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Beer In Ads #5039: Bockbierfest

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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 not for an actual beer, but instead is something Bock related. As we move increasingly past the typical bock beer season, the number of unique ads are becoming harder to find, and today only this odd little gem stood out. This ad is for films being shown in Cleveland, Ohio, and presumably the various theaters have a single owner since the one ad has listings for eight different theaters in different locations. The ad was published on July 30, 1931 in The Plain Dealer, of Cleveland, Ohio. The one that stood out was the Alhambra Theatre, which was located at 10403 Euclid Ave. This ad ran on a Thursday and was promoting a new film imported from Germany entitled “Bockbierfest,” released the previous year in Europe. Bockbierfest was about to debut in three days, on Saturday. The ad refers to the novie as a “Rollicking, Hilarious Comedy of the annual Bock Beer Festival.”

Here’s a close up of the listing from the Alhambra:

Bockbierfest was not a film I’d ever heard of before, so I did a little googling to see what I could find. Several websites give the following synopsis:

Underwear manufacturer Livius Heintze is a vehement anti-alcoholic and thus is very much against the marriage of his daughter Hedwig to the brewery owner Raumert. Heintze’s second, illegitimate daughter Emmi also wants to give her father a heart attack by marrying the hops merchant Seidl.

From what I can gather it was only shown in German and the only copy I could find for sale online had no subtitles or dubbing available. It starred Carl Boese, Ludwig Stössel, Margarete Kupfer and Margot Landa, none of whom I was familar with.

The website SIMKL also gives some information about the film:

Bock Beer Fest (1930) – A German Comedy Classic

Released in 1930, Bock Beer Fest is a German comedy film directed by Carl Boese. This early talkie is a light-hearted, entertaining movie that showcases the director’s skill in blending humor and wit.

The film follows the story of a group of friends who try to outdo each other in a series of comedic misadventures. With its witty dialogue and physical comedy, Bock Beer Fest is a hilarious portrayal of friendships and the chaos that ensues when they get together.

What makes this film stand out is its historical significance. As one of the earliest German talkies, Bock Beer Fest showcases the early days of sound in cinema. The film’s direction and cinematography are noteworthy, highlighting Boese’s expertise in capturing the essence of the era.

Interesting Facts:

  • Bock Beer Fest was one of the first German films to use synchronized sound, making it a milestone in the country’s cinematic history.
  • The film’s title, “Bockbierfest,” refers to a traditional German beer festival, which is a central theme throughout the movie.

Trude Brionne played “Emmi – ihre Tochter”
And Margot Landa starred as “Hedwig – beider Tochter”

You can also watch it in German, in two parts, on YouTube. Here are links for Part 1 and Part 2.

Beer In Ads #5038: Goetz Bock Now For Your Enjoyment

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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.

Tuesday’s ad is for Goetz Country Club Bock Beer, which was published on July 29, 1948. This one was for the M.K. Goetz Brewing Co. of Saint Joseph, Missouri (and they also had a brewery in Kansas City), which was originally founded in 1859. This ad ran in The Mound City News Independent, of Mound City, Missouri, serving Holt County.

Beer Birthday: Tim Sciascia

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Today is the 41st birthday of Tim Sciascia, co-founder of Cellarmaker Brewing, which started in San Francisco but now has locations in Oakland and Berkeley, as well. He’s also recently joined Berkeley Yeast as a Brand Ambassador. Originally from Massachusetts, his original passion was one we share: classical Saxophone. But he also picked up homebrewing in college, and afterwards worked at the Samuel Adams brewery in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. But wanting to make his own way, he relocated to the Bay Area, and spent five years under Arne Johnson at Marin Brewing before partnering with his fiancé Kelly and fellow Marin-alum Connor Casey to start Cellarmaker in 2013. Since then, it’s been nothing but upward trajectory. Join me in wishing Tim a very happy birthday.

Co-founders Connor Casey and Tim (along with Kelly Caveney Sciascia) at thier Oakland location in 2023.
Topping off a cuppa cask.
With the Cellarmaker brew crew.

[NOTE: Last two photos purloined from Facebook.]

Beer In Ads #5037: Oster-Bock On A Barrel

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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.

Monday’s poster is for Falken Schaffhauser’s Oster-Bock, and was published in 1929. 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 Oster-Bock (Easter Bock) and shows a man balancing on a wooden beer barrel while holding a mug full of beer and a pipe in his mouth. It was created by Swiss artist Arnold Oechslin.

Historic Beer Birthday: Sharon Vaughn

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Today is the birthday of Sharon Vaughn (July 28, 1938-December 2023). Her claim to beer fame was being named as Miss Rheingold for 1965, the last Miss Rheingold in the golden era. She was also chosen by the new owners of the brewery rather than through a public vote, which hadn’t been the case since the second year of the contest in 1941. Unfortunately, the new owners didn’t really know what to do with her and she appeared in no ads her year, but instead only made public appearances at events and had fluff pieces written about those appearances. As a result, there’s far less breweriana of her than almost any other Miss Rheingold, which is a shame. She didn’t even appear in print until March of 1965, unlike previous ones who typically were announced the previous September or October.

She was born in Missouri, but moved to Washington state when she was five, and graduated from the University of Washington as a music major. While in college, she became Miss Washington and represented the state at the Miss America Pageant, where she was second runner-up. After college, she moved to New York City and attended Julliard. She began getting small parts in Broadway musicals, but also sang in nightclubs and appeared in television commercials. In 1965, she took a year off to become Miss Rheingold. Afterwards, she was cast in Funny Girl, and also appeared in the film a few years later. While in L.A. for filming she met talent agent Byron Lapin, whom she married. She also did some television, appearing on Bewitched and Get Smart. The couple later moved to St. Louis when he took over his family’s business. She passed away in December of 2023.

In 1968, Vaughn played a villain known as “Wanda” in an episode of “Get Smart” called “The Groovy Guru.“
Headshot when she competed in the Miss America pageant as Miss Washington.
Getting her evening gown ready for the Miss America pageant.

Beer In Ads #5036: Old Bohemian Bock Beer

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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 ad is for Old Bohemian Bock Beer, which was published on July 27, 1962. To be fair, it’s primarily advertising their Light Beer, but also mention they have Cream Ale and Bock beer, too. It’s also an interesting advertising strategy, the anti-local but cheaper gambit. This one was for the Eastern Brewing Corp. of Hammonton, New Jersey, which was originally founded out of Prohibition in 1933. This ad ran in the Daily News, of New York, New York.

Beer In Ads #5035: Brewed In The Winter For Spring Pleasure

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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.

Saturday’s ad is for Acme Bock Beer, which was published in 1949. 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 owned by North Coast Brewing. This ad ran in the Palo Verde Valley Times of Blythe, California.

Beer In Ads #5034: Schaefer Bock Beer

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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.

Thursday’s ad is for Schaefer Bock Beer, which was published on July 25, 1979. This one was for the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Co. of New York, New York, which was originally founded in 1842. This ad ran in Newsday’s Suffolk Edition, also of New York, New York.

Beer In Ads #5033: Weihnachts Bock

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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.

Thursday’s poster is for Falken Schaffhauser’s Weihnachts Bock Beer, and was published in 1928. 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 Weihnachts Bock (Winter Bock) and shows a pair of goats butting heads with a holday candle behind them. It was created by Swiss artist Arnold Oechslin.

Beer Birthday: Tony Simmons

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Today is the 61st birthday of Tony Simmons, who owned the Pagosa Brewing & Grill of Pagosa Springs, Colorado Springs, which was founded in 1996. He began homebrewing in his school locker, but later got more formal training attending the Siebel Institute. He also created the recipe for Poor Richard’s Ale in 2006 to celebrate the 300th birthday of Benjamin Franklin, and with the BA invited all members to brew it, too, and over 100 breweries took him up on it, brewing their own version of his recipe. I run into Tony from time to time at beer invents, and it’s always a fun time. More recently, in July of 2022, Tony and his wife Julie closed the brewery and retired. Join me in wishing Tony a very happy birthday.

Me and Tony in Philadelphia for CBC in 2016.
A publicity shot from Brewer Magazine.
On Capitol Hill.