Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1956. It was a Thanksgiving ad for Schlitz, starting with the ad copy “Lighten the Fun!” And how do we lighten the fun, you may be wondering. Well, “For Thanksgiving … add Schlitz!” Of course, why didn’t I think of that? Hmm, I also wonder what whoever wins the wishbone will wish for? Happy Thanksgiving.
Today’s bonus infographic is all about the holiday, entitled Turkey & Travel: How We Celebrate Thanksgiving. It was created by Nationwide Bank, and shows a number of factoids about Thanksgiving, including a comparison of what was served at the first one compared to our modern meals.
Thirty years ago, in November 1983, Michael Jackson wrote an article for the Washington Post entitled “Beer at the Thanksgiving Table.” It was subtitled “Wine is acceptable for this annual feast, but what if you prefer beer?” It was apparently one of his first pieces on the topic of pairing beer and food.
The article contains one of my favorite quotes by Michael:
To give thanks is a matter of joy; should that be confined by excessive sobriety? Better still, Thanksgiving is an annual opportunity to refresh old friendships and make new ones, in which matter both the ritual and effect of a shared glass is the best tie.
When you consider this was written when Sierra Nevada was still a very small brewery, New Albion had just closed and Mendocino Brewing had only been founded the same year, it’s a remarkable time piece. Nobody was even thinking about pairing beer with food yet. Now we take it for granted. But back then most people still needed convincing. This is great reminder of how far we’ve come and how much of debt of thanks we owe to Michael.
Here’s Michael’s suggested general pairing suggestions from thirty years ago:
As an aperitif: Dry, hoppy beers with some bitterness. Try New Amsterdam (from New York) or Anchor Steam (San Francisco).
With fish: Pilsners. Almost all of the well-known American beers are loosely of this style. So are the best-known imported brands, like Heineken and Carlsberg. Czech and German Pilsners tend to be drier, and therefore go especially well with the more oily varieties of fish.
Shellfish: Dry stouts or porters.
Smoked meats, sausages: If you can find it, the smoked Rauchbier of Bamberg, Germany. Or a German altbier or weizenbeier.
Pasta: The less spicy pasta dishes of Northern Italy go quite well with the Munich Dark type of beer. It is, after all, commonly served with the admittedly-heavier noodle dishes of Germany.
Fowl: Munich Light with turkey; perhaps the slightly less sweet Dortmunder style might go better with chicken.
Red Meat: English Pale Ale.
Game: Scottish ale, which is heavier.
But take the time to go back and read the entire article. And give thanks that nobody looks at you funny when you bring beer to the Thanksgiving meal. As is my personal tradition, I’m enjoying some Anchor Christmas Ale with my meal, something I’ve been doing for roughly twenty-five years. Happy Thanksgiving.
Today’s infographic is a flowchart to help people answer the question “What Should I Bring To Thanksgiving?” It was created by someone at Chow. But you’d better hope you’re going to a dinner at a casual friend’s house, because that’s the only way you’re getting a decent beer, or at least “bombers of Dogfish Head ALe, whatever that is.
Wednesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from November 1948. Part of their “Great Contributions to Good Taste” series, according to the story, it was poor French peasants who discovered that turkeys could be raised and eaten and they became wildly popular there, when news travelled back to the colonies and the rest, as they say, is history. Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow,
Today’s infographic is entitled the Brewmaster’s Guide To Describing Beer, showing a list of descriptors by ingredient, along with conditioning, body and strength.
Click here to see the infographic full size.
Tuesday’s ad is for Blatz, from 1946. Showing a wax seal having just been applied to a document, and the stamp itself, the ad includes the following ad copy. “Public approval is never won forever … It’s seal must be earned anew by every batch you brew.” And at the bottom: “Blatz, Brewer of Better Beer ….”
Today’s infographic is another Anatomy of a Hangover chart, this one detailing three stages: Kill Me, Help Me and Resurrected.
The new Torpedo Room that Sierra Nevada Brewing created is officially open to the public today, beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Located at 2031 4th Street in Berkeley, just behind the Grocery Outlet almost underneath the University Avenue off-ramp.
The interior was created using mostly recycled materials, and there’s even two hop torpedoes behind the bar.
Hop torpedoes, of course, are what the Torpedo Room was named for. I love the beaker display and the painting hanging on the wall above it.
The Torpedo Room will feature 16 rotating taps, including some rare ones that used to be available only in the tap room at Chico.
They won’t serve pints, only tasting flights, although they sell a full complement of Sierra Nevada packaged beer.
The hours for the Torpedo Room Tuesday through Thursday, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. They’ll be closed on Sundays and Mondays. It’s a cool, comfortable, intimate space. Check it out when you’re in Berkeley.
Monday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1947. With the tagline “Beer Is As Old As History,” the ad shows scenes from the beginning of civilization to the the present, with select points of history in between. I actually have an original copy of the ad framed in my office. It’s a pretty grandiose ad, especially with the conceit of the Budweiser and glass as the suggested result of all that history.
