Pretty Beer To Stop Brewing

November 24, 2015 By Jay Brooks

Sad news. Dann and Martha Paquette, co-owners of the Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project posted on their website today their decision to cease the operations of their company. Explaining their decision in For a Beginning, there must be an End, here’s what’s up:

Seven years ago we sold our first glass of beer at The Publick House in Brookline. We didn’t foresee then that our strange project would become such a part of our lives.
It has been a crazy fun time. We’ve dressed up in more costumes than a Bob Hope special. Amazing employees and friends have conspired with us along the way. Bocky, Anya, and John Funke have channeled our project almost better than we have done ourselves. And we found a rag tag group of like-minded creative brewers out there in the world as well.
Brewing our beers has been a great labor and a great joy. But best of all we shared it with so many great beer drinkers. It really feels like we met you all. We’ve stood in shops, bars, restaurants, on stages, in VFW halls. Sometimes you were already fans. Sometimes you spat out our beer. Sometimes you just fancied a chat. We always felt happy to meet you by the end. It was always fun, or funny, or we sold a beer, or learned something. Many of you became friends. We’ve loved drinking beers with you.
We hope our beers brought you joy and brought you closer together. There’s no greater goal for a batch of beer or a project like ours.
After seven years it’s time to draw the curtains and head off to a new adventure. A poorly drawn grain of barley called Jack D’Or made this whole thing possible. He’ll be coming with us.

Besides making great beer, Dann’s thoughtful approach to everything they do has been great to watch, if only from afar. The few times we’ve spent any time together I’ve loved talking philosophically with him and certainly hope his voice won’t be lost as he transitions to whatever adventure awaits him in the next chapter of his journey. And I wish Dann and Martha the best of best wishes going forward.

Pretty Things beer will be available until it runs out, probably sometime in January of next year. If I were you, I’d stock up while you can.

Their parting shot.

Beer Can Plinking

November 24, 2015 By Jay Brooks

I’m not exactly a gun person, but don’t have anything against them under the right circumstances — target shooting, hunting for food, etc. Although I don’t own any, I did earn an Expert Marksmanship badge when I was in the Army and I had a BB gun as a kid (note: I didn’t shoot my eye out). My psychotic stepfather owned quite a few, both pistols and rifles, and we’d sometimes go out in the woods and shoot targets, usually beer cans. But until this morning, I didn’t realize there was a name for doing that: plinking. Wikipedia describes plinking as “informal target shooting done at nonstandard targets such as tin cans, glass bottles, and balloons filled with water. The term is an onomatopoeia of the sound a bullet or other projectile makes when hitting a tin can, or other similar target, referring to the sharp, metallic sound, known as a ‘plink.'” It’s certainly a satisfying sound, and nicely validates your aim.

My stepdad also took me skeet shooting a couple of times, and that was fun, too, though I don’t remember being very good at it; I recall missing more often than not. Apparently, someone figured out a way to combine the two, The Targeteer Beer Can Target Launcher. I recently stumbled upon an old ad for this, Flying Beer Can Targets, which was sold through the Sunset House mail order catalog from 1964.

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It seems like a great way to combine target shooting, skeet and recycling (or at least repurposing). It was actually patented in 1960 and Vox Box, a packaging blog, has the full story on the Targeteer Beer Can Launcher. It also seems like you could use it to shoot beer cans at another target, which may be why they weren’t more popular. I’m also afraid my stepfather would have drank the beer right before using them as a target, which wouldn’t necessarily be the best idea, in my experience guns and beer generally don’t, or shouldn’t, mix.

Patent No. 331251A: Apparatus For Filling Kegs With Beer

November 24, 2015 By Jay Brooks

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Today in 1885, US Patent 331251 A was issued, an invention of George L. Kearney, for his “Apparatus For Filling Kegs With Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The object of this invention is to supply beer to kegs and barrels, for filling the same with out the formation of foam in the keg or other receptacle, as is now the case. This I accomplish in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed.

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Beer In Ads #1738: Suddenly, She Never Looked Prettier!

November 23, 2015 By Jay Brooks

Monday’s ad is for Oland’s Export Ale, from 1966. The Oland Brewery was located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and their Export Ale was a popular brand in Eastern Canada after its introduction in the 1920s. The Oland family sold their brewery to Labatt’s in 1971. The Oland’s also founded Moosehead, which different members of the family still own and operate. The 1960s illustration in this ad looks great, though I’m not sure if it’s meant to appear as if it’s clear — presaging Zima — or that it brings more color to the woman’s cheeks, thereby increasing her attractiveness, even though she, technically, is the beer holder.

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Anchor Christmas Day 2015

November 23, 2015 By Jay Brooks

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Time was when today, the Monday before Thanksgiving, was the traditional day on which Anchor’s Our Special Ale — a.k.a. their Christmas Ale — was released each year. Every year since 1975 the brewers at Anchor Brewery have brewed a distinctive and unique Christmas Ale, which is now available from early November to mid-January.
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From this year’s press release:

This is the forty-first annual Christmas Ale from the brewers at Anchor. It is sold only from early November to mid–January. The Ale’s recipe is different every year—as is the tree on the label—but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew.
Our tree for 2015 is the Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara), better known as the California Christmas Tree. Native of the Himalayas, it takes its name from the ancient Sanskrit devadaru, meaning timber of the gods. This coniferous evergreen, with its gracefully droopy branches and blue-green needles, has been a San Francisco favorite for over 150 years.
The annual search for the perfect tree for our Christmas Ale label usually takes us far afield. This one began and ended with the search for a parking space near the Brewery! Getting out of the car, we couldn’t help but notice the way the late-afternoon sun danced amid the branches of two lovely Deodars just half a block from Anchor’s front door.
Our longtime label artist Jim Stitt — who has been drawing trees for us since 1975 — loved “our” Deodars and, like us, was amused that they were about as local as local gets! His charming illustration evokes the radiant beauty of our arboreal neighbors as well as the spirit of the season. Cheers from the Anchor brewers!

Even though for the last several years, Anchor’s Christmas Ale is released in early November, I continue to observe Anchor Christmas Day on the Monday before Thanksgiving. I know I’m a sentimental old fool, but I liked that they used to wait that long to release it, even though I understand why they had to abandon it. But some things are worth waiting for. If you agree with me, please join me in drinking a glass of this year’s seasonal release tonight. Happy Anchor Christmas Day!

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Patent No. 3219319A: Concentration Control Apparatus For A Continuous Flow System

November 23, 2015 By Jay Brooks

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Today in 1965, US Patent 3219319 A was issued, an invention of Michael Edward Ash, assigned to Guinness Son & Co. Ltd., for his “Concentration Control Apparatus for a Continuous Flow System.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates in general to continuous flow systems of the kind in which liquid suspensions comprising a mechanical dispersion of sedimentable particles in a liquid of relatively lower specific gravity, are caused to flow through a processing vessel or series of vessels.

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Beer In Ads #1737: Heineken’s Bier Wagon

November 22, 2015 By Jay Brooks

Sunday’s ad is for Heineken, from I’m not sure when. It looks like it may be older, but it could just as easily be a newer at playing on the nostalgia when most breweries delivered by horse and wagon. I like the bright colors of the ad and even though they’re not Clydesdales, they’re still some fine-looking horses.

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