Celebrator Beer News Ceases Print

April 3, 2018 By Jay Brooks

While staff was told earlier last month, Tom Dalldorf of the Celebrator Beer News, today made the official announcement that he was shutting down the print side of the business, suspending the printed version of the 30-year old brewspaper. As the former GM of the Celebrator, it was sad to see this news, but in today’s media climate where many breweries use guerilla marketing and social media over traditional journalism, it’s not terribly surprising. People have to support a robust media in order for it to thrive. The model of how people consume their beer news has undoubtedly changed in the last three decades, and there are less advertising dollars being spent, despite the growing number of breweries, on a greater number of media outlets. C’est la vie.

The Celebrator writers in attendance at the 30th Anniversary Party held at the end of SF Beer Week this February.

Here’s the press release from publisher Tom Dalldorf:

After 30 years of publication the Celebrator Beer News, the first publication to focus exclusively on craft beer, has suspended its print edition. Tom Dalldorf, editor and publisher, stated that the economics of a print magazine requires an advertising base that simply is no longer viable.
“The pervasive use of electronic media has rendered print media superfluous. The expense of design and layout and printing and distribution doesn’t work for the beer enthusiast the way it did just a few years ago,” said Dalldorf. “The craft beer world has grown tremendously in the last twenty years and beer enthusiasts, craving news and opinions on their favorite subject, are depending on websites and apps for news and reviews,” he said recently.
Consequently, Celebrator has re-launched its website on a WordPress platform that will allow it to be more timely in its coverage of the rapidly changing craft beer world. “Our new site allows us to get stories, news and information up instantly rather than waiting up to two months for the next print issue to drop,” said Dalldorf. Celebrator Beer News is now available 24/7 at celebrator.com. A mobile app is in the works as well, according to the publisher.

Hopefully, the Celebrator can make the transition to an online publication.

Tom and me at the 30th Anniversary Party.

And this was the final cover of the last Celebrator Beer News in print.

Beer In Ads #2598: Come And Get It

April 2, 2018 By Jay Brooks

Monday’s ad is for is by the Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1956. Beginning during World War II, the USBIF began a series of positive ads under the name “Morale is a Lot of Little Things” followed by an unnumbered series of illustrated ads that were a precursor to the numbered “Home Life in America,” the crown jewel of ads which ran from 1945 to 1956, also known as the Beer Belongs series. But they didn’t end there, and for a short time afterward, beginning in 1956, several more similar ads were created but without the numbering or the “Home Life in America” association.

In this ad, entitled the “Come and Get It,” the scene is several couples on a camping trip, and they suggest that when you have a cook-out, it’s not actually a real cook-out unless there’s good American beer and ale.” The inset box is interesting. In it, the reader is told to make sure their glass is clean and rinsed.

Beer In Ads #2597: Best Part Of The Day

April 1, 2018 By Jay Brooks

Sunday’s ad is for is by the Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1956. Beginning during World War II, the USBIF began a series of positive ads under the name “Morale is a Lot of Little Things” followed by an unnumbered series of illustrated ads that were a precursor to the numbered “Home Life in America,” the crown jewel of ads which ran from 1945 to 1956, also known as the Beer Belongs series. But they didn’t end there, and for a short time afterward, beginning in 1956, several more similar ads were created but without the numbering or the “Home Life in America” association.

In this ad, entitled the “Best Part of the Day,” the scene is two couples on a boat enjoying some beer and potato chips, which a setting sun in the background. The painting was done by Douglass Crockwell, who was an “American commercial artist and experimental filmmaker. He was most famous for his illustrations and advertisements for the Saturday Evening Post and for murals and posters for the Works Progress Administration.” The inset box is interesting. In it, the reader is cautioned against letting too much sunlight hit the bottle, to preserve its flavors.

Beer In Ads #2596: My Beer Is Rheingold Says Hal March

March 31, 2018 By Jay Brooks

Saturday’s ad is for Rheingold, from 1957. In the 1940s and 1950s, Rheingold recruited a number of prominent celebrities to do ads for them, all using the tagline: “My beer is Rheingold — the Dry beer!” This ad features American comedian and actor Hal March, along with Miss Rheingold for 1957, Margie McNally. “March was best known as the host of The $64,000 Question, which he helmed from 1955 to 1958.” In this ad, March claims that answering the $64,000 Question is hard, but it’s easy to choose your favorite beer, Rheingold Extra Dry.

Beer In Ads #2595: My Beer Is Rheingold Says Ray Bolger

March 30, 2018 By Jay Brooks

Friday’s ad is for Rheingold, from 1957. In the 1940s and 1950s, Rheingold recruited a number of prominent celebrities to do ads for them, all using the tagline: “My beer is Rheingold — the Dry beer!” This ad features American actor, singer, and dancer Ray Bolger. “He is best known for his portrayal of the Scarecrow in MGM’s classic The Wizard of Oz (1939). He was also the host of his own television show, The Ray Bolger Show.” In this ad, Bolger is set fir an evening of fun with a record on the record player and the only beer he pours, Rheingold Extra Dry.

Beer In Ads #2594: My Beer Is Rheingold Says Leo Durocher

March 29, 2018 By Jay Brooks

Thursday’s ad is for Rheingold, from 1940. In the 1940s and 1950s, Rheingold recruited a number of prominent celebrities to do ads for them, all using the tagline: “My beer is Rheingold — the Dry beer!” This ad features American professional baseball player, manager and coach Leo Durocher. “He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by a manager. A controversial and outspoken character, Durocher had a stormy career dogged by clashes with authority, the baseball commissioner, umpires (his 95 career ejections as a manager trailed only McGraw when he retired, and still rank fourth on the all-time list), and the press. Durocher was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.” In this ad, Durocher is pouring himself a Rheingold Extra Dry, declaring “it’s a hit.”

Beer In Ads #2593: My Beer Is Rheingold Says Shep Fields

March 28, 2018 By Jay Brooks

Wednesday’s ad is for Rheingold, from 1956. In the 1940s and 1950s, Rheingold recruited a number of prominent celebrities to do ads for them, all using the tagline: “My beer is Rheingold — the Dry beer!” This ad features American band leader Shep Fields. He “was the band leader for the ‘Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm’ orchestra during the Big Band era of the 1930s.” In this ad, Fields is lumped together with all New Yorkers, who inexplicably “are sound judges of food and drink,” and therefore choose to drink the “quicker quencher,” Rheingold Extra Dry.

Beer In Ads #2592: My Beer Is Rheingold Says Victor Borge

March 27, 2018 By Jay Brooks

Tuesday’s ad is for Rheingold, from 1956. In the 1940s and 1950s, Rheingold recruited a number of prominent celebrities to do ads for them, all using the tagline: “My beer is Rheingold — the Dry beer!” This ad features Danish and American comedian, conductor, and pianist Victor Borge. In this ad, Borge shows off his prize chicken, saying he has a lot in common with it, and then sayings he also has a lot in common with humans, too, and specifically “a liking for” Rheingold Extra Dry.

Beer In Ads #2591: My Beer Is Rheingold Is Cab Calloway

March 26, 2018 By Jay Brooks

Monday’s ad is for Rheingold, from 1960. In the 1940s and 1950s, Rheingold recruited a number of prominent celebrities to do ads for them, all using the tagline: “My beer is Rheingold — the Dry beer!” This ad features American jazz singer and bandleader Cab Calloway. “He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City, where he was a regular performer. Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States’ most popular big bands from the start of the 1930s to the late 1940s. Calloway’s band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus “Doc” Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon ‘Chu’ Berry, New Orleans guitarist Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton.” In this ad, Calloway enjoys drinking a Rheingold Extra Dry after his show.

Beer In Ads #2590: My Beer Is Rheingold Says Gene Sarazen

March 25, 2018 By Jay Brooks

Sunday’s ad is for Rheingold, from 1940. In the 1940s and 1950s, Rheingold recruited a number of prominent celebrities to do ads for them, all using the tagline: “My beer is Rheingold — the Dry beer!” This ad features American professional golfer Gene Sarazen. He was “one of the world’s top players in the 1920s and 1930s, and the winner of seven major championships. He is one of five players (along with Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods) to win each of the four majors at least once, now known as the Career Grand Slam.” In this ad, Sarazen mentions that even before Americans played golf, they were making Rheingold Extra Dry beer.

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