Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #5022: Falken Schaffhauser Bock Maypole

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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 poster is for Falken Schaffhauser Bock Beer, and was published in 1935. 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 Bock and shows a very thirsty man who apparently shimmied up the town maypole to grab one of the bottles of beer tied to the wreath at the top. It was created by Swiss artist Arnold Oechslin.

Beer Birthday: Pete Brown

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Today is the 57th birthday of Pete Brown, author of Shakespeare’s Pub and Hops and Glory, along with much else. Pete was also the winner of the UK Beer Writer of the Year in 2010. I had a chance to meet and spend some time with Pete before and at GBBF in 2009, and several times since then, including a few years ago when he stayed with me for a few days while visiting the West Coast. He’s a kindred spirit, especially when it comes to neo-prohibitionist shenanigans, and writes one of the most engaging beer blogs out there. Join me in wishing Pete a very happy birthday.

During a visit to Russian River Brewery a few years back.

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Pete with Steve Parkes at a British Beer Writers event before GBBF a few years ago.

Pete Brown and me at GBBF
Pete and me at GBBF in 2009.

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One night in Copenhagen, clockwise from bottom left: Martyn Cornell, Jeff Alworth, Evan Rail, me, Stephen Beaumont, Pete, Stan Hieronymus and Ron Pattinson.

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At the end of a quick trip to Copenhagen: Pete, with Ron Pattinson, Jeff Bell, Stephen Beaumont and Stan Hieronymus.

Historic Beer Birthday: Harry A. Poth

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Today is the birthday of Harry A. Poth (July 11, 1881-November 16, 1931). He was born in Pennsylvania, and attended the William Penn Charter School until 1898, after which he graduated from the Pennsylvania Military Academy in 1902. He then attended the Wallerstein Brewing Institution, becoming a brewer at the Fred A. Poth Brewery, which by 1875 was the largest brewery in the U.S., and which his grandfather, Frederick August Poth founded in 1870. It was incorporated in 1893, when his sons were working with him, including Harry’s father Frederick A. Poth, and it was renamed the F. A. Poth & Sons Brewery. Harry, of course, was one of the “Sons” in the name. His younger brother, Frederick J. Poth, seems to have focused on the management side of the business, while Harry was the brewer. It reopened after prohibition briefly as the Poth Brewing Co. Inc., but closed for good three years later, in 1936.

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The Poth brewery, from an illustration done in the early 1890s.

I couldn’t find any photographs of him, which isn’t too surprising given I couldn’t find any of his father and only one of his brother, Frederick J. Poth. Sadly, I could find almost nothing else about him, either.

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The Poth & Sons Brewery around 1900.

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Historic Beer Birthday: John Gardiner

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Today is the birthday of John Gardiner (July 11, 1825-July 5, 1903). Gardiner was born in upstate New York, in Albany, where he learned brewing from his father. He moved to Philadelphia when he was 24, in 1849, and worked for Massey’s Brewery before buying the James Smyth Brewery in 1874, renaming it John Gardiner & Co. Brewery. In 1883, Gardiner renamed it again, this time the Continental Brewing Co., which remained its name until it closed at the start of prohibition in 1920.

He appears to have married an Anna E. Snyder, and not Caroline Schmidt (as I’d earlier believed). According to one commenting relative, it was Gardiner’s son, John Jr., who in 1866, married one of brewery owner Christian Schmidt’s daughters, Caroline, and according to a history of Schmidt’s Brewery, he began working for his father-in-law’s brewery at that time. But it’s unclear if there is any relationship to Gardiner’s purchase of the Continental Brewery. Unfortunately, Find-a-Grave’s listing for both John Gardiner and Anna do not list a son named John Francis Gardiner Jr., but instead a John L. Gardiner Jr., a daughter, Mary, and another son, George.

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Here’s how Gardiner and his family are mentioned in the history of Schmidt’s Brewery:

For generations the name of Gardiner had been well known in brewing circles. The family owned the Continental Brewing Co. in Philadelphia. John Gardiner married a daughter of Christian Schmidt. John Gardiner Jr., and Edward A. Gardiner, sons of John Gardiner, joined Schmidt’s to add new luster, in, respectively, sales and finance., to the family management team.

During the entire period of relegalization- including the peak year of 1955- and through to 1958, John Gardiner Jr., a grandson of the founder, was sales and advertising manager for the brewery. Mr. Gardiner, now a vice president, saw sales rise under his management from 106,000 in 1934 to almost 2 million in 1955.

Edward A. Gardiner, his brother, now chairman of the board, was responsible for the financial arrangements which made possible the various expansions of the brewery in the 1930’s, 40’s and early 50’s. It was Mr. Gardiner’s raising of the funds to accommodate the expansion of the company in 1947 and 1948 which kept the brewery abreast of modern changes and in a position to meet the difficult competitive challenge of the postwar years.

He’s an obituary from Gardiner from Find-a-Grave:

Beer Birthday: William Reed

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Today is the birthday of William Reed, who owns the bar Standard Tap in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as Johnny Brenda’s. I first met William during the first Philly Beer Week several years ago, but got to know him a lot better during a trip I took to Belgium with a group of Philadelphia beer people a few years ago. He first opened Standard Tap in 1999, and it’s set the standard for Philly beer bars ever since. Join me in wishing William a very happy birthday.

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William in the back, having our first beer in Brussels a few years ago.
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William with Tom Peters.
Sporting a Unicorn.
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William, with Scoats and Tom Peters as I shared Belgian frites with everyone in Brussels a few years ago.

Beer In Ads #5021: Olympia 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 poster is for Olympia Bock Beer, and was published around the 1910s. This one was for the Pilsen Brewing Co. of Chicago, Illinois, which was originally founded in 1903 by a group of Bohemian tavern owners.

Beer In Ads #5020: A Rare July Treat

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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 for Brandon & Beal Bock Beer, which was published on July 9, 1902. This one was for the John Brandon & George Beal Brewery of Leavenworth, Kansas, which was originally founded in 1887. This ad ran in The Leavenworth Times, also of Leavenworth, Kansas.

Beer In Ads #5019: Trinkt 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.

Tuesday’s poster is for Bock Beer, and was published around 1940. This one was for the Wirte Genossenschaftsbrauerei of Luckenwalde, Germany, which was originally founded in 1906.

Beer In Ads #5018: Point 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.

Monday’s ad is for Point Bock Beer, which was published on July 7, 1967. This one was for the Stevens Point Brewery of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, which was originally founded in 1857. This ad ran in The Merrill Daily Herald, of Merrill, Wisconsin.

Beer In Ads #5017: Don’t Worry. Be Happy. Drink 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 another unnamed Bock Beer, which was published on July 6, 1906. This one mentions a famous bock beer, though there is an agent for the brewery listed, Phil Thierolf. He apparently launched a business as a Wholesale and Retail Liquor Dealer in Nebraska around 1899. I found another ad he placed in the “Semi-Weekly News-Herald” indicating that he represented both the “Yellowstone (Kentucky) distillery” and the “Anheuser-Busch Brewing Ass’n” of St. Louis. So the bock he was touting in this ad may have been Budweiser Bock, but who knows. He easily could have had additional clients. Pro Tip: if you’re going to advertise that you have for sale a “famous ‘Bock‘ beer,” maybe list the goldarn brewery. Just a thought. This ad ran in The Evening Journal, of Plattsmouth, Nebraska.

The ad seems like it’s from the future for 1906. First that face looks at too little emoji-like, but more telling still is the phrase “Don’t Worry. Be happy.” a full 82-years before Bobby McFerrin used it in his 1988 hit song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.“