Today in 1967, US Patent D208075 S was issued, an invention of Nick S. Khoury, assigned to the Continental Can Company, for his “Pull Tab for a Can or the Like.” There’s no Abstract, and oddly the entire description of the patent is an “ornamental design for a pull tab.”
Beer In Ads #1612: When In The Maritimes …
Friday’s ad is for two Moosehead beers, Moosehead Pale Ale and Alpine Lager Beer, from 1956. The minimalist ad has a netting for the background then two cartoon text balloons with the two beers’ names. That’s it part from the tagline preceding the beer brands. “When In The Maritimes Ask For.” I wonder if this ad was effective?
Patent No. 8215040B2: Method Of Advertising In A Restroom
Today in 2012, US Patent 8215040 B2 was issued, an invention of Charles Pascarelli and David Furman, for his “Method of Advertising in a Restroom.” Here’s the Abstract:
A method for advertising in a restroom is shown and described. The method includes the use of a three-dimensional advertisement article which may attach to a wall above a urinal and at least partly cover the urinal. The advertisement article may resemble a container, perhaps a bottle or can, for a product, which may be beer or a soft drink, being advertised.
This has to be one of the oddest patents I’ve come across. Who thought it was a good idea to urinate into a bottle or can of beer, especially beer that already has been compared to the color of urine already. This seems to drive home the point that you don’t buy beer, you just rent it.
Google Trends In Beer
This morning Jonathan Surratt alerted me to a fun tool that Google has available, known as Google Trends Explore. You can use it to compare trends in virtually any search term and even topics (which is in beta). Jonathan was comparing “craft beer” to things like potato salad and mashed potatoes, but you can do all sorts of comparisons. So just for a bit of fun, I tried a few different ones. Most are comparing searches, but a few measure topics. Five is the most comparisons you can do at one time, but that still allows for some interesting pairings. In each case, the charts show the trends from 2004 through the present, which is over ten years of data.
First, here’s the difference between craft beer vs. beer. Just beer is beating the pants off modified beer. Good.
Here’s Craft Beer, Beer and Wine compared. Wine is leaving us in the dust.
And here’s just beer and wine. But it’s not that far apart and we are gaining on them.
And this is beer vs. wine, but by topic instead of by searches. By topic it’s closer still, and we’ve even come up on top a few times closer to the present.
Here’s beer compared to four popular spirits. Vodka, not surprisingly, is leading the tightly packed spirits, but beer is besting all of them pretty handily.
And here’s five of the most popular beer brands.
This is the same five beer brands but by topic.
Patent No. 4160787A: Process For Extracting Bitter Flavoring Principles From Hops
Today in 1979, US Patent 4160787 A was issued, an invention of Manfred Moll, Roland Flayeux, Pierre Dicesare, and Bernard Gross, for their “Process For Extracting Bitter Flavoring Principles From Hops.” Here’s the Abstract:
A process is described for converting the α- and β-acids of hops into the iso-α acids for use as a bitter flavoring principle ingredient for beers. The α-acids content of the hops is directly isomerized to the iso-α-acid, the bitter principle ingredient. The β acids in the hops extract is transformed to the α acid either after a direct separation step before the α-acid isomerization or the residual β-acids, after the isomerization, are then transformed and the resultant α-acid is isomerized. The β-acid transformation results from a radiation activation followed by an oxidation step with a per – acid.
The isomerization of the α-acid to the iso-α-acid is accomplished by reaction with an alkaline earth metal ethoxide preferably the magnesium ethoxide.
Beer In Ads #1611: Mabel … Black Label
Thursday’s ad is for Carling’s Black Label, from 1956. Using their iconic Mabel character in a fairly simple ad, she’s holding up a card with the beer logo on it. That’s pretty much it, but in the context of the other ads being run at that time, it still works. I’m thirsty.
Patent No. 677918A: Package For Holding Liquids
Today in 1901, US Patent 677918 A was issued, an invention of Jacob F. Ansenheimer, for his “Package For Holding Liquids.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The object of my invention is to make a cheap, simple, and efficient cask or barrel that is, a tight package for holding liquids, such as beer -barrels, casks, wine-barrels, whisky-barrels, oil-barrels, and similar packages the parts composing the barrel to be made of pulp or analogous substances. It has been the desire for some time to produce such a package made of pulp; but so far no practical article has been produced. The desire to produce such a package has grown out of the fact that the wood out of which such packages are made is becoming scarce and each year the demand for a substitute is growing, the price of the wooden package increasing rapidly, and a package made of pulp will soon be a matter of necessity. Most inventors have aimed at producing a package made of one piece and only in some manner looking in the head. Even if such a barrel could be produced it would be too costly. In producing my new package I have worked on the principle of building a tight package as now in vogue.
Patent No. 1031950A: Sanitary Vacuum Beer-Mug
Today in 1912, US Patent 1031950 A was issued, an invention of Walter J. Miller, for his “Sanitary Vacuum Beer-Mug.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The main object of the invention is to provide a device especially adapted for use as a beer mug, in which the beer will be retained in fresh and sparkling condition for considerable time.’
Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which, to a real extent, safeguards the liquid contained therein from contamination.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sanitary beer mug or drinking vessel which can be readily washed or cleaned both inside and out.
Beer In Ads #1610: Slow-Brewed For Mellow Flavour
Wednesday’s ad is for Brading’s Ale, from 1956. Brading’s was a Canadian brand that in 1930 merged with two other breweries to become part of Canadian Breweries Limited. The creepy man with the pipe looks like Laura Palmer’s father from Twin Peaks, played by Ray Wise. The tagline “At the flip of a cap, friendly pleasure,” seems somewhat odd, and I’m not quite sure what they were getting at. The unseen person was obviously flipping the cap like you would a coin, but what did the winner get? The beer? Did they have to pay the tab? Aren’t they in a fishing lodge, cabin or somewhere private, not a bar? “Mighty refreshing,” indeed. But the funniest of all is that last sentence. “Try a case!” While most marketers are happy if you try just one of their product, Brading’s is starting out by suggesting a case. After all, you can’t really be sure with just one bottle, or even ten. To really give it a fair chance, you need at least twenty-four bottles.
Patent No. 5645190A: Aluminum Beverage Can
Today in 1997, US Patent 5645190 A was issued, an invention of Norton Robert Goldberg, for his “Aluminum Beverage Can.” Here’s the Abstract:
An aluminum beverage can the top wall of which, and preferably the bottom wall as well, are substantially in the form of (1) a regular polygon of at least four sides, (2) a Reuleaux triangle, (3) an extended Reuleaux triangle, (4) a symmetrical curve of constant width derived from a regular polygon having an odd number of sides at least five in number, or (5) an extended symmetrical curve of constant width derived in the same way.
