Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer Birthday: Phil Farrell

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Today is the 60th birthday — The Big 6-O — of Phil Farrell. Phil these days is a Terrestrial Biological Beer Processor at StillFire Brewing in Suwanee, Georgia. When I first met Phil, he was flying for Delta Airlines, and before that had been an Air Force Aviator with a homebrewing problem. “Phil won over 500 awards including Mid-South Home Brewer of the Year (twice) and is the only home brewer to win a gold medal at the U.S. Open Beer Championship beating all the pros in his category.” In 2011, he won Beer Drinker of the Year at Wynkoop in Denver, Colorado, when they were still running the annual contest. He was also famous is certain beery circles as the Chicken Man, and took hundreds (maybe more?) photos of beer people with his rubber chicken. In 2007, I did an article for the then-new Beer Advocate magazine about beer geeks, wherein I profiled several beer geeks from around the country, and Phil’s story was included in that story:

Given the chicken in the word geek’s origins, it’s fitting that one homebrewer has combined his love of brewing with a rubber chicken. Former jet pilot Phil Farrell, a retired Lt. Colonel in the Air Force, began homebrewing over ten years ago. Living in north Georgia, he became active in a local homebrew club named the Chicken City Ale Raisers, because their home, Gainesville, Georgia, is the “Poultry Capital of the World.” The group was looking for an edge in competitions and, as a joke, Farrell picked up a rubber chicken to use as a mascot. They started winning and, looking for more magic, the chicken started coming along to festivals. As a goof, he started taking photos of the rubber chicken with brewing luminaries. At first it was slow going, but once Charlie Papazian had his picture taken, things started to take off. Today, nobody squawks and Farrell has about 2,000 photos of beer people with the rubber chicken, enough to fill ten photo albums. And it’s still magic, last year Farrell was named the Mid-South Home Brewer of the Year for second time. And given craft beer’s recent growth, perhaps we all owe the rubber chicken a debt of gratitude?

Phil is also frequently a steward at GABF and the World Beer Cup, and also is a judge in his own right. He also attends many national beer events and is a fun guy to talk, and drink, beer with. Join me in wishing Phil a very happy birthday.

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Phil at the Hard Liver Barleywine Festival in 2005.
Phil, with the original chicken, now bronzed
Phil after his rubber chicken was bronzed, in 2010.
Phil Farrell, 2011 Beerdrinker of the Year
Phil in 2011, when he won Beer Drinker of the Year at Wynkoop.
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Beer In Ads #4911: Acme Bock Is Back Tomorrow

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Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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 Acme Bock Beer and was published March 16, 1950. The brewery was the Acme Brewing Co. of San Francisco, California, which was originally founded in 1907, though they also opened a location in the Los Angeles area. Today the brand is opened by North Coast Brewing. This ad ran in the News Pilot of San Pedro, California, announcing the release of Acme bock beer the following day.

Beer In Ads #4910: Acme Bock Beer

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Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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 Acme Bock Beer and was published March 15, 1934. The brewery was the Acme Brewing Co. of San Francisco, California, which was originally founded in 1907, though they also opened a location in the Los Angeles area. Today the brand is opened by North Coast Brewing. This ad ran in the Oregonian of Portland, Oregon, for the first release of bock beer since Prohibition was repealed the previous year.

Beer In Ads #4909: It’s The Smile Of Springtime!

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Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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 Acme Bock Beer and was published March 14, 1940. The brewery was the Acme Brewing Co. of San Francisco, California, which was originally founded in 1907, though they also opened a location in the Los Angeles area. Today the brand is opened by North Coast Brewing. This ad ran in the Palo Verde Valley Times of Blythe, California, two days before the release of that year’s seasonal bock.

Beer In Ads #4908: It’s My Kind Of Bock

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Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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 Frankenmuth Nut Brown Bock Beer and was published March 13, 1952. The brewery was the Frankenmuth Brewing Co. of Frankenmuth, Michigan, which was originally founded in 1862 by Martin Heubisch and Wilhelm Knaust. It has closed and re-opened a couple of times, and is still around today as a craft brewery known as the Frankenmuth Brewery. It’s interesting that they referred to their bock as a “nut brown bock beer,” which is a new one on me. But at least it was a favorite of local bartender Bert Wells, who exclaimed “It’s My Kind of Bock!”

Historic Beer Birthday: Joseph Priestley

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oxygen
Today is the birthday of English scientist Joseph Priestley (March 13, 1733-February 6, 1804). While he was also a “clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and Liberal political theorist,” he’s perhaps best known for discovering oxygen (even though a few others lay claim to that honor). According to Wikipedia, “his early scientific interest was electricity, but he is remembered for his later work in chemistry, especially gases. He investigated the ‘fixed air’ (carbon dioxide) found in a layer above the liquid in beer brewery fermentation vats. Although known by different names at the time, he also discovered sulphur dioxide, ammonia, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and silicon fluoride. Priestley is remembered for his invention of a way of making soda-water (1772), the pneumatic trough, and recognising that green plants in light released oxygen. His political opinions and support of the French Revolution, were unpopular. After his home and laboratory were set afire (1791), he sailed for America, arriving at New York on 4 Jun 1794

Priestley

In the biography of Priestley at the American Chemistry Society has a sidebar about his work with fermentation:

Bubbling Beverages

In 1767, Priestley was offered a ministry in Leeds, Englane, located near a brewery. This abundant and convenient source of “fixed air” — what we now know as carbon dioxide — from fermentation sparked his lifetime investigation into the chemistry of gases. He found a way to produce artificially what occurred naturally in beer and champagne: water containing the effervescence of carbon dioxide. The method earned the Royal Society’s coveted Copley Prize and was the precursor of the modern soft-drink industry.

Even Michael Jackson, in 1994, wrote about Priestley connection to the brewing industry.

“It has been suggested that the Yorkshire square system was developed with the help of Joseph Priestley who, in 1722, delivered a paper to the Royal Society on the absorption of gases in liquids. In addition to being a scientist, and later a political dissident, he was for a time the minister of a Unitarian church in Leeds. During that period he lived next to a brewery on a site that is now Tetley’s.”

ZIN42670

In the New World Encyclopedia, during his time in Leeds, it explains his work on carbonation.

Priestley’s house was next to a brewery, and he became fascinated with the layer of dense gas that hung over the giant vats of fermenting beer. His first experiments showed that the gas would extinguish lighted wood chips. He then noticed that the gas appeared to be heavier than normal air, as it remained in the vats and did not mix with the air in the room. The distinctive gas, which Priestley called “fixed air,” had already been discovered and named “mephitic air” by Joseph Black. It was, in fact, carbon dioxide. Priestley discovered a method of impregnating water with the carbon dioxide by placing a bowl of water above a vat of fermenting beer. The carbon dioxide soon became dissolved in the water to produce soda water, and Priestley found that the impregnated water developed a pleasant acidic taste. In 1773, he published an article on the carbonation of water (soda water), which won him the Royal Society’s Copley Medal and brought much attention to his scientific work.

He began to offer the treated water to friends as a refreshing drink. In 1772, Priestley published a paper entitled Impregnating Water with Fixed Air, in which he described a process of dripping sulfuric acid (or oil of vitriol as Priestley knew it) onto chalk to produce carbon dioxide and forcing the gas to dissolve by agitating a bowl of water in contact with the gas.

Joseph_Priestley

And here’s More About Priestley from the Birmingham Jewellry Quarter, whatever that is:

But his most important work was to be in the field of gases, which he called ‘airs’ (he would later chide James Keir for giving himself airs (oh dear!) by adopting the term ‘gases’ in his Dictionary of Chemistry, saying ‘I cannot help smiling at his new phraseology’). Living, as he did at the time, next to a brewery, he noticed that the gas given off from the fermenting vats drifted to the ground, implying that it was heavier than air. Moreover, he discovered that it extinguished lighted wood chips. He had discovered carbon dioxide, which he called ‘fixed air’. Devising a method of making the gas at home without brewing beer, he discovered that it produced a pleasant tangy taste when dissolved in water. By this invention of carbonated water, he had become the father of fizzy drinks!

PriestleyStamp

But perhaps my favorite retelling comes from the riveting History of Industrial Gases:

priestley-gases

The relevant findings were published in 1772, in Impregnating Water with Fixed Air

20. By this process may fixed air be given to wine, beer, and almost any liquor whatever: and when beer is become flat or dead, it will be revived by this means; but the delicate agreeable flavour, or acidulous taste communicated by the fixed air, and which is manifest in water, will hardly be perceived in wine, or other liquors which have much taste of their own.

PriestleyJoseph-Lab
Priestley’s apparatus for experimenting with ‘airs.’

Beer In Ads #4907: The Bockiest Bock Beer In Town

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Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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 Bruck’s Bock Beer and was published March 12, 1941. The brewery was the Bruckmann Brewing Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, which was originally founded in 1856 by brothers Johann and Frederick Bruckmann as the Cumminsville Brewery. After Prohibition they bought out the Ohio Union Brewing Co.and operated it as a second brewing facility until 1949, and both were renamed the Bruckmann Co. after 1919. This ad for Bruck’s Bock Beer is by their Michigan distributor. I love that it’s “The Bockiest Bock Beer in Town.”

Beer In Ads #4906: Braumeister Bock Beer

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Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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 Braumeister Bock Beer and was published March 11, 1951. The brewery was the Independent Milwaukee Brewery of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which was founded in 1901 by five partners: Henry N. Bills, William Gutknecht, Charles Evers, Emil Czarnecki, and William Jung. It’s flagship brand was Braumeister. The survived Prohibition and lasted until 1962, when the G. Heileman Brewing Co. of nearby Lacrosse bought the brewery and closed it down the following year. But in 1951, they claimed to have Milwaukee’s most famous brewmaster for brewing Prize Bock Beer.”

Beer In Ads #4905: The Convert

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Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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.

Monday’s ad doesn’t explicitly indicate it’s for Bock Beer, but it seems pretty clear from the imagery that it is. One goat is downing a mug of beer while another looks on and appears to be drooling in anticipation. Behind them is a sinister looking bartender drawing another glass of beer. He looks like he’s up to no good. The chromolithograph was created in 1888 by Wilson, Wagner & Co., Lithographers, of Chicago, Illinois.

Beer In Ads #4904: It’s Here! The Genuine Bock Beer!

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Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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 if for Rheingold Genuine Bock Beer and was published March 9, 1959. The ad was created for Liebmann Breweries, founded in 1837. The lithograph was created in 1880.  The ad is signed but I’ll be damned if I can read the signature. Best I can make out is something like … well, no, I looked again and I can’t make heads or tales of it. I do love the stenciling on the keg and the goat peeking out from behind it, but especially the letter from Dr. Ringelmann, Secretary of State, about the Original Gravity.