Tuesday’s holiday ad is for Budweiser, from 1953. The first Christmas ad for 2015 is a fairly simple one, showing quite the holiday spread with twelve bottles of Budweiser and a big display piece of the Clydesdales and a beer wagon being pulled by Santa Claus.
Today in 1903, US Patent 747111 A was issued, an invention of Paul B. Abrell, for his “Beer-Tap.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The objects of this invention are to provide a beer-tap which can be readily and easily applied to a barrel or similar package to enable an impervious connection to be secured and the tap to be locked in such position until its removal is desired, to obtain such a connection before the flow of liquid is started, to obviate the use of a mallet to remove the bung of a package and secure greater convenience, and to obtain other advantages and results, some of which will be hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of the working parts.
The invention consists in the improved beertap and bung therefor and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.
Today in 1964, US Patent 3161522 A was issued, an invention of John Compton, for his “Continuous Lautering Of Brewer’s Wort.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to a method of lautering, i.e., straining and recovery of wort liquid from mash grains in the brewing of beer. Lautering has been one of the most critical of the numerous operations involved in brewing and has heretofore required a great amount of skill and experience on the part of the operator to produce quality beer without lost time.
This method may generally be defined as a method of continuous lautering which comprises the steps of feeding a mixture of grains and wort liquid from a mashing operation in a brewing process onto the upper flight of a moving continuous perforated belt at a point adjacent one end of said upper flight, regulating the speed of said belt, and the rate of feed of the mash thereon to, to form a filtering bed of grains on said belt, collecting a filtrate of clear wort liquid which has passed downwardly through said grains and through the upper flight of said perforate belt, subjecting the filtering bed to water-spraying to sparge out residual sugar values and removing said bed of grains from said belt in the region of the other end of said upper flight.
Monday’s ad is another one for Guinness, from 1952. “If seven men … sailed seven ships from China to Peru.” Those are some pretty small boats, and none of those boatmen look particularly seaworthy either.
Today in 1982, US Patent 4363336 A was issued, an invention of Vincent J. Cerrato, for his “Keg-Tapping Structure.” Here’s the Abstract:
The invention contemplates removable structure to facilitate keg-tapping, and pressurized dispensing of liquid contents of the keg. A so-called Barnes neck forms part of the keg and has a bore with an elastomeric ring seal and flange at its lower end, and a valve-and-tube subassembly is inserted through the neck, to the point of valve-body compression of the seal, when secured by a removable retaining ring. In the course of such insertion, one or more radially inward lugs on the neck flange track corresponding slot formations in the subassembly. Each such slot formation has a first upward longitudinal course, leading to an angular bayonet-like offset course, and then to a second upward longitudinal course. The location of the angular offset is such that the valve body cannot compressionally load the seal ring in the absence of the partial rotation needed to develop lug alignment with the second upward longitudinal course.
As if you needed further proof that cartoons weren’t always for kids — and still aren’t — here’s an interesting one from 1930. Today was the debut in 1919 of the popular cartoon character Felix the Cat. It was actually the third film using a similar-looking cat, but the Adventures of Felix, released today in 1919, was the first time the name Felix was attached to the character. Felix became very popular and remained so until sound was introduced, when he fell into cartoon obscurity when his transition to sound tanked. There was a much later cartoon version, from when I was a kid, that began in 1958 and was shown on television through at least the 1960s and 70s, and that’s probably the one you’re more familiar with.
But the earlier Felix was darker and less kid-friendly, for the simple reason they were aimed at adults going to see a movie in a theater.
Woos Whoopee was one of Felix’s later cartoons (at least of the earlier black and white and largely silent ones), and takes place in a speakeasy (it was still Prohibition after all).
Felix stays out late, drinking and dancing, while his wife paces at home angrily, watching the clock with a rolling pin in her hand. Finally, well after 3 AM, Felix begins to stumble home and begins to hallucinate. Finally, after a surreal journey, he makes it home around 6 AM. I thought sure he’d be in more trouble, but besides shooting the cuckoo in the clock, not much happens to him after he gets home. Oh, well, at least he had a few laughs and drank a few beers.
Today in 1937, US Patent 2102208 A was issued, an invention of Alfred L. Kronquest, assigned to the Continental Can Co., for his “Process of Packaging Beer in Open Top Metal Containers.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to new and useful processes for the pasteurizing of the beer.
The present invention has to do with a method of making and treating a container so as to provide a suitable coating covering the entire inner surface of the metal container so as to prevent the beer from contacting with the metal at any time. It is well known that when metal sheets are coated with an enamel that has no clouding effect upon the beer, the bending or drawing of the sheet to form the ends and to form the body seams, is likely to fracture the enamel coating temperature necessary to heat the sealed container so as to expose the metal there beneath. Even if the can body and the bottom end thereof is coated with enamel, the shaping of the parts is likely to fracture the enamel coating and render the container thus formed unsuitable for 5 the packaging of beer.
Sunday’s ad is for Guinness, from 1952. “If seven men … with seven wives were walking at the zoo.” I can only assume the zoo is located at St. Ives. Still, it’s a fun ad with callbacks to many of the earlier iconic Guinness animals.
Today in 1910, US Patent 978476 A was issued, an invention of Arvid Nilson, assigned to the Wahl-Henius Institute Of Fermentology, for his “Hop-Extraction Process.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The object of my invention is to provide a process of extracting these constituents from the hops which shall produce the extract in a peculiarly desirable condition for the uses referred to; and this I accomplish by the novel procedure hereinafter described and claimed.
This month’s Session was holiday-themed, all about Holiday beers, and quite a few people were feeling the season. With over a dozen submissions besides my own, most of our participants are in favor of holiday beers, with just a couple dissenters, and a lot of reviewed seasonals. Here’s what everybody had to say:
The Beer Nut – Christmas for Home Brewers: In his post, the Beer Nut weaves a nice tale of Smithwick’s Homebrew Challenge, and reviews the two finalists from the competition, and both sound delicious just from their names: Sebastian’s Apple Pie Christmas Ale and Brian & Stephen’s Old Town Christmas Ale. And the winner is … nope, I won’t spoil the surprise. But it’s sounds like a fun contest and a great opportunity for local homebrewers, with the winner presumably getting an especially wonderful Christmas present.
Beer Search Party – It’s Christmastime: Sean picks his six-pack worth of favorite, or essential, holiday beers. His choices include a few classics, a few imports and a few locals. After that, he’s on the hunt for new ones, but his regulars seem like enough to get anyone through the holidays.
Bend Beer Librarian’s By the Barrel – Holiday Beers: As befits a library, Mark’s post is well-organized, starting with some general thoughts on his relationship with Christmas beers before tackling some specific beers and going on to answer my suggested question to give people ideas on what to write about, before finishing with some final thoughts. It’s a long and very thorough look at holiday beers.
Boak & Baily – Holiday Beers: B&B decided that covered almost everything about holiday beers in previous posts, helpfully providing links, but ultimately had an interesting insight. “In an age when strong beers — really strong beers — are available all year round, and when Halloween beers have dibs on wintry spices, does Christmas beer even exist any more? Wizzard got their wish: for beer drinkers, it can be Christmas every day.” It’s a curious notion. Are Christmas beers no longer as special because there are so many other seasonals around throughout the rest of the year?
Blog Birraire – Holiday Beers: Joan discusses the great change that occurred in Spain with holiday beers in specific, and the increase in craft beer more generally. Apparently in 2011, there were only four locally brewed holiday beers. Today that number is large enough that she’s no longer certain how many there are.
The Brew Site – Holiday Beers: Jon’s a fan of all things Christmas — even fruitcake — and loves holiday beers, as well. He offers a few suggestions as what comes close to being an ideal Christmas beer, but believing that the perfect example may not exist. But in the end, it’s own recipe that comes closest, a homebrew inspired by fruitcake, which he’s named Christmas Cheer.
Gary Gillman’s Beer et seq. – The Session Looks at a Holiday or Christmas Tradition in Beer: Gary muses on the many traditions in brewing around the holidays that were sufficiently vague and uncategorized to noy create any one specific way of creating a Christmas beer. And he concludes that that’s a good thing. “It’s good that in a day when beers have been categorized to within an inch of their life, a fairly hazy notion endures about Christmas beer. Hazy suits the idea of a strongish ale sipped indolently at Christmas anyway.”
A Good Beer Blog – Christmas Ales Through The Bloggy Years: Alan takes issue my description of what I think holidays beers should aspire to, and details the austerity of the holiday during his upbringing, and it’s lack of beer in its traditions, both then and now, apart from a few there and again. He concludes that for him, a least, the season isn’t about beer, though he admits “it’ll play its part.”
Kaedrin Beer Blog – A 5 Year Anchor Christmas Vertical: Like me, Mark loves holiday beers, and managed to collect the last five years of Anchor’s Christmas Ale — also one of my annual favorites — to do a vertical tasting with some friends. Interestingly, last year’s vintage proved the most popular. When Anchor was more heavily spicing their Xmas beer, I felt it was ideal when it was one-year old. They also toyed with blending, an interesting idea, and vowed to do more of that next year.
Our Tasty Travels – Trapella Especial de Nadal by La Birreria Andorra: Their holiday diary is all about tasting a Christmas beer, Trapella Especial de Nadal from a brewery in Andorra.
Ramblings of a Beer Runner – Anchor Brewing’s Mark Carpenter Talks about the Transformation of the Anchor Christmas Beer: Derek’s post is especially nice because Mark Carpenter is a friend, and a great person. So it’s great to get his take on holiday beers, and the origins of Anchor’s Christmas Ale. I love the insight that while many breweries go with “holiday” or “winter,” Anchor stuck with “Christmas” in the title. As Mark remembers. “Fritz always insisted having ‘Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’ on the labels. It shortens the selling time and our distributors wanted us to change it for that reason, but I think it’s a great tradition. The new owners of Anchor insist on this as well.”
Tom Bedell – Holiday Beers: For the past three years, Tom’s reviewed a dozen holiday beers and for his post included a link to his reprise of 2014’s beers, before detailing a few of his rules and highlighting this year’s Deschutes Jubelale.
Yours For Good Fermentables – Holiday Beers: Thomas decided to keep things simple and just talked about a couple of beers that make him happy, his usual favorite, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale and a more recent choice Deschutes Jubelale.
If you know of any Session posts I missed, or if I missed yours, please drop me a note at “Jay (.) Brooks (@) gmail (.) com.” Happy Christmas.
According to the Session calendar, the next Session will be hosted by Dan Conley at the Community Beer Works Blog. His topic will be “Are breweries your friends?” The date for the next Session will be New Year’s Day, January 1, 2016.