnic in the woods, with this great headline. “In a hurrying, scurrying world there’s serenity in beer and ale.” And I love how the pitch the need for “serenity” with this text. “YES! It’s a busy, dizzy world in which we live! And every man and woman in it needs now and then to get away from it all. Needs to sit down quietly and shut out the din and noise for a peaceful hour or so.” And naturally, they suggest drinking a beer during your time off. And I suppose every generation thinks their time is the busiest in human history, but I have to believe things were fairly slow in 1941 compared to now. And this ad was about four months before we entered World War 2. I have a hard time believing it was as hurrying and scurrying as they seemed to think.

USBF-Life-08-04-1941

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, Brewers Association, History

Top 50 Breweries For 2016

March 15, 2017 By Jay Brooks

ba
The Brewers Association has also just announced the top 50 breweries in the U.S. based on sales, by volume, for 2016, which this year they’re calling the “Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies.” This includes all breweries, regardless of size or any other definitions or parameters. Here is the new list:

Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies

Breweries in bold are considered to be “small and independent craft brewers” under the BA’s current definition. That there are so many footnotes (23 in total, or almost half of the list) explaining exceptions or reasons for the specific entry, seems illustrative of a growing problem with the definition of what is a craft brewery. I certainly understand the need for a trade group to have a clearly defined set of criteria for membership, but I think the current one is getting increasingly outdated again, and it’s only been a few years since the contentious debate that resulted in the current BA one. But it may be time to revisit that again.

six-glasses

RankBrewing CompanyCityState
1Anheuser-Busch, Inc (a)Saint LouisMO
2MillerCoors (b)ChicagoIL
3Pabst Brewing Co (c)Los AngelesCA
4D. G. Yuengling & Son, IncPottsvillePA
5North American Breweries (d)RochesterNY
6Boston Beer Co (e)BostonMA
7Sierra Nevada Brewing CoChicoCA
8New Belgium Brewing CoFort CollinsCO
9Lagunitas Brewing Co (f)PetalumaCA
10Craft Brew Alliance (g)PortlandOR
11Gambrinus (h)San AntonioTX
12Duvel Moortgat (i)Paso Robles/Kansas City/CooperstownCA/MO/NY
13Ballast Point Brewing Co (j)San DiegoCA
14Bell’s Brewery, Inc (k)ComstockMI
15Deschutes BreweryBendOR
16Founders Brewing Co (l)Grand RapidsMI
17Stone Brewing CoEscondidoCA
18Oskar Blues Brewing
Holding Co
(m)
LongmontCO
19Sapporo USA (n)La CrosseWI
20Brooklyn BreweryBrooklynNY
21Minhas Craft Brewery (o)MonroeWI
22Artisanal Brewing Ventures (p)Downington/LakewoodPA/NY
23Dogfish Head Craft BreweryMiltonDE
24SweetWater Brewing CoAtlantaGA
25New Glarus Brewing CoNew GlarusWI
26Matt Brewing Co (q)UticaNY
27Harpoon BreweryBostonMA
28Alaskan Brewing CoJuneauAK
29Abita Brewing CoAbita SpringsLA
30Great Lakes Brewing CoClevelandOH
31Anchor Brewing CoSan FranciscoCA
32Stevens Point Brewery (r)Stevens PointWI
33August Schell Brewing Co (s)New UlmMN
33Long Trail Brewing Co (t)Bridgewater CornersVT
35Summit Brewing CoSaint PaulMN
36Odell Brewing CoFort CollinsCO
37Shipyard Brewing Co (u)PortlandME
38Full Sail Brewing CoHood RiverOR
39Rogue AlesNewportOR
4021st Amendment BreweryBay AreaCA
41Flying Dog BreweryFrederickMD
42Ninkasi Brewing CoEugeneOR
43Gordon Biersch Brewing CoSan JoseCA
44Allagash Brewing CoPortlandME
45Narragansett Brewing CoProvidenceRI
46Green Flash Brewing Co (v)San DiegoCA
47Tröegs Brewing CoHersheyPA
48Uinta Brewing CoSalt Lake CityUT
49Bear Republic Brewing CoCloverdaleCA
50Pittsburgh Brewing Co (w)PittsburghPA

six-glasses

2016 Top 50 Overall U.S.
Brewing Companies Notes

Details from brand lists are illustrative and may not be exhaustive. Ownership stakes reflect
greater than 25% ownership:

(a) Anheuser-Busch, Inc includes 10 Barrel, Bass, Beck’s, Blue Point, Bud Light,
Budweiser, Breckenridge, Busch, Devils Backbone (partial year), Elysian, Four Peaks,
Golden Road, Goose Island, Karbach (partial year), King Cobra, Landshark, Michelob,
Natural Rolling Rock, Shock Top, Wild Series brands and Ziegenbock brands. Does not
include partially owned Coastal, Craft Brew Alliance, Fordham, Kona, Old Dominion,
Omission, Red Hook, and Widmer Brothers brands;
(b) MillerCoors includes A.C. Golden, Batch 19, Blue Moon, Colorado Native, Coors,
Hamms, Hop Valley (partial year), Icehouse, Keystone, Killian’s, Leinenkugel’s,
Mickey’s, Milwaukee’s Best, Miller, Olde English, Revolver (partial year), Saint Archer,
Steel Reserve, Tenth & Blake, and Terrapin (partial year) brands;
(c) Pabst Brewing Co includes Ballantine, Lone Star, Pabst, Pearl, Primo, Rainier, Schlitz
and Small Town brands;
(d) North American Breweries includes Dundee, Genesee, Labatt Lime, Mactarnahan’s,
Magic Hat, Portland and Pyramid brands as well as import volume;
(e) Boston Beer Co includes Alchemy & Science and Sam Adams brands. Does not include
Twisted Tea or Angry Orchard brands;
(f) Lagunitas Brewing Co ownership stake by Heineken;
(g) Craft Brew Alliance includes Kona, Omission, Red Hook and Widmer Brothers brands;
(h) Gambrinus includes BridgePort, Shiner and Trumer brands;
(i) Duvel Moortgat USA includes Boulevard, Firestone Walker, and Ommegang brands;
(j) Ballast Point Brewing Co owned by Constellation brands;
(k) Bell’s Brewery, Inc includes Bell’s and Upper Hand brands;
(l) Founders ownership stake by Mahou San Miguel;
(m) Oskar Blues Brewing Holding Co includes Cigar City, Perrin and Utah Brewers
Cooperative brands;
(n) Sapporo USA includes Sapporo and Sleeman brands as well as export volume;
(o) Minhas Craft Brewery includes Huber, Mountain Crest and Rhinelander brands as well as
export volume;
(p) Artisanal Brewing Ventures includes Victory and Southern Tier brands;
(q) Matt Brewing Co includes Flying Bison, Saranac and Utica Club brands;
(r) Stevens Point Brewery includes James Page and Point brands;
(s) August Schell Brewing Co includes Grain Belt and Schell’s brands;
(t) Long Trail Brewing Co includes Long Trail, Otter Creek, The Shed and Wolaver’s
brands;
(u) Shipyard Brewing Co includes Casco Bay, Sea Dog and Shipyard brands;
(v) Green Flash Brewing Co includes Alpine and Green Flash brands;
(w)Pittsburgh Brewing Co includes Iron City and Old German brands

BEER-generic

Here is this year’s press release.

Filed Under: Beers, Breweries, Editorial, Just For Fun, News, Politics & Law, Related Pleasures Tagged With: Big Brewers, Brewers Association, Business, Statistics, United States

Beer In Ads #2215: It Helps Support A Million Families

March 14, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Tuesday’s ad is a trade ad, by the United States Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1939. After prohibition ended, the industry started doing PSA-type ads in an attempt to create goodwill for beer and brewers. They would later go on to do a fairly sophisticated series of ads between 1946 and 1956, known unofficially as Beer Belongs. Officially, they were “The Home Life in America” series, consisting of 120 ads, with a new ad running in major periodicals each month. Last year, for my Beer in Ads series, I featured every one of them. But in the years before that, the U.S. Brewing Industry Foundation (a precursor to the original Brewer’s Association) dabbled with a variety of similar ads promoting the industry as a whole. These were especially popular during World War 2, and in fact they even won an award from the government for some of these ads. Most of the ads were black and white, although a few were in color, though usually in a minimal way, with a few colors accented rather than being in full color.

In this ad, another one not exactly subtle, the literal hand of “The Beer Industry” is holding up a giant beer tray filled with the million jobs the industry supports.

USBF-1939-employment

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, Brewers Association, Economics, Economy, History

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