Thursday’s ad is another one for Rheingold Beer, this one from 1948, featuring Miss Rheingold for that year, Pat Quinlan. In this ad, she’s in a firehouse, posing by a fire truck with a dalmatian standing on it. She’s wearing a tan (or is that yellow?) outfit trimmed with a cheetah pattern, and also has a cheetah muffler and hat. Were they trying to tie the spots of the dog and the outfit together? Or is she a modern day Cruella DeVille?
Today in 1965, the Maldives gained their Independence from the United Kingdom.
Maldives
Maldives Breweries
Maldives Brewery Guides
Other Guides
Guild: None Known
National Regulatory Agency: None
Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known
Drunk Driving Laws: Total Ban
Alcohol Consumption By Type:
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):
WHO Alcohol Data:
Patterns of Drinking Score: N/A
Prohibition: The Maldives ban the import of alcohol, x-raying all baggage on arrival. Alcoholic beverages are available only to foreign tourists on resort islands and may not be taken off the resort.
Today in 1847, Liberia gained their Independence from the United States.
Liberia
Liberia Breweries
Liberia Brewery Guides
Other Guides
Guild: None Known
National Regulatory Agency: None
Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known
Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.05%
Alcohol Consumption By Type:
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):
WHO Alcohol Data:
Patterns of Drinking Score: 3
Prohibition: None
Wednesday’s ad is for Guinness, from 1951. In the “Guinness Guide,” it includes three mixed drink with Guinness (Black Velvet, Half & Half, Guinness and Rum), four different serving temperature suggestions (regular, mulled, chilled, and cooler) and one historical tidbit that makes no sense. It’s about a calvary officer who was wounded at Waterloo and drank Guinness while he was recovering. I’m not sure what that adds to the average person’s enjoyment?
Tuesday’s ad is for Blatz, from 1952. It’s a simple ad, with the triangle-shaped Blatz logo in the center and a man and woman toasting with a pilsner glass held at the same angle as the triangle. Nice.
Monday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, this one from 1953, featuring Miss Rheingold for that year, Mary Austin. In this ad, she’s in the rain, sporting a pink slicker and striped pink umbrella with matching scarf. And she’s also keeping her black miniature poodle dry, too. I guess a rainy day is a good time for a beer.
Here’s a really fun, catchy video that my friend Pete Slosberg just sent me. It features dancing barley and hops whose dance eventually makes beer.
The video was done by Finn Cerveza Artesanal, a new Argentine brewery located in Lima, Buenos Aries.
Check out the video below, Maltoso y Lupulin:
Today in 1831, Belgium gained their Independence from the Netherlands.
Belgium
Belgium Breweries
Belgium Brewery Guides
Other Guides
Guilds: Belgian Brewers Association; Brewers of Europe; European Brewery Convention
National Regulatory Agency: Bureau for Import and Export Licences and Agricultural Refunds (Bureau d’Intervention et de Restitution Belge)
Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: EU Regulations on Ingredients and Allergens
Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.08%
The Flemish raise their glasses twice during a toast. The glass is initially raised during the toast and then at the completion of the toast.
Alcohol Consumption By Type:
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):
WHO Alcohol Data:
Patterns of Drinking Score: 1
Prohibition: None
Friday’s ad is yet another Rheingold Beer ad, this one from 1959, featuring Miss Rheingold for that year, Robbin Bain. In this ad, she’s at the lanes, rolling her bowling ball at the pins. Behind her, at least two people have Rheingold beer bottles in their hands. But take a close look at how the almost glow. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were photoshopped in, except that desktop publishing didn’t exist in 1959, let alone Photoshop. What do you think, did she roll a strike?
For our 66th Session, our host, Craig Gravina, who writes Drink Drank. His topic takes us to the shire, to the land of the Hobbits, and into the dark cave where Gollum lost his precious ring: the One Ring to Rule Them All. Here’s how to start your own quest:
We all have our favorite brews — even if you say you don’t; deep, deep down we all do. From IPAs to Pilsners, Steam Beers to Steinbiers, something out there floats your boat. What if we look that to another level? What if you were to design the perfect brew—a Tolkienesque One Beer to Rule Them All. The perfect beer for you, personally. Would it be hoppy and dark or strong and light? Is it augmented with exotic ingredients or traditionally crafted? Would your One Beer be a historic recreation or something never before dreamt of? The sky is the limit on this one. If you need to travel back in time to brew at Belgian farm during the 1870s, go right ahead — just say hi to Doc Brown and the Delorean for me. Maybe you’ll need to mount a expedition to the treacherous Amazonian rain forest to bring back some chicha, to spike your brew with; or perhaps, you’ll just dust off that old Brown Ale homebrew recipe, tweak it a bit, and call it an evening.
I’d suspect that most of you out there probably have a good understanding about the brewing process — but if you don’t, no sweat, just wing it. This exercise isn’t about making sure you’ve checked all the right boxes for the BJCP or some homebrew competition. This Session is all about imagining the possibilities — no matter how ridiculous! Feel free to create a recipe, right down to the aplha acid in your hops or conjure up a review just like you’d do for any other beer. However you want to come at this, it’s your ultimate beer, your One Beer to Rule Them All!
One small caveat, however, you do need to name your concoction — no imaginary super beer would be complete without some glorified moniker to seal the proverbial deal!
So that’s your quest, to write about your precious, to find your one ring to rule them all — and try to do so without going bat shit crazy.
So start obsessing, talking with a hiss and hanging around in dank, dark caves. That may be what you need to come up with your own perfect beer. But be sure to resurface into the light and leave the cave by Friday August 3 to let us know what you found. I just hope it’s not a green beer!
