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Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #4669: Six Heads Vie For Beer Crown Of Miss Rheingold 1963

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Saturday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1962. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. In this newspaper item, from August 3, 1962, there’s a photo of the six finalists hoping to become Miss Rheingold 1963, with the headline “Six Heads Vie for Beer Crown.” They are; seated, left to right: Beverly Owen and Chris Noel. And standing behind, also left to right: EileenO’Neill, Prue Walt, Carol Merrill, and Loretta Ann Rissell.

Beer In Ads #4668: Which Witch Is Which For Miss Rheingold 1963

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Friday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1962. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. In this newspaper item, from August 1, 1962, there’s a photo giving us our first look at the six finalists to become Miss Rheingold 1963, with the headline “Which Witch Is Which?” They are; first row, left to right: Carol Merrill, Chris Noel and EileenO’Neill. Back row, left to right: Beverly Owen, Prue Walt, and Loretta Rissell.

Pub January Is A Better Idea Than Dry January

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My colleague and friend Jeff Alworth recently proposed a novel alternative to Dry January he’s calling Pub January. I’ve never been a fan of Dry January. Taking an arbitrary month off from something that’s very enjoyable and brings me pleasure has always felt a little … well, stupid. I get the idea that after the holidays, when overindulging is common, many people think it’s a good idea to just stop drinking for a period of time, but the issue as I see it is that overindulging the other eleven months of the year is the real problem. Drink responsibly and in moderation all of the time and taking a forced month off becomes completely unnecessary.

In Jeff’s post, entitled In 2024, How About “Pub January?,” he brings up another great reason to ditch the dry month, which is that it inevitably does real damage to the breweries, bars, pubs, and restaurants that count on your business to survive the rest of the year. As Alworth points out, January was one of the worst months for beer sales already, and having large swaths of the drinking public decide to all forgo any alcohol during that same period of time is a terrible idea, especially in light of the recent setbacks due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Most breweries have not yet fully recovered, and probably won’t do so as quickly as anyone might hope. Take away one-twelfth of the income of every alcohol business, and what do you think might be the result?

So where did the idea of a Dry January come from? It’s surprisingly recent, having been cooked up by the British arm of the prohibitionists in 2013. It was launched by Alcohol Change UK as a “public health campaign,” whose primary goal, they claimed, was “to promote a healthier lifestyle by giving participants an opportunity to reassess their relationship with alcohol.” So basically it’s prohibitionist propaganda masquerading as health advice, an all-too familiar tactic of the many prohibitionist organizations who want to tell you how to live your life and demonize anything they don’t like. That so many people fall for this each year makes it very successful propaganda, but that doesn’t make it any better.

With all that as background, Jeff has an idea:

Make this month #PubJanuary. Stop in for a quiet pint, grab dinner out, spend the afternoon playing a board game. It doesn’t really matter what you do—you don’t even have to drink alcohol—but if people kept up their July pace of pub-going, it would make a big difference. We’re not talking the salt mines, either; going out is fun! Consider it a vacation in an evening. In fact, January is typically the deadest time of the year—a perfect opportunity to connect with friends. Enjoying other humans is good for your soul.

I don’t know if we could make this a movement or not, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. There’s certainly never been a better year. So let me exhort you all. If your life circumstances allow it, get out there and support your [local] beer businesses. It’s a win-win for the pub-goer and the pub. January can be a bit bleak. Sitting inside a pub with people you enjoy never is. Heck, you might even consider keeping it up in February.

That’s a idea I can get behind. It’s an idea whose time has come, I’d argue. The pub, despite the many cries of its detractors, has for most of its existence been a place of community, of families, and of fellowship. In modern times, many have turned away from that notion and became mere drinking palaces by prohibiting children, and thus families. But I grew up in the many such bars of my hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania, and my stepfather — despite his many other faults — always knew which ones had the best food and atmosphere with diversions aplenty, such as pinball, pool tables, shuffleboard, stacks of games in a corner, and much, much more. A simple shift in our mindset could, I think, easily return us to a time when families were welcome again in most alehouses, bars, beer gardens, inns, lounges, pubs, roadhouse, saloons, taproom, and taverns.

So if you want to cut back or go cold turkey for the month of January, or any other period of time, I won’t try to stop you, even though I personally never would and honestly don’t think much of the idea. But if you really love beer the rest of the year, don’t stay home all month, and definitely don’t avoid your local watering hole. If you lack the willpower to walk into a bar and not order a beer, that’s a whole different problem you should probably be working on all year long. But for the rest of us, there’s quite a lot you can do in a pub that doesn’t involve drinking, not to mention it would allow you to keep hanging out with your friends who did not decide to forgo the pleasure of a beer this month. I can’t really understand why isolating yourself would be good for your mental health during a bleak winter January. You should definitely get out there and see some friends.

What else can you do in a pub while not drinking? Trivia nights are a great way to spend an evening. Gather a group of friends and match trivia-wits with other teams. Enjoy sipping a soda or water with appetizers and trying to win. Before I had kids, I was involved in a weekly trivia night at a local pub in the South Bay where I lived at the time. We had a large team of friends — our team name was “Abbey Something,” a nod to “Young Frankenstein” — that would meet every week to play. Not all of us drank every time we came. So what? It wasn’t the primary reason we all got together each week.

Many pubs keep a collection of games for patrons to play. Why not have your game night on neutral ground? I’m confident the establishment wouldn’t even mind if you brought in your own game. Those that wanted a drink could have one, and everyone else could just say no. And of course, there’s also darts, pool, foosball or the rare bar shuffleboard, a personal favorite of mine.

Seeing live music is yet another great reason to spend an evening in a pub. Or a book club meeting. Or most obvious of all, dropping in for a meal. Beer is usually the reason I go to a pub, but it doesn’t have to be the only reason. There are quite a few more things to do there plus it’s a great place to meet up with friends.

It looks like others are starting to notice that avoiding pubs for an entire month is also bad for business. The UK organization Campaign For Pubs, who cares a lot more about pubs and a healthy economy than Alcohol Change UK, is trying to combat this inanity. Their mission is to “Protect, Support and Protect Our Pubs.” They’ve launched their own rebuttal social media campaign with the tagline “Support your local this January!” And even if, as Alan McLeod points out, it looks like it was generated by AI, it still seems like a good idea. They’re not even trying to change anyone’s mind about taking the month off from alcohol, but just trying to point out the (hopefully) unintended consequences of further sinking a pub’s revenue and the effect it will have on pubs during what’s historically already a very bad business month.

And here’s another one reminding people that pubs and bars carry more than just alcohol.

So even if you choose to stop drinking this month, please spend at least a little time and money supporting your local bar this Pub January. “Don’t be a schlub, go to a pub!”

NOTE: I made the four “Pub January” banners above, and the one below, to fit as a Facebook Cover, but feel free to use them wherever you like to help spread the word. They’re exactly the same except for the type of beer glass so you can pick your favorite.

Beer In Ads #4667: Beauty Contest Judge For Miss Rheingold 1963

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Thursday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1962. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. In this newspaper item, from May 10, 1962, there’s a photo showing several of the preliminary candidates to be Miss Rheingold 1963 along with one of the judges, New York Mets’ coach Casey Stengel, who seems to be enjoying himself.

Beer In Ads #4666: Miss Rheingold 1963, Who’s Got The Glasses?

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Wednesday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1962. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. In this newspaper item, from April 13, 1962, there’s a photo showing several of the more than 1,000 preliminary candidates to be Miss Rheingold 1963 with the headline: “Who’s Got The Glasses?” Over a few days of judging, six finalists will be chosen, one of which will become Miss Rheingold for 1963.

Beer In Ads #4665: Batman, Robin & Miss Rheingold 1962

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Tuesday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1962. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. In 1962, Kathy Kersh won the contest and became Miss Rheingold for that year. She was born Kathleen Kroeger Kersh on December 15, 1942 in Los Angeles, California (though one source claimed it was Hawaii). She attended a theatrical school, studying dance and acting. In 1959, she won the title of Miss Junior Rose Bowl, and became a professional model, and later an actress and singer. After her year as Miss Rheingold 1962, she married actor Vince Edwards, best known as Dr. Ben Casey on the TV show of the same name. But they were married for only four months before divorcing, and her daughter was born shortly thereafter when she became a single mother. Some of her more memorable appearances were on Burke’s Law, My Favorite Martian, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and a small part in the film “The Americanization of Emily.” In 1967, she signed a record deal with Power Records, and released two singles. After a small role as Cornelia, one of the Joker’s henchmen, on Batman, she married Burt Ward, who played Robin. That marriage last two years, and afterwards she attended business school and embarked on successful a career in commercial real estate. As far as know, she still lives in Sherman Oaks, California. Unlike many of the Miss Rheingolds, Kathy Kersh, went on to have quite a career in entertainment, appearing in both films and television, and continued to sing and do some modeling as she had before 1962. Probably her most remembered appearance was in two episodes of Batman during season 2 in 1966. She played Cornelia, one of the Joker’s henchmen in a two-part story: Episode 21 – “The Impractical Joker” followed by Episode 22 – “The Joker’s Provokers.” Here’s the description of “The Impractical Joker” episode:

The Joker pulls off a string of key-related pranks throughout Gotham City, then with his magic box, proceeds to snatch a priceless jeweled key right under the noses of Batman and Robin. The Dynamic Duo wise up to his ways and thwart him at their next encounter. However, the Joker has more devious plans to do away with them both before his final caper.

And this is for “The Joker’s Provokers” episode:

After a reworking, the Joker’s magic box holds the power to alter time forward and backward. Batman and Robin learn of his plans to pollute the city water supply, and butler Alfred is sent to take over as security guard at the water works. Alfred nabs the box upon the villain’s arrival, freezing him and his cronies in time, but unwittingly commits a dangerous error when he removes the box’s key.

Kathy Kersh wore a very distinctive costume which was a fan favorite. Here’s several stills from the two episodes. And she got quite a lot more out of this appearance on Batman as you’ll soon learn.

Batman, Robin and Cornelia (Kathy Kersh).
Another signed still showing Robin being kidnapped.
Kathy Kersh as Cornelia.
Joker and Cornelia.
Joker and Cornelia agin.
Batman and Robin break into Cornelia’s place.
Cornelia and Joker again.
Kathy Kersh as Cornelia.
Everyone remembers that purple outfit.

During the filming of the two episodes, Kathy Kersh became acquainted with Burt Ward, the actor who played Robin and the pair became a couple, getting married in 1967.

Burt Ward and Kathy Kersh at the wedding in 1967.
This article appeared shortly after the couple married in 1967.
This newspaper item from after the duo married.

Beer In Ads #4664: Kathy Kersh After Being Miss Rheingold 1962

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Monday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1962. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. In 1962, Kathy Kersh won the contest and became Miss Rheingold for that year. She was born Kathleen Kroeger Kersh on December 15, 1942 in Los Angeles, California (though one source claimed it was Hawaii). She attended a theatrical school, studying dance and acting. In 1959, she won the title of Miss Junior Rose Bowl, and became a professional model, and later an actress and singer. After her year as Miss Rheingold 1962, she married actor Vince Edwards, best known as Dr. Ben Casey on the TV show of the same name. But they were married for only four months before divorcing, and her daughter was born shortly thereafter when she became a single mother. Some of her more memorable appearances were on Burke’s Law, My Favorite Martian, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and a small part in the film “The Americanization of Emily.” In 1967, she signed a record deal with Power Records, and released two singles. After a small role as Cornelia, one of the Joker’s henchmen, on Batman, she married Burt Ward, who played Robin. That marriage last two years, and afterwards she attended business school and embarked on successful a career in commercial real estate. As far as know, she still lives in Sherman Oaks, California. Unlike many of the Miss Rheingolds, Kathy Kersh, went on to have quite a career in entertainment, appearing in both films and television, and continued to sing and do some modeling as she had before 1962. So here’s a selection of photos from her non-Miss Rheingold work.

This a Kersh modeling before her year as Miss Rheingold for Sea Circus, which was part of Pacific Ocean Park in Santa Monica, California.
Kathy Kersh in a promotional photo from her guest appearance on the Man From U.N.C.L.E. with one of the main stars, David McCallum.

In August if 1965, she made her singing debut on the TV show Shindig!, appearing alongside both teen idol Bobby Sherman and country singer Glen Campbell.

From a newspaper item about her appearance.
Kersh with Glen Campbell.
Singing with Campbell.
With Bobby Sherman.

She also appeared in the mainstream film “The Americanization of Emily,” which premiered October 27, 1964 in the U.S. and starred James Garner, Julie Andrews, Charles Coburn, Melvyn Douglas, Kennan Wynn, and even Sharon Tate uncredited. Kersh played “3rd ‘Nameless Broad’.” It’s actually a pretty funny movie and definitely worth a watch if you’ve never seen it.

A promotional photo of Coburn with the three nameless broads.
Charles Coburn hamming it up.
They must have done a whole photo session.
Here’s a signed promotional shot of just the three nameless broads. The other two were Janine Gray (who did a lot of TV in the 1960s) and Judy Carne (a British actress who later became famous on ROwn & Martin’s Laugh-In)
A still from The Americanization of Emily.
I’m not sure when this photo was taken but she has short, brown hair, which was not typical for Kersh during her career.
A signed promotional photo.
And another modeling photo.

Beer In Ads #4663: Merry Christmas & Happy New Year From Miss Rheingold 1962

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Sunday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1962. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. In 1962, Kathy Kersh won the contest and became Miss Rheingold for that year. She was born Kathleen Kroeger Kersh on December 15, 1942 in Los Angeles, California (though one source claimed it was Hawaii). She attended a theatrical school, studying dance and acting. In 1959, she won the title of Miss Junior Rose Bowl, and became a professional model, and later an actress and singer. After her year as Miss Rheingold 1962, she married actor Vince Edwards, best known as Dr. Ben Casey on the TV show of the same name. But they were married for only four months before divorcing, and her daughter was born shortly thereafter when she became a single mother. Some of her more memorable appearances were on Burke’s Law, My Favorite Martian, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and a small part in the film “The Americanization of Emily.” In 1967, she signed a record deal with Power Records, and released two singles. After a small role as Cornelia, one of the Joker’s henchmen, on Batman, she married Burt Ward, who played Robin. That marriage last two years, and afterwards she attended business school and embarked on successful a career in commercial real estate. As far as know, she still lives in Sherman Oaks, California. In this ad, from December, Miss Rheingold 1962, Kathy Kersh, is being driven through the snow in a vintage, antique car and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Beer In Ads #4662: Flavor To Spare With Miss Rheingold 1962

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Saturday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1962. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. In 1962, Kathy Kersh won the contest and became Miss Rheingold for that year. She was born Kathleen Kroeger Kersh on December 15, 1942 in Los Angeles, California (though one source claimed it was Hawaii). She attended a theatrical school, studying dance and acting. In 1959, she won the title of Miss Junior Rose Bowl, and became a professional model, and later an actress and singer. After her year as Miss Rheingold 1962, she married actor Vince Edwards, best known as Dr. Ben Casey on the TV show of the same name. But they were married for only four months before divorcing, and her daughter was born shortly thereafter when she became a single mother. Some of her more memorable appearances were on Burke’s Law, My Favorite Martian, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and a small part in the film “The Americanization of Emily.” In 1967, she signed a record deal with Power Records, and released two singles. After a small role as Cornelia, one of the Joker’s henchmen, on Batman, she married Burt Ward, who played Robin. That marriage last two years, and afterwards she attended business school and embarked on successful a career in commercial real estate. As far as know, she still lives in Sherman Oaks, California. In this ad, also from November, Miss Rheingold 1962, Kathy Kersh, is at a bowling alley in what appears to be the same scene as yesterday’s ad, but this one is a double truck (two-page) ad and seems to be just after she bowled so jubilantly the previous frame.

Beer In Ads #4661: Miss Rheingold 1962 At The Bowling Alley

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Friday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1962. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. In 1962, Kathy Kersh won the contest and became Miss Rheingold for that year. She was born Kathleen Kroeger Kersh on December 15, 1942 in Los Angeles, California (though one source claimed it was Hawaii). She attended a theatrical school, studying dance and acting. In 1959, she won the title of Miss Junior Rose Bowl, and became a professional model, and later an actress and singer. After her year as Miss Rheingold 1962, she married actor Vince Edwards, best known as Dr. Ben Casey on the TV show of the same name. But they were married for only four months before divorcing, and her daughter was born shortly thereafter when she became a single mother. Some of her more memorable appearances were on Burke’s Law, My Favorite Martian, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and a small part in the film “The Americanization of Emily.” In 1967, she signed a record deal with Power Records, and released two singles. After a small role as Cornelia, one of the Joker’s henchmen, on Batman, she married Burt Ward, who played Robin. That marriage last two years, and afterwards she attended business school and embarked on successful a career in commercial real estate. As far as know, she still lives in Sherman Oaks, California. In this ad, from November, Miss Rheingold 1962, Kathy Kersh, is at a bowling alley with three others, presumably bowling in a foursome.