Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Craft Beer Continues To Grow

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ba
Craft brewers enjoyed continued growth through the first half of 2014, according to new mid-year data recently released by the Brewers Association, the trade group representing smaller brewers. Craft beer production increased 18 percent by volume during the first half of the year (though the new numbers are based on the revised definition of who is a craft brewer as per the BA, while last year’s numbers were compiled under the old definition). From the press release:

From January through the end of June, around 10.6 million barrels of beer were sold, up from 9.0 million barrels over the first half of 2013. “The sustained double-digit growth of the craft category shows the solidity of demand for fuller flavored beer in a variety of styles from small and independent American producers,” said Bart Watson, chief economist for the BA. “Craft brewers are providing world-class, innovative products that continue to excite beer lovers and energize the industry.”

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As of June 30, 2014, 3,040 breweries were operating in the U.S., 99 percent of which were small and independent craft breweries. Additionally, there were 1,929 breweries in planning. Craft brewers currently employ an estimated 110,273 full-time and part-time workers, many of which are manufacturing jobs, contributing significantly to the U.S. economy.

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Beer In Ads #1263: Set Up The Fun

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Saturday’s ad is yet another one for Schlitz, this one from 1957. It’s yet another bowling scene, back from when bowling was really popular, asking us to “set up the fun with light refreshment.” Mary or Joan (ca’t tell which) is giving some liquid courage to Dave or Bill (ditto) before his next roll. That’s “leisure’s light refresher,” whatever that means.

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Beer In Ads #1262: Move Up To Quality …

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Friday’s ad is another one for Schlitz, this one from 1959. It’s a fall scene, but despite all the changing leaves outside that probably need raking, they’re inside and cozy. Instead the man is reading the newspaper while his wife is pouring him a Schlitz. Despite the scene, apparently it ran during National Restaurant Month — which used to be October — the ad copy is encouraging people to “eat out more often.” You’d think it would have made more sense to show people out drinking their beer, wouldn’t you?

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Beer In Ads #1261: Enjoy The Difference!

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Thursday’s ad is another one for Schlitz, this one from 1961. What’s the difference they want you to enjoy? Why it’s “that deep, cool, kiss-of-the-hops flavor,” of course. They want you to “move up to Schlitz.” But what’s with the animals on the wall. An oval frame with a picture of a horse? And then the ugliest painting/drawing of a dachshund on a tray? Given the paneling on the wall, I guess it must be the rec. room or man cave.

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Beer In Ads #1260: Memories Of A Kiss

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Wednesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1944. The rugged man, sitting at a glass table with blueprints on it, and with surveying equipment in the background, stares longingly at a poster on the wall. The poster is itself an older ad for Schlitz, during their “Just the Kiss of the Hops” campaign days. How meta.

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Buddy’s Beer Garden

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looney-tunes
Yesterday Ken Weaver tweeted out he was watching Buddy’s Beer Garden. An inveterate animation lover, I wanted to see it, too. Buddy’s Beer Garden is part of the Looney Tunes series from Warner Brothers, and features Buddy, in the second of the 23 cartoons he starred in.

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Buddy’s Beer Garden’s is a fun cartoon celebrating the end of Prohibition in 1933. The humor is typical of animation of the time, with lots of sight gags and animated transitions (a common technique in the 1930s). In this one, “Buddy dons a variety of costumes and hawks his ‘beer that brings good cheer.'”

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“Watch what you’re doin’ ya mug! “Don’t call me a mug, you mug!”

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I’m sure this would drive the prohibitionists today into a mad rage. “But what about the kiddies,” they’d cry (as they always do). But this was made in 1933, when cartoons, believe it or not, were made for adults, and were shown, along with a newsreel, before feature films at a movie theatre. That’s why there’s so much adult humor. It’s also why the hold up so well today, because they don’t pander or talk down to the audience. They’re not trying to be educational, kid-friendly or have a moral. Even when I was a kid, when they were heavily edited for television, they were still better than most cartoons made for TV.

See for yourself, here’s the cartoon, Buddy’s Beer Garden, below:


Buddy Buddie's Beer Garden 1933 Looney… by andythebeagle

Beer In Ads #1257: You’re Out Of Beer

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Sunday’s ad is another one for Schlitz, this time from 1968. In the ad, a man is looking over his shoulder as a woman (waitress, girlfriend, sister, wife?) tops off his glass of beer before it goes empty. Because “When you’re out of Schlitz, you’re out of beer.” And nobody wants that to happen.

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