Today is the birthday of George Alexander Gale (c. 1828 or 29-October 30, 1914). Since we don’t know his exact birthdate, or even the year for that matter, today seems as good a day as any to celebrate his life. George Gale was the son of Richard Gale, who in 1847 bought the Ship and Bell, a pub and brewery, in Horndean, a village in Hampshire, England. Although his father and four sons all worked at the brewery, George ended up running he business so when they registered the business in 1888, it was named George Gale & Co. and continued under that name until it as bought by Fuller’s in 2005.
George Gale later in life.
Here’s a portion of the Gale Brewery history from the journal Brewery History Society by M.W. Laver:
From the Eighteenth Century the Gale family were contributing to Horndean’s commercial life via their activities as Grocers and Bakers. Richard Gale (born in 1802) succeeded his mother Ann in this capacity and branching out as Coal and Corn Merchant, at Pyle Farm, which is today two very active oil wells. In May 1847 he purchased the “Ship and Bell” and its associated brewery. According to legend, this was after seeing his men who were working in the fields nearby heading for the inn on Friday nights after collecting their pay packets!
Unfortunately in the early 1860s the brewery was burnt down, mainly because it was constructed of wood and open fires were used to boil the copper. With the insurance monies paid after the fire the present Victorian brewery was built in 1869. Two of the original brewery buildings because they were constructed of flint survived the fire. The Blacksmith’s shop and the Cooper’s shop can still be seen today, where they are now used as store rooms.
George Gale and Company should have been Richard Gale and Company but for a tragic twist of fate. For generations the first son was always named Richard, as the founder of the original brewery was also called. Although he lived for thirty-nine more years, his four sons were all said to be suffering from Tuberculosis. The oldest son, Richard Rogers, survived just long enough to produce an heir also called Richard Rogers and so it was a younger son, George Alexander, who took charge of the family business. It was George who was in charge in 1888 when the company was formally registered, hence the name it carries today. In the 1880s George Gale seems to have had some fairly radical ideas regarding the relationship between work and home. He endeavoured to create a family atmosphere within the firm (which still exists today), even going to the extent of building thirty houses for his employees to live in. Some of these houses are still in use today and used by the staff.
By 1859 George Gale had extended his interest to include malting and by 1875 has expanded the business to include Southsea. In 1884 William Smeed joined the company, bringing to it his interests in the Eagle Brewery, Landport. In 1888, it was registered as a Limited Company under the Chairmanship of George Gale. George Gale’s nephew, Richard Rogers Gale was one of the first directors after the business became a public company. His son, Richard Newman Gale joined his great-uncle George on leaving school and became a director in 1925. His son Major Richard W. Gale became a director in 1936.
Last weekend, the winners of the Great American Beer Festival were announced. While the number of entries did not go up significantly from previous years, there was still an impressive 8,836 entries in 102 categories (or 176 different beer styles if you include the subcategories), plus — for the first time — 233 ciders in five broad categories. In addition, there was the Pro-Am Competition (where a homebrewer makes his own beer at a commercial brewery) and the Collaboration Competition (which is a beer created by a collaboration between two or more breweries). These were tasted by 285 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. Here are some more factoids on the results:
Category with the most entries: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale: 349 entries (This category has been #1 for a at least 7 years)
Top 5 Categories: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (349 entries); West Coast IPA (292 entries); American-Style India Pale Ale (217 entries); Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest (210 entries); and German-Style Maerzen (195 entries). The most-entered cider category was Fruited and Botanical Cider (74 entries)
Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 85
1,869 breweries & cideries in the competition from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico
280 first-time breweries entered the competition
25 first-time breweries won medals
Two breweries won 4 medals, and both were from California; they were Apogee Brewing, in Grover Beach, and Highland Park Brewery, in Los Angeles.
Category 1: American Wheat Beer – 50 Entries Gold: Fuzztail, Sunriver Brewing Co., Sunriver, OR Silver: Mercy Cloud, Hobcaw Brewing Co., Mount Pleasant, SC Bronze: Hoppla, NewSylum Brewing Co., Newtown, CT Category 2: American Fruit Beer – 108 Entries Gold: Hey Girl, Hey!, Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop – Richmond, VA Silver: A La Playa, Trademark Brewing, Long Beach, CA Bronze: Bird Light Yuzu, Strangebird, Rochester, NY Category 3: Fruit Wheat Beer – 89 Entries Gold: Yankee Doodle Shandy, River Bluff Brewing, Saint Joseph, MO Silver: Enduro, Cheluna Brewing Co., Aurora, CO Bronze: Bear Bait, Schussboom Brewing Co., Reno, NV Category 4: Field Beer – 57 Entries Gold: Fennel Rye Ale, Denver Beer Co. – Canworks, Denver, CO Silver: Cucumber Lime Blonde, Third Space Brewing, Milwaukee, WI Bronze: That Coconut Porter, Cherry Street Brewing, Cumming, GA Category 5: Pumpkin Beer – 100 Entries Gold: Great Pumpkin, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA Silver: Pumpkin Spice J. Marie, River North Brewery – RiNo, Denver, CO Bronze: Boo Ya!, Ocean View Brewing Co., Ocean View, DE Category 6: Chili Beer – 76 Entries Gold: El Poblano Borracho, Liquid Mechanics Brewing Co., Lafayette, CO Silver: Jalapeño Saison, On Rotation Brewery & Kitchen, Dallas, TX Bronze: Palisade Peak, Station 26 Brewing Co., Denver, CO Category 7: Herb and Spice Beer – 83 Entries Gold: Two Wheeler, Far Field Beer Co., Hawthorne, CA Silver: HellFire Club, Armored Cow Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC Bronze: Dill Pickle, Field Artisan Brewing, Westfield, IN Category 8: Chocolate Beer – 34 Entries Gold: Fudge Sickles, Fort George Brewery, Astoria, OR Silver: Chocolate Stout, Fort Myers Brewing Co., Fort Myers, FL Bronze: Triple Chocolate Viator Obscura, Wandering Monsters Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH Category 9: Coffee Beer – 66 Entries Gold: Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun, River North Brewery – RiNo, Denver, CO Silver: Bucky, Terranaut Beer, Bend, OR Bronze: Gusto Crema Coffee Ale, Georgetown Brewing Co., Seattle, WA Category 10: Coffee Stout or Porter – 50 Entries Gold: Dusk Til Dawn, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA Silver: Venti is Large, Hop Dogma Brewing Co., Half Moon Bay, CA Bronze: Shock Treatment, New Ridge Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA Category 11: Dessert Stout or Pastry Stout – 55 Entries Gold: Pure Nonsense, Dade City Brew House, Dade City, FL Silver: Coconut Cluster, Heritage Hill Brewhouse, Pompey, NY Bronze: Peanut Butter & Jelly Tiempo, Kilowatt Brewing, San Diego, CA Category 12: Rye Beers – 45 Entries Gold: Crazy Jackass Ale, Great American Restaurants – Sweetwater Tavern, Centreville, VA Silver: Roggenschnizzle, Bier Brewery and Taproom, Indianapolis, IN Bronze: Beauty is in the Rye of the Beholder, RockSolid Brewing Co., Ball Ground, GA Category 13: Honey Beer – 50 Entries Gold: Hachimitsu Mai, Deschutes Brewery & Public House – PDX, Portland, OR Silver: BeeLoved, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR Bronze: Animals Strike Curious Poses, The Empourium Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Category 14: Pale Non-Alcohol Beer – 55 Entries Gold: NARC IPA, Resident Culture, Charlotte, NC Silver: Free Wave Hazy IPA, Athletic Brewing Co., Milford, CT Bronze: Kolsch, Best Day Brewing, Sausalito, CA Category 15: Amber to Dark Non-Alcohol Beer – 9 Entries Gold: NA Dark, Fremont Brewing, Seattle, WA Silver: Non-Alcoholic Oktoberfest, Octopi Brewing / Untitled Art, Waunakee, WI Category 16: Specialty Non-Alcohol Beer – 37 Entries Gold: Patagonia Provisions Non-Alcoholic Kernza Golden Brew, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR Silver: Tropical Sour, Athletic Brewing Co., Milford, CT Bronze: Special Effects Grapefruit IPA, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY Category 17: Session Beer or Belgian-Style Table Beer – 32 Entries Gold: Saison Lily, ColdFire Brewing Co. – Barrel House, Eugene, OR Silver: Frequency of Expansion, The Big Friendly, Oklahoma City, OK Bronze: Guillaume, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA Category 18: Session India Pale Ale – 64 Entries Gold: Divi, Offset Bier Co., Park City, UT Silver: Josh’s New Tiny Shoes, Green Cheek Beer Co., Orange, CA Bronze: Mini Ramp Session IPA, June Lake Brewing, June Lake, CA
Green Cheek Brewing with Jeff Bagby, the “Jeff” in gold-medal winner Jeff’s Baltic Porter.
Category 19: Strong Porter – 43 Entries Gold: Jeff’s Baltic Porter, Green Cheek Beer Co. – Oceanside, Oceanside, CA Silver: Magpie, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. – Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA Bronze: Baltic Porter, Bear Chase Brewing Co., Bluemont, VA Category 20: Other Strong Beer – 27 Entries Gold: Soul of a Star, HUDL Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV Silver: Agua Santa Imperial, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA Bronze: Stone LifeBlurred, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, San Diego, CA Category 21: Experimental India Pale Ale – 86 Entries Gold: Hazy Crush, New York Beer Project – Beer Lodge, Orchard Park, NY Silver: Lavender Haze, SingleSpeed Brewing, Waterloo, IA Bronze: East Gruesome, Lost Cabin Beer Co., Rapid City, SD Category 22: Experimental Beer – 75 Entries Gold: Great Wave Sake Lager, MAP Brewing Co., Bozeman, MT Silver: Bourbon Maple Wishes and Pecan Dreams, Odd Side Ales, Grand Haven, MI Bronze: Agrio Morado, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Bend Pub, Bend, OR Category 23: Historical Beer – 54 Entries Gold: BierKraft Grodziskie, BierKraft, McAlester, OK Silver: Decorah Nordic Gruit, PIVO Brewery, Calmar, IA Bronze: Kentucky Common, Blackhorse Pub & Brewery, Alcoa, TN Category 24: Gluten-Free Beer – 48 Entries Gold: Fat Randy, Holidaily Brewing Co., Golden, CO Silver: Oktoberfest, Orange Bike Brewing Co., Portland, ME Bronze: Pilsner, Orange Bike Brewing Co., Portland, ME Category 25: American-Belgo-Style Ale – 35 Entries Gold: Silver Medal Worthy, Launch Pad Brewery, Aurora, CO Silver: Capitulation, Monkless Belgian Ales, Bend, OR Bronze: Golden Strong Ale with Pink, Fowler Ranch Farm Brewery, Lincoln, CA Category 26: American Sour Ale – 19 Entries Gold: Bes, Little Beast Brewing, Clackamas, OR Silver: Wicked Shifty, Shoe Tree Brewing Co., Carson City, NV Bronze: Mirage, New Terrain Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Category 27: Fruited American Sour Ale – 165 Entries Gold: Peach Silhouette, Hudson Valley Brewery, Beacon, NY Silver: Funkberry Pie, Girdwood Brewing Co., Girdwood, AK Bronze: Cactus Juice, 12Degree Brewing, Louisville, CO Category 28: Brett Beer – 36 Entries Gold: First Release Part 2, Peaceful Side Brewery, Maryville, TN Silver: Belle Saison, Third Window Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA Bronze: Touch of Brett, Alesong Brewing & Blending, Eugene, OR Category 29: Mixed-Culture Brett Beer – 49 Entries Gold: Proverbial Fork, Olfactory Brewing, San Francisco, CA Silver: Knitting Circle S5 Batch C, Fair Isle Brewing, Seattle, WA Bronze: Elisabeth, ColdFire Brewing Co. – Barrel House, Eugene, OR Category 30: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 41 Entries Gold: Ghoul Fuel- Rum Diaries Edition, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO Silver: Temporary Paradise- Rum Diaries Edition, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO Bronze: Barrel Aged Dopplebock, MORE Brewing Co., Huntley, IL Category 31: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 109 Entries Gold: Bass Clef, Audio Graph Beer Co., Los Angeles, CA Silver: Barrel-Aged Imperial Satan’s Pony, South Street Brewery, Charlottesville, VA Bronze: 10th Anniversary Barleywine, Creature Comforts Brewing Co., Athens, GA Category 32: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout – 131 Entries Gold: Western Justice, Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Idaho Springs, CO Silver: Humongous Sleepy Chungus Bear, Werk Force Brewing Co., Plainfield, IL Bronze: Breakside La Maison du Bang!, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR Category 33: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 29 Entries Gold: French 75, Alesong Brewing & Blending, Eugene, OR Silver: Madrigal, Monday Night Brewing – Garage, Atlanta, GA Bronze: 5 On It, Long Table Brewhouse, Denver, CO Category 34: Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 66 Entries Gold: Raspberries on Acid, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA Silver: White Dwarf, True Anomaly Brewing Co., Houston, TX Bronze: Cassis, Moody Tongue Brewing Co., Chicago, IL Category 35: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier – 58 Entries Gold: Czech Plz, CraftHaus Brewery, Henderson, NV Silver: Pilsners are Lagers, Benchtop Brewing Co., Norfolk, VA Bronze: Tankbeer, Hopewell Brewing Co., Chicago, IL Category 36: Smoke Beer – 62 Entries Gold: Smoke and Embers, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO Silver: Smoke Control, Burghers Brewing, Pittsburgh, PA Bronze: Rauchbier, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA Category 37: American-Style Light Lager – 157 Entries Gold: Sky Dog, Wiseacre Brewing Co. – Downtown, Memphis, TN Silver: Family Vacation, Roadhouse Brewing Co., Jackson Hole, WY Bronze: Transmission Light, Transmission Brewing, Ventura, CA Category 38: International Light Lager – 130 Entries Gold: Light Lager, Seapine Brewing Co., Seattle, WA Silver: Wakumi, Mother Earth Brew Co., Nampa, ID Bronze: Wondrous Hell, Wondrous Brewing Co., Emeryville, CA Category 39: American-Style Lager – 148 Entries Gold: Down South, Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Boone, NC Silver: Modern Classic, Counter Weight Brewing Co., Cheshire, CT Bronze: Pat’s River Beer, MAP Brewing Co., Bozeman, MT Category 40: Contemporary American-Style Lager – 95 Entries Gold: Baseball, Highland Park Brewery – Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA Silver: College Dropout, StillFire Brewing, Suwanee, GA Bronze: Richmond Lager, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Richmond, VA
Steve Luke (center) from Cloudburt Brewing Seattle, Washington.
Category 41: American Pilsener – 114 Entries Gold: Classic City Lager, Creature Comforts – Production Facility At Southern Mill, Athens, GA Silver: Buccaneer’s Gold, Project 9 Brewing Co., Seattle, WA Bronze: Happy Little Clouds, Cloudburst Brewing, Seattle, WA Category 42: International-Style Pilsener – 119 Entries Gold: Chillzner, Craft Coast – San Marcos, San Marcos, CA Silver: 500 Pesos, ODD Muse Brewing Co., Dallas, TX Bronze: Munk Lager, Munkle Brewing Co., Charleston, SC Category 43: American Cream Ale – 118 Entries Gold: Was Angeles Craft Beer, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT Silver: El Sully, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Leandro, CA Bronze: Atascadero Beach, Wild Fields Brewhouse, Atascadero, CA
The man, the myth, the legend: Sully of silver-medal winning “El Sully” from 21st Amendment Brewing.
Category 44: Hoppy Lager – 157 Entries Gold: Infinity Pils, Westbound & Down Brewing Co. – Westbound Mill, Lafayette, CO Silver: Branching Out, Everywhere Beer Co., Orange, CA Bronze: Rancho Cowabunga, Grains of Wrath – Washougal, Washougal, WA Category 45: American Amber Lager – 165 Entries Gold: Bateman Bier, Greenstar Brewing, Chicago, IL Silver: Las Cruces, Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co., Castle Rock, CO Bronze: Big Rock Amber Lager, Malibu Brewing Co., Westlake Village, CA Category 46: German-Style Pilsener – 175 Entries Gold: Haha Pils, Arbeiter Brewing Co., Minneapolis, MN Silver: Door Code, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL Bronze: Trumer Pils, Trumer Brewery, Berkeley, CA Category 47: Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 135 Entries Gold: Reality Czeck-style Pilsner, Moonlight Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA Silver: River Delta Czech Pils, Silver Bluff Brewing Co., Brunswick, GA Bronze: Parachute Pivo, Victor-23 Craft Brewery, Vancouver, WA Category 48: Italian-Style Pilsener – 83 Entries Gold: Zombi Shark Fight, Green Cheek Beer Co. – Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa, CA Silver: Che Figata, Sunriver Brewing Co., Sunriver, OR Bronze: Wolf of the Woods, Second Dawn Brewing Co., Aurora, CO Category 49: Munich-Style Helles – 135 Entries Gold: Helles, von Trapp Brewing, Stowe, VT Silver: Crystal River, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO Bronze: Old Gold, Structures Brewing, Bellingham, WA Category 50: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest – 210 Entries Gold: Festbier, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO Silver: Festbier, Northwoods Brewing Co., Northwood, NH Bronze: The Cushman, Morgan Territory Brewing, Tracy, CA
Craig Cauwels showing off two of three medals from Morgan Territory Brewing of Tracy, California.
Category 51: Vienna-Style Lager – 123 Entries Gold: Vienna Fest Bier, Quarter Celtic Brewpub, Albuquerque, NM Silver: Metalmark Marzen, Morgan Territory Brewing, Tracy, CA Bronze: Red Dawn, Bonesaw Brewing Co., Glassboro, NJ Category 52: German-Style Maerzen – 195 Entries Gold: Pleasantbräu Oktoberfest, Soul Brewing Co., Pleasantville, NY Silver: Marchtoberfest, Galveston Island Brewing, Galveston, TX Bronze: Oktoberfest, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO Category 53: German Dark Lager – 140 Entries Gold: Schwarz Wulf, Greywolf Brewing, Norco, CA Silver: Flex Fiesta Munich-Style Dark Lager, Red Horn Brewery and Roastery, Leander, TX Bronze: Chehalis After Dark, Talking Cedar Brewing, Rochester, WA
Category 54: International Dark Lager – 96 Entries Gold: Puesto Negra, Puesto Cerveceria, San Diego, CA Silver: Czech-6, Eagle River Brewing Co., Gypsum, CO Bronze: Czech Dark Lager, Structures Brewing, Bellingham, WA Category 55: Bock – 42 Entries Gold: Pan is Alive, IMBIB Custom Brews, Reno, NV Silver: Lawyers, Hogs & Money, Bentonville Brewing Co., Bentonville, AR Bronze: Hootenanny, Bankhead Brewing Co., Rowlett, TX Category 56: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock – 36 Entries Gold: Eisbock, Northbound Smokehouse Brewpub, Minneapolis, MN Silver: Co-Conspirator, Victor-23 Craft Brewery, Vancouver, WA Bronze: Execrator, Resolute Brewing Co., Centennial, CO Category 57: German-Style Koelsch – 167 Entries Gold: Modern Gothic, Columbia Craft Brewing Co., Columbia, SC Silver: Kolsch, Standard Deviant Brewing, San Francisco, CA Bronze: Brick West Kolsch, Brick West Brewing Co., Spokane, WA Category 58: German Sour Ale – 37 Entries Gold: Baywindow, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Bend Pub, Bend, OR Silver: Disco Lemonade, Aslan Brewing Co., Bellingham, WA Bronze: Gose, Kulshan Brewing Co – K2, Bellingham, WA Category 59: Specialty Berliner-Style Weisse – 54 Entries Gold: Commander Salamander, Spring House Brewing Co., Lancaster, PA Silver: Razzle fo’ Shazzle, Great Basin Brewing Co., Reno, NV Bronze: Gindulgence, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Bend Pub, Bend, OR Category 60: Contemporary Gose – 47 Entries Gold: 3 Citrus Gose, Culture Brewing Co., Solana Beach, CA Silver: It’s a G Thang Ginger Gose, Red Rock Brewing – Production, Salt Lake City, UT Bronze: Wild Pear, Blue Mountain Barrel House and Organic Brewery, Arrington, VA Category 61: German-Style Altbier – 45 Entries Gold: Rhine Divide, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Portland, Portland, OR Silver: Altbier, Double Clutch Brewing Co., Evanston, IL Bronze: Altruism, Rock Cut Brewing Co., Estes Park, CO Category 62: German Wheat Ale – 55 Entries Gold: Weizenbock, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – Mills River, Mills River, NC Silver: Kristal Moon, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Denver, CO Bronze: Sixpoint Brewery Mimic Weisse, Brewers At 4001 Yancey, Charlotte, NC Category 63: South German-Style Hefeweizen – 129 Entries Gold: Washout Wheat, Holy City Brewing, North Charleston, SC Silver: Don’t Hassle the Hef, Westbound & Down Brewing Co. – Westbound Mill, Lafayette, CO Bronze: Polterweiss Hefeweizen, Green Mountain Beer Co., Lakewood, CO Category 64: English Mild or Bitter – 50 Entries Gold: Distinguished Fellow, Project 9 Brewing Co., Seattle, WA Silver: The Proprietor, BierKraft, McAlester, OK Bronze: Toasty, The Brew Brothers – Scioto Downs Racino, Columbus, OH Category 65: Extra Special Bitter – 62 Entries Gold: Pub Ale, Pilot Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC Silver: Brighton ESB, Bravery Brewing Co., Lancaster, CA Bronze: Velvet Organic ESB, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland, OR Category 66: Golden or Blonde Ale – 129 Entries Gold: Kiitos Blonde Ale, Kiitos Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT Silver: Easy Mode, Logan Brewing Co., Burien, WA Bronze: Bench Seat, Transmission Brewing, Ventura, CA Category 67: English Ale – 52 Entries Gold: Kiitos Pale Ale, Kiitos Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT Silver: Elevated Summer Ale, Goose And The Monkey Brewhouse, Lexington, NC Bronze: Oregon Summer Ale, Bend Brewing – High Desert, Bend, OR
Category 68: Scottish-Style Ale – 48 Entries Gold: Doc McLoughlin Scottish Ale, Oregon City Brewing Co., Oregon City, OR Silver: Scottish Ale, Stodgy Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO Bronze: Oasis Amber, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Reno, Reno, NV Category 69: Irish-Style Red Ale – 75 Entries Gold: Coppermind, Denver Beer Co. – Lowry Field, Denver, CO Silver: Engine 402, Orange Hat Brewing Co., Knoxville, TN Bronze: Equanimity, Ursa Minor Brewing, Duluth, MN Category 70: English-Style Brown Ale – 42 Entries Gold: Black Cats, Streetside Brewery, Cincinnati, OH Silver: Back Country, Lewis & Clark Brewing Co., Helena, MT Bronze: Brown Ale, Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI Category 71: American-Style Brown Ale – 65 Entries Gold: Who’s That Brown, Tarantula Hill Brewing Co., Thousand Oaks, CA Silver: Heart of Glass, Three Wide Brewing Co., Fort Worth, TX Bronze: Beckley Furnace Brown Ale, Norbrook Farm Brewery, Colebrook, CT Category 72: American Black Ale or American Stout – 66 Entries Gold: Blackside Snap, Riip Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA Silver: Stoup American Stout, Stoup Brewing – Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA Bronze: A Dark in the Light, Radiant Beer Co., Anaheim, CA Category 73: Belgian-Style Ale or French-Style Ale – 64 Entries Gold: Le Petit Demon, Bonesaw Brewing Co. – Pilot House, Deptford, NJ Silver: DOMESTIQUE Blonde Ale, Rouleur Brewing Co., Carlsbad, CA Bronze: Aurora, Apogee Brewing Co., Grover Beach, CA
Ben Edmonds (next to Bob) and the Breakside Brewing crew.
Category 74: Belgian-Style Witbier – 57 Entries Gold: Allagash White, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME Silver: Breakside White, Breakside Brewery & Taproom, Milwaukie, OR Bronze: Gully Washer Wit, Munkle Brewing Co., Charleston, SC Category 75: Classic Saison – 60 Entries Gold: Dogwood Saison, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA Silver: Farm Out, Worthy Brewing Co., Bend, OR Bronze: Plough & Harrow, ISM Brewing, Long Beach, CA Category 76: Specialty Saison – 46 Entries Gold: Lucy Loves Rye, Apogee Brewing Co., Grover Beach, CA Silver: Mount Eden, Pure Project, Vista, CA Bronze: Wild Honey, Cruz Blanca Brewery, Chicago, IL Category 77: Belgian-Style Sour Ale – 36 Entries Gold: Eau Rouge, Noble Beast Brewing Co., Cleveland, OH Silver: Apple Pomace Puncheon, Angel City Brewery, Los Angeles, CA Bronze: Intinction – Petite Sirah, Russian River Brewing Co. – Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa, CA
The Cilurzo’s, Natalie and Vinnie, from Russian River Brewing.
Category 78: Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale – 77 Entries Gold: Kroon, Wallenpaupack Brewing Co., Hawley, PA Silver: Pitouchi, Attic Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA Bronze: Monks on the Moon, Apogee Brewing Co., Grover Beach, CA Category 79: Belgian-Style Abbey Ale – 71 Entries Gold: LMM Dubbel II, Lone Man Mountain Brewing Co., Driftwood, TX Silver: Allagash Tripel, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME Bronze: Monks In Space, Apogee Brewing Co., Grover Beach, CA Category 80: Belgian Fruit Beer – 45 Entries Gold: My Cerise Amour, Oregon City Brewing Co., Oregon City, OR Silver: East of Line Kriek, Awkward Brewing, Fayetteville, GA Bronze: Vordrassil, Webb’s City Cellar by Green Bench, St. Petersburg, FL Category 81: Brown Porter – 46 Entries Gold: Don’t Feed the Bears, Gatlinburg Brewing Co., Sevierville, TN Silver: Slumber Car, Accomplice Beer Co., Cheyenne, WY Bronze: Old Tom Porter, Piney River Brewing Co., Bucyrus, MO
Category 82: Robust Porter – 58 Entries Gold: Port City Porter, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA Silver: Peaklet, Mountain Rambler Brewery, Bishop, CA Bronze: Dark Chocolate Love, Salish Sea Brewing Co. – Boathouse Taproom, Edmonds, WA Category 83: Stout – 52 Entries Gold: Correspondent, Wander Brewing, Bellingham, WA Silver: Nebula Stout, Block 15 Brewery & Tap Room, Corvallis, OR Bronze: Diatomaceous Dry Stout, Hutton & Smith Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Chattanooga, TN Category 84: Sweet Stout or Cream Stout – 37 Entries Gold: Mustachio Milk Stout, Tractor Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM Silver: Chocolate Milk Stout, Boxing Bear Brewing Co. – Firestone, Albuquerque, NM Bronze: Moozie, Brink Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH Category 85: Oatmeal Stout – 56 Entries Gold: Scaredy Cat, Vintage Brewing Co., Madison, WI Silver: Buttons the Bear, Bear Chase Brewing Co., Bluemont, VA Bronze: Brother Sam, Three Tigers Brewing Co., Granville, OH Category 86: Imperial Stout – 58 Entries Gold: Indie Roo, Pizza Port – Imperial Beach, Imperial Beach, CA Silver: Kill the Lights, The Tap Brewery, Bloomington, IN Bronze: ReVive, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Portland, Portland, OR Category 87: Scotch Ale – 38 Entries Gold: Wobbly Traveler, Silver Harbor Brewing Co., Saint Joseph, MI Silver: Full Malted Jacket, Beachwood Brewing – Huntington Beach, Huntington Beach, CA Bronze: Old Chub, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO
Julian Shrago from Beachwood Brewing of Huntington Beach, California.
Category 88: Old Ale or Strong Ale or Barley Wine – 62 Entries Gold: Orange Giant, Ecliptic Brewing, Eugene, OR Silver: Grow Old With You, Verboten Brewing, Loveland, CO Bronze: Artemesia, Burns Family Artisan Ales Taphouse, Denver, CO
Jamie Floyd, from Ninkasi Brewing, and John Harris, from Ecliptic Brewing.
Category 89: International-Style Pale Ale – 107 Entries Gold: Smells Like Purple Rain, Riip Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA Silver: Ponga, Grand Fir Brewing, Portland, OR Bronze: Breakside Hello My Alien, Breakside Brewery – NW Slabtown, Portland, OR Category 90: New Zealand India Pale Ale – 105 Entries Gold: More Than A Zealand, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO Silver: Wannabe Wallaby, Riip Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA Bronze: Wastelandia, Grains of Wrath, Camas, WA Category 91: American-Style Pale Ale – 128 Entries Gold: Timbo, Highland Park Brewery – Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA Silver: Featherweight Pale Ale, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO Bronze: Bare Bones Disco, Bird Creek Brewing, Temple, TX Category 92: Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale – 94 Entries Gold: Easy Eddy, Big Grove Brewery & Taproom, Iowa City, IA Silver: Foggy Pines, Evans Brewing Co., Corona, CA Bronze: Wisp, Lumen Beer Co., Omaha, NE Category 93: American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 109 Entries Gold: Something Dank This Way Comes, Sunriver Brewing Co., Sunriver, OR Silver: Zero Degrees, Shred Beer Co., Rocklin, CA Bronze: Independence Pass Ale IPA, Aspen Brewing Co., Aspen, CO Category 94: Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale – 151 Entries Gold: Joyful Intuition, Everywhere Beer Co., Orange, CA Silver: Lupulin Lab, Wicked Weed Brewing Pub, Asheville, NC Bronze: Windows Up, Alpine Beer Co., Ft Collins, CO
Category 95: American Amber/Red Ale – 124 Entries Gold: Pretty Good, Third Space Brewing, Milwaukee, WI Silver: Buttface Amber, RAM Restaurant and Brewery – Production, Tacoma, WA Bronze: Object K, Site-1 Brewing, Omaha, NE Category 96: Strong Red Ale – 56 Entries Gold: Wreak Havoc, Bootstrap Brewing, Longmont, CO Silver: Rolling Rust, Grand Fir Brewing, Portland, OR Bronze: Trash Pandamonium, Benchtop Brewing Co., Norfolk, VA Category 97: Imperial India Pale Ale – 117 Entries Gold: Hoptomic, Morgan Territory Brewing, Tracy, CA Silver: Gastropod, Grand Fir Brewing, Portland, OR Bronze: Nose Goblin, Ghost Town Brewing, Oakland, CA
Ben Edmunds from Brakside (left) with Tonya Cornett (formerly with 10 Barrel) in between Grand Fir brewmaster Whitney Burnside, who won this yar’s “501–1,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year”
Category 98: Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale – 150 Entries Gold: DDH Pillow, Highland Park Brewery – Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA Silver: Mosaic Double Crush, Moonraker Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Cameron Park, CA Bronze: Juice Master, Shred Beer Co., Rocklin, CA Category 99: Fresh Hop Beer – 85 Entries Gold: Fresher Than Fresh, Trap Door Brewing, Vancouver, WA Silver: House of 1000 Cones, Moonraker Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Cameron Park, CA Bronze: Fresh Hop King Crispy, Deschutes Brewery & Public House – PDX, Portland, OR Category 100: West Coast IPA – 292 Entries Gold: Codebreaker, Trademark Brewing, Long Beach, CA Silver: Pacific Portal, Alma Mader Brewing, Kansas City, MO Bronze: IPA for Aliens, Masthead Brewing Co., Cleveland, OH Category 101: American-Style India Pale Ale – 217 Entries Gold: Competition, Highland Park Brewery – Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA Silver: One Way, Old Caz Beer, Rohnert Park, CA Bronze: Lexical Gap, Pollyanna Brewing Co., Lemont, IL Category 102: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale – 349 Entries Gold: Professional Human Being, Ambitious Ales, Long Beach, CA Silver: Groundswell, Single Hill Brewing Co., Yakima, WA Bronze: Crash of Rhinos, Movement Brewing Co., Rancho Cordova, CA
Cider Categories
Category 201: Tannic Cider – 29 Entries Gold: Classic Dry, Gowan’s Heirloom Cider, Philo, CA Silver: Cedar Valley Blend, Paha Cider Co., Waverly, IA Bronze: 2022 Cidre Bouché, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Corvallis, OR Category 202: No/Low-Tannin Cider – 55 Entries Gold: The Russets, Snow Capped Cider, Austin, CO Silver: Graventein, Snow Capped Cider, Austin, CO Bronze: 10th Anniversary, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Corvallis, OR Category 203: Fruited or Botanical Cider – 74 Entries Gold: Blackberry Cider, McMenamins Breweries, Portland, OR Silver: Ozark Strawberry Rhubarb Cider, Ozark Beer Co., Rogers, AR Bronze: Pacific Pineapple, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Corvallis, OR Category 204: Experimental or Barrel-Aged Cider – 46 Entries Gold: Rosé Cider, Gowan’s Heirloom Cider, Philo, CA Silver: 2019 Pommeau, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Corvallis, OR Bronze: 802 Barrel Aged, Vermont Cider Co., Middlebury, VT Category 205: Single Varietal Cider – 29 Entries Gold: Mountain Rose, Haykin Family Cider, Aurora, CO Silver: Macintosh, Gowan’s Heirloom Cider, Philo, CA Bronze: Glow – Airlie Redflesh SV, Alpenfire Cider, Port Townsend, WA
Other Categories
Category 500: Pro-Am Comp – 52 Entries Gold: Piwo Grodziskie, Kansas City Bier Co. with Mike & Stephanie Butler, Kansas City, MO Silver: Rising Sun, Crooked Lane Brewing Co. with Matt Hall, Auburn, CA Bronze: South of Helles, Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop – Richmond with Joel Miller, Richmond, VA Category 501: Collab Comp – 95 Entries Gold: Twenty-Fold Sword, No Boat Brewing Co., Obelisk Beer Co., Snoqualmie, WA Silver: Stupid Sticky Fingers, Werk Force Brewing Co, Rocky Reef Brewing Co., Plainfield, IL Bronze: Spudweiser, Live Oak Brewing Co., Hold Out Brewing, Del Valle, TX
2024 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards
0-250 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year Apogee Brewing Co., Grover Beach, CA Jeff, Mike and Linz 251–500 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year Alesong Brewing & Blending, Eugene, OR Alesong Blending Team 501–1,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year Grand Fir Brewing, Portland, OR Whitney Burnside 1,001–2,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year Everywhere Beer Co., Orange, CA Stefan Weber & Production Team 2,001–5,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year Riip Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA Riip Brew Team 5,001–15,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year Sunriver Brewing Co., Sunriver, OR Sunriver Brewing Team 15,001–100,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year von Trapp Brewing, Stowe, VT von Trapp Brewing Team Brewery Group Brewery and Brewer of the Year Highland Park Brewery, Los Angeles, CA Highland Park Brewery Team Cidermaker of the Year 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Corvallis, OR 2 Towns Ciderhouse
The Riip Beer Co. team from Huntington Beach, California.
Today is the 41st birthday of Steve Luke, founder and brewmaster of Cloudburst Brewing in Seattle, Washington. He was born in Massachusetts but grew up in Connecticut. While in college in Maine, he worked at Allagash, and after graduation got a job with Captain Lawrence Brewing. He later also worked for Harpoon, Allagash again (this time as a brewer), and Cambridge House Brewpub. In 2010, he moved to California to attend UC Davis. Afferwards, he relocated to Seattle and became head brewer of Rogue’s Issaquah Brewhouse, and a year later, head brewer of Elysian Fields. In 2015, Luke opened his own brewery, Cloudburst Brewing. I’ve gotten to know Luke through judging GABF over the last few years and I’m hoping to visit his brewery the next time I’m in Seattle. Join me in wishing Luke a very happy birthday.
Me and Steve at the Firestone Walker Invitational in 2023.
This is, I believe, the fifteenth year for the Brookston Fantasy Football Games, though I took a few years off after the 2020 pandemic season. We’ve had a lot of fun over the years, so if you love football and beer, consider joining us this year, whether you’ve played in past seasons or are a newcomer. The NFL season begins Thursday, September 5, so in about two short weeks. Why not join us?
As I’ve done in previous years, I’ve set up two free Yahoo fantasy football games, one a simple pick ’em game and the other a survival pool. Up to 50 people can play each game (that’s Yahoo’s limit, not mine), so if you’re a regular Bulletin reader feel free to sign up for one or even both. It’s free to play, all you need is a Yahoo ID, which is also free. Below is a description of each game and the details on how to join each league and play.
Pro Football Pick’em
In this Pick’em game, just pick the winner for every game each week, with no spread, and let’s see who gets the most correct throughout the season. All that’s at stake is bragging rights, but it’s still great fun.
Also, like the last few years, we’ll be able to keep picking all through the playoffs, so the game will continue through to the Super Bowl, which is pretty cool.
In order to join the group, just go to Pro Football Pick’em, click the “Sign Up” button and look for a link or bottom that reads “Join Group.” From there, follow the path to join an existing private group and when prompted, enter the following information…
Group ID#: 20030 (Brookston Football Picks) Password: brookston
Survival Football
If picking all sixteen football games every week seems like too much, then Survival Football is for you. In Survival Football, you only have to pick one game each week. The only catch is you can’t pick the same team to win more than once all season. And you better be sure about each game you pick because if you’re wrong, you’re out for the season. Actually a few years ago they added a new feature and I changed the game so to be kicked out you have to be wrong twice. In that way more people stand a better chance of lasting longer into the season. So get one wrong, and you’re still okay, get a second wrong, now you’re gone for the season. Last man standing wins.
Again, like the last few years, we can keep picking all through the playoffs, assuming our luck holds. So the game could even continue through to the Super Bowl.
This year it’s even easier to join, with a new streamlined sign-up process. Just click on this direct link and follow the instructions from there. [Note: if for some reason it doesn’t work, send me not through messenger and we’ll get you sorted, though I’m pretty sure you already have to have a Yahoo ID to start signing up.]
With 50 players allowed in each game, there’s plenty of room, so don’t be shy. Sign up for one or both games. This season, I’ll most likely post the standings week by week on my Facebook page so we can taunt and tease one another. Anyway, why not join us? Go head to head again me and my team, the Brookston Brew Jays.
Wednesday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1965. 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. Miss Rheingold 1965 was chosen by a committee formed by the new owners of Rheingold Breweries — Pepsi-Cola — and last April they chose Sharon Vaughan to be Miss Rheingold 1965. Vaughan was born in Missouri, but moved to Washington state when she was five. She 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. With Miss Rheingold 1965, Sharon Vaughan, only appearing at in person events, Miss Rheingold as a concept seemed to fade away. There was very little about her in the news, as had been common in all the years before. I think because people saw her continually and consistently in advertising in both newspapers and magazines, appearances she made were more impactful. Once she was no longer featured in the advertising, the public seemed to quickly lose interest. So Rheingold’s new owners, Pepsi, discontinued the Miss Rheingold campaigns in what seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sales peaked the year they bought the company and began sliding every year thereafter. Despite buying Ruppert Breweries, two years later, in 1967, they sold the breweries to Dawson Brewing of New Bedford, Massachusetts. For the next few years, Rheingold bounced around with at least five different owners until Stroh bought the brand in 1996. A relaunch was attempted in the late 1990s, but failed, and Stroh sold the Rheingold brand to Pabst in 1999.
As for Sharon Vaughan, the 26th and last last Miss Rheingold, who was all but invisible during her year, began by being a pageant queen, a Miss America runner-up, and did some modeling and even a little work on television after her Miss Rheingold year, before moving to St. Louis when her husband moved there to take over his family’s business. Since Rheingold didn’t use her very much, here’s a few photographs I found both before and after her year.
Sharon Vaughan during her time representing Washington state in the Miss America pageant.
Looking through a newspaper archive.
Getting her evening gown ready for the Miss America pageant.
Headshot.
I’m not sure which of the chorus girls she is, but Sharon Vaughan had been in the broadway show Funny Girl, and reprised her small role in the 1968 film.
In 1968, she also played a villain known as “Wanda” in an episode of “Get Smart” called “The Groovy Guru.“
In 1968 and 1969, she appeared in four episodes of “Bewitched” as four different characters, “Elaine Hanson, Lila Layton, Liza, and Miss Springer.” I’m not sure which of those characters this still is from.
Sunday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1965. 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. Miss Rheingold 1965 was chosen by a committee formed by the new owners of Rheingold Breweries — Pepsi-Cola — and last April they chose Sharon Vaughan to be Miss Rheingold 1965. Vaughan was born in Missouri, but moved to Washington state when she was five. She 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. With Miss Rheingold 1965, Sharon Vaughan, only appearing at in person events, Rheingold continued their advertising without her. In this newspaper ad, from December, which was essentially the last of her year, the tagline is “Introducing Rheingold beer in the new screw-cap fifth. It lets you save a little for tomorrow.” It’s honestly odd to see a beer size of a fifth, which is more common in wine and spirits. And the idea that a screw-top would allow you to re-cap the beer and save if for the next day seems almost laughable. I don’t know anybody that drinks beer that way. If you open a beer, you’re going to finish it.
Saturday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1965. 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. Miss Rheingold 1965 was chosen by a committee formed by the new owners of Rheingold Breweries — Pepsi-Cola — and last April they chose Sharon Vaughan to be Miss Rheingold 1965. Vaughan was born in Missouri, but moved to Washington state when she was five. She 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. With Miss Rheingold 1965, Sharon Vaughan, taking “Time Out to Relax,” Rheingold continued their diversity-themed advertising without her. In this newspaper item, from November, the story headline is “Men Can Now Enjoy Pleasures Of Fashion.” The article is about how men in 1965 could finally start to pay attention to their own clothes, which begs the question, “what were they doing before that?” So the story is also about an upcoming event in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Caswell-Massey Awards, which apparently were annual fashion awards that began after World War II by the then-men’s grooming company Caswell-Massey that was founded in 1752. Why this is relevant, is that another of the guests at the awards ceremony was Sharon Vaughan, Miss Rheingold 1965.
Friday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1965. 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. Miss Rheingold 1965 was chosen by a committee formed by the new owners of Rheingold Breweries — Pepsi-Cola — and last April they chose Sharon Vaughan to be Miss Rheingold 1965. Vaughan was born in Missouri, but moved to Washington state when she was five. She 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. With Miss Rheingold 1965, Sharon Vaughan, taking “Time Out to Relax,” Rheingold continued their diversity-themed advertising without her. In this ad, from October, the scene is a group pf Irish people dancing and the tagline: “How do the Irish unwind after a reel?” Curiously, there’s a man playing what look like bagpipes, which I’d always thought were exclusively Scottish. But apparently there are Irish Bagpipes, which are called Uilleann pipes, although they look very different from the Scottish ones, so I still think the Rheingold’s ad agency screwed this one up.
Thursday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1965. 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. Miss Rheingold 1965 was chosen by a committee formed by the new owners of Rheingold Breweries — Pepsi-Cola — and last April they chose Sharon Vaughan to be Miss Rheingold 1965. Vaughan was born in Missouri, but moved to Washington state when she was five. She 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. With Miss Rheingold 1965, Sharon Vaughan, taking “Time Out to Relax,” Rheingold continued their diversity-themed advertising without her. In this ad, also from September, the scene is at a 50th wedding anniversary for a Yiddish couple.
Wednesday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1965. 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. Miss Rheingold 1965 was chosen by a committee formed by the new owners of Rheingold Breweries — Pepsi-Cola — and last April they chose Sharon Vaughan to be Miss Rheingold 1965. Vaughan was born in Missouri, but moved to Washington state when she was five. She 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. With Miss Rheingold 1965, Sharon Vaughan, taking “Time Out to Relax,” Rheingold continued their diversity-themed advertising without her. In this ad, from September, the tagline reads: “Marriage isn’t all beer and tarantellas.” The scene shows an Italian wedding, and a tarantella is a group of folk dances originating in southern Italy.
