Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #2390: Great Stuff This Cricket

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Tuesday’s ad is for Bass Ale, from 1929. Bass Ale was one of the beers that helped push me away from the regional lagers I grew up drinking in Eastern Pennsylvania, and toward more flavorful beers. Jazz clubs in New York City in the late 1970s frequently carried Bass, and I really liked how different it tasted, compared to what I was used to. In this ad, another one from the “Great Stuff This Bass” series,” they’re also employing another regular character from this time period, “Bill Sticker,” who in this ad just laid down a banner across the pitch of a cricket field.

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Beer In Ads #2389: Great Stuff This Blackpool

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Monday’s ad is for Bass Ale, from 1940. Bass Ale was one of the beers that helped push me away from the regional lagers I grew up drinking in Eastern Pennsylvania, and toward more flavorful beers. Jazz clubs in New York City in the late 1970s frequently carried Bass, and I really liked how different it tasted, compared to what I was used to. In this ad, another one from the “Great Stuff This Bass” series,” they’re also employing another regular character from this time period, “Bill Sticker,” who in this ad just put up the banner around Blackpool tower.

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Beer In Ads #2388: Great Stuff This Tennis

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Sunday’s ad is for Bass Ale, from 1929. Bass Ale was one of the beers that helped push me away from the regional lagers I grew up drinking in Eastern Pennsylvania, and toward more flavorful beers. Jazz clubs in New York City in the late 1970s frequently carried Bass, and I really liked how different it tasted, compared to what I was used to. In this ad, another one from the “Great Stuff This Bass” series,” they’re also employing another regular character from this time period, “Bill Sticker,” who in this ad just put up the banner across the net, which one of the players took advantage of to hit the ball past his opponent while he was distracted.

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Beer In Ads #2387: Great Stuff This Dancing

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Saturday’s ad is for Bass Ale, from 1953. Bass Ale was one of the beers that helped push me away from the regional lagers I grew up drinking in Eastern Pennsylvania, and toward more flavorful beers. Jazz clubs in New York City in the late 1970s frequently carried Bass, and I really liked how different it tasted, compared to what I was used to. In this ad, another one from the “Great Stuff This Bass” series,” they’re highlighting dancing, and the drinking and smoking(?) that goes with it.

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Beer In Ads #2386: Great Stuff This Bass

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Friday’s ad is for Bass Ale, from 1920. Bass Ale was one of the beers that helped push me away from the regional lagers I grew up drinking in Eastern Pennsylvania, and toward more flavorful beers. Jazz clubs in New York City in the late 1970s frequently carried Bass, and I really liked how different it tasted, compared to what I was used to. In this ad, Bass is simply introducing a slogan that they’d use for the next several decades, “Great Stuff This Bass.”

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NFL Football: Pick The Winners At Brookston Fantasy Games 2017

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This is the eleventh year for the Brookston Fantasy Football Games. We’ve had a lot of fun over the last ten, 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 on Thursday September 7, so you’ve got exactly one week to sign up.

I’ve again 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.

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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 (or “Create or Join Group” if you are a returning user). From there, follow the path to join an existing private group and when prompted, enter the following information…

Group ID#: 32472 (Brookston Football Picks)
Password: brookston

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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 three 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 sing-up process. Just click on this direct link and follow the instructions from there.

With 50 players allowed in each game, there’s plenty of room, so don’t be shy. Sign up for one or both games. In past seasons, I’ve posted the standings on the home page, and hopefully I’ll do that again this season. Why not join us? Go head to head again me and my team, the Brookston Brew Jays.

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Beer In Ads #2385: Health Waits On Appetite

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Thursday’s ad is from Pabst, from 1913. Many brewers made other related products besides beer, notably malt extract, to be used primarily in cooking as an ingredient in breads and desserts and even as a tonic. According to Briess, which still offers it today. “What is Malt Extract? Malt can be further processed to produce liquid or dried sweeteners called Malt Extracts.” They were essentially “the original starch- or grain-based sweetener.” Many brewers survived prohibition making malt extract, both for legal uses and for homebrewing, but Pabst was making and advertising decades before. In this ad, a couple is sitting down for a meal, while their servant waits on them. The ad wonders what good would their feast be if they didn’t have an appetite or if eating it made their stomach churn. Luckily, the regular use of Pabst Malt Extract, “overcomes dyspepsia, creates a normal, healthy desire for food — aids digestion and relieves every form of stomach trouble.”

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Beer In Ads #2384: Restless, Sleepless Nights Or Sound Refreshing Slumber?

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Wednesday’s ad is from Pabst, from 1917. Many brewers made other related products besides beer, notably malt extract, to be used primarily in cooking as an ingredient in breads and desserts and even as a tonic. According to Briess, which still offers it today. “What is Malt Extract? Malt can be further processed to produce liquid or dried sweeteners called Malt Extracts.” They were essentially “the original starch- or grain-based sweetener.” Many brewers survived prohibition making malt extract, both for legal uses and for homebrewing, but Pabst was making and advertising decades before. In this ad, with the giant headline “Restless, Sleepless Nights or Sound Refreshing Slumber?,” it again looks more like an ad for medicine than a non-alcoholic beverage. So if you’re having trouble sleeping, “the grave dangers of insomnia should not go unheeded.” Hurry up, “prompt relief is assured.” Is there anything Pabst Malt Extract couldn’t cure?

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Beer In Ads #2383: It Takes Nerve

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Tuesday’s ad is from Pabst, from 1914. Many brewers made other related products besides beer, notably malt extract, to be used primarily in cooking as an ingredient in breads and desserts and even as a tonic. According to Briess, which still offers it today. “What is Malt Extract? Malt can be further processed to produce liquid or dried sweeteners called Malt Extracts.” They were essentially “the original starch- or grain-based sweetener.” Many brewers survived prohibition making malt extract, both for legal uses and for homebrewing, but Pabst was making and advertising decades before. In this ad, an old biplane makes the point that you need nerve to do many things in life. But when your nerves start to fray, Pabst Malt Extract “Brnhs the Roses to Your Cheeks.”

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Next Session: Ich Hätte Gerne Ein Bier, Bitte

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For our 127th Session, our host will be Alistair Reece, who writes Fuggled. For his topic, he’s chosen a timely topic: Oktoberfest Beers. This year, Oktoberfest in Munich begins on September 16 and takes place until October 3. So it’s the season for Oktoberfest beers, so it makes perfect sense to write about them this month.

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Here’s the full description of this Session’s topic:

Tis the season!! Right about now breweries and beer shops are groaning under the weight of their autumnal offerings, and so for this month’s Session, the 127th of it’s ilk, we turn to one of those autumnal offerings, Oktoberfest lagers.

“Oktoberfest, in September?!” I hear you exclaim, but as I am sure you know, Oktoberfest begins every year in the middle of September, this year on the 16th, and finishes in the eponymous month. So what better way to start the month it all begins in Bavaria than to hunt down a load of beers labelled as ‘Oktoberfest’ or ‘Festbier’, or in some cases both, and have a little mix and match tasting session?

Feel free to dress up for your tasting, dirndls, lederhosen, that Australian backpacker outfit you keep in the back of your wardrobe for special occasions. Hire yourself an oompah band, play the birdy song, and generally get into the spirit of celebrating for the 117th time the marriage of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese. Whip out the grill and buy all the bratwurst you can find, proper bratwurst that is, from Germany. Shout “O’zapft is!” at the top of your lungs…you get the idea.

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Crack open your bottles of Märzen and Oktoberfest beers, or “O’zapft is” and write about what you found. To participate in the September Session, on or before Friday, September 1, 2017 — yes that’s this Friday, in just three days — write a post and leave a comment to the original announcement.”

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