Today in 1938, US Patent D111959 S was issued, an invention of Clarence B. Deible, for his “Design for a Beer Bottle,” although he’s more famous for having invented to crown bottle cap. There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this very short summary:
I claim an original and ornamental Design for Beer Bottles.
Saturday’s Halloween ad is for Schlitz, from 1949. Part of Schlitz’s “I Was Curious” series, each employing a three-panel structure, this one takes place at a Halloween party. A man dressed as a bear spots a table full or Schlitz beer and was apparently thirsty enough to get a beer, forcing him to reveal himself by removing his bear helmet/mask to drink the beer, at which point, the bunny behind the table removes her rabbit head to reveal a fetching blonde, and the two appear to make googly eyes at one another. Which should mean the ad will have a happy ending. But in the first panel, the bunny was holding on onto a tray while a pirate poured beers into glasses, and then briskly goes off to deliver the beers to other guests at the party. That might suggest that he’s one of the hosts of the party, and possibly the bunny’s husband or boyfriend. So maybe this ad is racier than you might think at first glance. Perhaps we’re seeing the start of an affair?
Today in 1899, US Patent 636210 A was issued, an invention of Auguste Liese, for his “Beer-Faucet,” although he’s more famous for having invented to crown bottle cap. There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The object of my invention is to provide a simple, efficient, and inexpensive beer-faucet which is adapted to be connected so that, by the use of a single turn-cock, beer, ale, or other liquor may be drawn either from a tank or directly from the wood and so that the same can be tempered by simultaneously drawing off more or less gas, as desired. A further object of my invention is to construct the beer-faucet so that the beer or ale maybe admitted from the barrel to a storage tank and so that any excess of gas may be exhausted from the upper part of the cock instead of blowing the same off through the usual outlet.
Regular readers know that I’m frequently at odds with both the prohibitionists and the addiction community, usually meaning the people and organizations who profit from the status quo viewpoint like AA and others. As I’ve written before, I don’t think alcoholism is something everyone is at risk for and I definitely don’t agree that total abstinence is the answer. If you want any background to what I’m talking about, check out Tipping The Sacred Cows Of Addiction, What Is Addiction?, America’s Addiction Treatment Goal: Perpetual, Lifelong Abstinence or Recent Addiction News Roundup.
I’ve often argued that, from my own experiences, that there as many societal and individual factors for why any individual becomes addicted to something, and it seems to be that it’s the mind rather than genetics or biology that more often determines or causes it.
Here’s yet another powerful denunciation of the prevailing view, entitled Everything You Thought You Knew About Addiction Is Wrong, which looks at ‘experiments in the 1970s by famed professor of psychology Bruce Alexander,” which revealed “that more times than not, the real culprit in addiction is a lack of human connection.”
And that makes perfect sense to me, as I’ve observed it’s usually something wrong in an individual’s life that causes them to become addicted to something, and the addiction is the result of that, not the problem in and of itself. The conclusion of the study was essentially “addiction is just one symptom of human disconnection,” and that it’s a more “complex disease” then simply “just say no” can address. Obviously, the video below uses heroin and cocaine as examples, but it’s just as applicable for any addiction, alcohol included. And frankly, it makes more sense than almost anything else I’ve read or heard, and yet seems curiously removed from the addiction debate even though apparently its findings are from the 1970s.
It was created by Kurzgesagt as part of a series for Patreon, and was “adapted from Johann Hari’s New York Times best-selling book ‘Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs.'”
Today in 1978, US Patent 4123561 A was issued, an invention of Herbert L. Grant, assigned to S.S. Steiner, Inc., for his “Method For Processing Hops For Brewing.” Here’s the Abstract:
There is provided a method of processing hops for brewing in which the hops and particularly the alpha acids in the hops are stabilized against deterioration, the process broadly comprising forming an intimate mixture of the hops or hop extracts with one or more oxides of a divalent metal or metals and maintaining the mixture under suitable conditions, preferably at an elevated temperature, e.g., 40°-100° C., until stabilization is substantially completed. In another aspect, the alpha acids present in the hops are converted to their isomerized products, which are desirable for brewing. The process is especially suitable for use in pelletizing operations.
Friday’s ad is for Michelob, from 1970. A surprisingly fun ad, draping the Michelob bottle with a sheet as a ghost for Halloween. “Surprise People” indeed. Happy Devil’s Night.
Today in 1906, US Patent 834491 A was issued, an invention of John P. Reily, for his “Hinge For Beer-Cases.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention consists of certain new and useful Improvements in Hinges for Beer-Cases, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.
The object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive hinge which is particularly adapted for all manner of boxes, trunks, and chests wherein the lids swing entirely over against and into a plane parallel with the wall of the box to which the hinge is fixed.
By my improved construction of hinges the lids to which they are fixed can be swung all the way back without pulling out the retaining-screws of the hinges or breaking the lids.
Today in 1894, US Patent 528485 A was issued, an invention of William Painter, assigned to the Crown Cork and Seal Company, for his “Bottle Seal or Stopper,” although he’s more famous for having invented to crown bottle cap. There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
I claim as my invention, a bottle seal, an extracting attachment which consists of the combination of a main loop or eye adapted to receive an extracting tool, and two additional loops or eyes.
Thursday’s ad is for Heineken, from, I believe, the 1950s. I’m not really sure when the ad is from, but given the woman serving the man so subserviently, I’d have to say 1950s or very early 1960s. The tagline, “ook biy U thuis,” is essentially “also at home” or “also in your home” (thanks Martijn for the better translation).
Today in 1872, US Patent 132574 A was issued, an invention of Charles C. Haley, for his “Improvement In The Manufacture Of Beer, which in the application he names his improved beverage “California Pop Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although this is such an interesting one that I’m showing the entire application below, which also includes a recipe of sorts.
I think someone could probably make this beer, assuming homebrewers haven’t already taken up the challenge, even though it appears there is some general instruction, it seems like educated guesses would have to be made to fill in the unknowns.
This invention consists in a compound of the ingredients hereinafter named, used in the manner and in the proportions substantially as described, to form an improved beverage which I have denominated California Pop Beer.
In the manufacture of beer according to my invention, I first prepare the yeast as follows: For one hundred and five gallons of beer, I take of wheat flour three-quarters of a pound and dissolve it in one quart of cold water, and one ounce of hops steeped one hour in two quarts of water, and afterward strained. The dissolved wheat flour and the steeped hops are then mixed together, and the mixture is steeped for half an hour. It is then allowed to cool to the temperature of 88 Fahrenheit, after which three ounces of ground malt and one half an ounce of pure spirits are added, and the mixture allowed to stand for twelve hours.
The essence is next prepared as follows: To five ounces of alcohol I add one-half an ounce of oil of Wintergreen, one-third of an ounce of oil of Sassafras, and one-third of an ounce of oil of spruce, roughly mixed.
The yeast and essence having been thus prepared, the manufacture of the beer is proceeded with as follows: I take one-half a pound of hops, fourteen ounces of chemically prepared cream of tartar, and one-half pound of African ginger-root. These are placed in a suitable tub and steeped with ten gallons of water one hour, after which seventy pounds of granulated sugar are added. The essence prepared as above stated is now added to the mixture in the tub, and the con tents are brought to a heat of about 90; and, at this point, the yeast first prepared is poured in and the mixture allowed to stand for four hours. It is then bottled, and after standing for three days it is ready for use. The beer thus prepared is a superior and harmless beverage.
It also appears that it was sold commercially, and must have been popular enough, since it’s often referred to as “Haley’s Celebrated California Pop Beer.”
Of course, that could be an early form of advertising puffery. Haley himself was apparently from Troy, New York and so it seems likely his brewery, “C. Haley & Co.” was located there as well, although I’m on the road and don’t have my American Breweries II book for reference and nothing’s coming up online in a cursory search. There are, however, several examples of the name appearing on bottles, generally in the northeast, primarily from New York and New Jersey.
It seems curious that something not from California was named “California Pop Beer.” Was there some reputation California would have had at that time period that made naming the beer this way make sense?
Some bottles even include the date that the patent was approved.
And seems clear that multiple breweries made “California Pop Beer,” as here’s one from Brooklyn. It was brewed by G.B. Selmers, located at “104 & 106 So. 8th St. Brooklyn, ED.”
So who wants to step up and brew “California Pop Beer?” Maybe it should be someone actually in California this time?