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Are You “Porter Worthy?”

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I might have ignored this press release from Yuengling Brewery had it not been for one personal detail: my son is a porter. How could he not be “porter worthy,” whatever that means? Apparently it means “good deeds,” so that may leave my Porter out, after all. He’s just mostly good, like any 9-year old boy.

What Yuengling is doing is recognizing that “good deeds happen every day thanks to the selflessness of friends, family and, sometimes, perfect strangers. But most of those good deeds go unrecognized — until now.”

A new campaign from Yuengling seeks to shine a spotlight on the individuals who go above and beyond. The campaign, for Yuengling’s Porter beer (also its oldest beer), is called “Porter Worthy” and is inspired by the porters of 19th century England, who would toil day in and day out transporting travelers’ luggage through the cobblestone streets of London. Each month on Yuengling’s Porter Worthy blog, we’ll recognize a Porter Worthy Person of the Month, who will receive a prize signed by Dick Yuengling himself.

From the press release:

“Depth of character allows ordinary people to do extraordinary things on a daily basis. These are the achievements we call ‘Porter Worthy,’ and we want to give these achievements the recognition they deserve,” said Yuengling Marketing Manager Lou Romano. “That’s where Yuengling Porter comes in. It’s a reward that’s special, yet accessible.”

According to Romano, the Porter Worthy campaign was inspired by the beer’s namesake, the strong, hard-working porters who carried travelers’ heavy baggage through the cobblestone streets of 18th century London.

The blog and Facebook page will feature Porter Worthy persons identified by the Yuengling team but also will recognize a “Porter Worthy Person of the Month” based on reader nominations. Monthly honorees will receive, among other prizes, a personalized award signed by brewery President Dick Yuengling.

Yuengling Dark Brewed Porter is available in 13 states and Washington D.C. The Porter Worthy campaign is scheduled to run indefinitely with Porter Worthy nominations open to people around the world.

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As beer promotions go, it’s hard to fault one that tries to find and honor people for doing good in the world, no matter how small the deed. Yuengling describes being “porter worthy,” as “a special tribute for those who have carried a heavy load, picked up extra work or gone out of their way to help.” They continue:

That could be you, or someone you know. Each month, we’ll select a different “Porter Worthy Person of the Month” based on the nominations you send us. Those selected will have their story told here on PorterWorthy.com and will win a limited edition Yuengling Porter hand-signed by Dick Yuengling.

So nominate a friend, family member, co-worker or even yourself. Remember, a Porter Worthy action isn’t necessarily monumental. It could be a small gesture. But large or small, doing something Porter Worthy means making a difference when it matters most.

ManTables’ End Table Refrigerators

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Earlier this year, I watched a stand-up comedy special by Jake Johannsen on Showtime, entitled I Love You. In one of his bits during the show Johannsen describes a dream — a man dream — for putting a mini fridge in his bedroom. Here’s the essence of it, omitting the added automatic coffee maker he wants to put on top of it.

I was going to buy a mini fridge, and that was going to be my bedside table. I thought I had a great idea. So at night I could be lying in bed with my wife, maybe watching a movie or reading a book, and have a nice cold beer out of the mini fridge, maybe two. That was my dream.

Long story short, the punchline is his wife said no, which was his example of compromise between married people. Trust me, it’s funnier in context. Well apparently somebody was listening and felt his pain. A new company, ManTables, has created a line of small refrigerators that resemble end tables so they won’t look out of place in a living room, rec room or … bedroom.

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They ManTable refrigerators come in three colors: black, walnut and tobacco. Below in the walnut finish in a living room setting.

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And here’s an open view. The website claims they can fit 45 beer cans. No word on how many bottles.

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It seems to me they’d be perfect for a rec room or man cave that was some distance from the kitchen. The cost is $389.99, plus shipping, tax and handing charges.

Update On Beer Found In Baltic Shipwreck

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Back in September of this year, you may recall, that Beer From Early 1800s Found In Baltic Shipwreck. Near the Åland Islands, they found champagne and beer bottles in a sunken cargo ship thet is believed to have been sailing from Denmark, most likely Copenhagen, sometime between 1800 and 1830, and possibly bound for St. Petersburg, Russia.

Motor Boats Monthly recently published an update on the fate of the bottles. They also note that “experts” — no word on who — opened some of the bottles and declared them to taste “absolutely fabulous.” I wish there was something a bit more than AbFab to go on, but that’s all that’s said. In addition, there’s this exciting news:

Bottles of beer found in the wreck are thought to be the world’s oldest drinkable ale, and could provide the recipe to allow it to be replicated. Finnish authorities have approved the idea and several breweries, including one managed by Christian Ekstroem, have expressed interest in brewing the beer for today’s drinkers to taste.

I hope that happens, it would be like tasting history.

Beer Birthday: Sean Lilly Wilson

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Today is the 40th birthday of Sean Lilly Wilson, founder of Fullsteam Brewing in Durham, North Carolina. Even before the brewery opened this past April, Sean made a name for himself and the brewery through twitter and their blog. Join me in wishing Sean a very happy birthday.

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Marty Jones and Sean at the Craft Brewers Conference earlier this year in Chicago.

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Greg Koch with Sean at CBC.

Beer In Ads #246: Pabst, Back In The Days

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Thursday’s ad is from 1960 and is for Pabst. I chose it because the man is wearing a mustache and the men in beer ads rarely have facial hair, surprisingly enough. I love the slogan “Back in the Days — The Good Old Days … When Beer Was Really Beer.” I wonder what they’re trying to imply with that one?

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Update On Jamil’s Heretic Brewery

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I ran into Jamil Zainasheff at the annual CSBA meeting yesterday at Anchor Brewery and I found out a little bit more about his commercial venture, Heretic Brewing. All I knew before is that it would be somewhere in the East Bay. The brewery, I learned, will be in Pittsburg, and in fact he’ll be sharing E.J. Phair’s new 30-bbl brewhouse across the street from their alehouse at the Liberty Hotel in an arrangement known as “alternating proprietorship.” That’s the official term that the TTB uses to “describe an arrangement in which two or more people take turns using the physical premises of a brewery.” So he won’t be contract brewing, but instead the two breweries will remain separate and distinct, in effect taking turns using the equipment.

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Jamil and me yesterday at Anchor.