Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

Socialize

Annie Leibovitz Shoots Stella Artois

By

stella-artois
A couple of days ago, Stella Artois sent out a press release that iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz was hired by Anheuser-Busch InBev to shoot photos for their Belgian lager. The photos are being released at the Sundance Film Festival, which started two days ago, apparently amid much hoopla. Which makes sense when you realize that Stella Artois is an “official sponsor” of the independent film festival, listed as a “sustaining sponsor.” They’re in fact the only big alcohol company sponsor, among quite a few corporate sponsors. I don’t know why that seems odd to me, but I guess I thought Sundance was supposed be about independent filmmakers, especially when the site also includes a donations page where they make it sound like your $10 will make a grassroots movement possible. Maybe I’ve become jaded, but the nearly two dozen truly big sponsors plus what looks like it could easily be another hundred more company sponsorships, seems counter to the principal of “independent” and their mission of “discovery and development of independent artists and audiences.”

In both the press release, Stella Artois Unveils New Campaign Shot by Legendary Photographer Annie Leibovitz and the Stella Artois website, they refer to it as a “collaboration” between the beer and photographer. But how is hiring a famous photographer and paying her to work a “collaboration” in any meaningful sense?

Merriam-Webster defines collaborate as “to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor.” That’s what brewers do when they get together to brew a beer, most times at least, but this just seems like a big company paying a lot of money (one presumes Annie Leibovitz doesn’t work cheap) to an expensive big-name photographer to sell a big product. Does that make it art? I honestly don’t know. I think I’m cranky and overworked these days.

Here’s some more press release spin:

It features British Actor, Noah Huntley and Ukrainian model Tanya Ruban and will appear in the printed fashion titles such as GQ, Elle and Vanity Fair, beginning in February 2013.

“Annie Leibovitz’s work marries artistic genius with painstaking craftsmanship to create timeless beauty,” said Emma Fox, Global Marketing Director, Stella Artois. “This concept is a personal one for Stella Artois. Our fans experience the beer in its finished form, but 600 years of brewing expertise helped make this possible. So we wanted to celebrate both the beauty and the craftsmanship that go into its creation”.

So here’s the results, or at least two of them. You can see lots of behind the scenes of the photoshoot itself — why you’d want to, I don’t really understand — in the Stella Artois Studio, what the press release refers to as an “online experience.”

Leibovitz-stella-artois-1

It’s not that they’re bad photographs, but they certainly don’t make me want to drink Stella Artois. Didn’t Jeff Bridges and Michelle Pfeiffer already do this in The Fabulous Baker Boys.

Leibovitz-stella-artois-2

Beer Flow Chart

By

family-tree
Todays infographic is currently being pitched on Kickstarter, and was created by Dallas, Texas graphic designer Jason Haynes. His Beer Diagram Poster has eight days to go, and so far he’s raised 21 times the amount he needs to get his poster printed. It’s available in three sizes, and you have about a week to pledge if you’d like to get one of his posters, too.

Haynes-beer-flow-chart
You can see it larger on the Kickstarter page.

Good Food Awards 2013

By

good-food-awards
Earlier tonight, the 2013 Good Food Award winners were announced at a ceremony at the Grand Hall in the San Francisco Ferry Building. I had hoped to be there, but have been hunkering down trying to finish my book before SF Beer Week kicks off in a few weeks.

This is the third year for the Good Food Awards, where in addition to beer, they also judge Charcuterie, Cheese, Chocolate, Coffee, Pickles, Preserves and Spirits. The website also includes a ninth category, Confections, but for some reason they’re not listed among the winners. I judged the first year, and again this year. The awards are conducted by the Seedling Projects.

Congratulations to all the winners.

good-food-awards-winner

Beer In Ads #785: Good Beer For Good Fellows

By


Friday’s ad is from the early 1930s, for Pabst Blue Ribbon, though it references the NRA — not that one, the other one — in this case the National Recovery Administration. The NRA was the agency charged with implementing the National Industrial Recovery Act, passed in June of 1933, as part of the New Deal effort to combat the Great Depression. Since it was found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1935, there’s a pretty short window when the ad most likely ran. Still, the illustration is pretty cool, and looks like the later Beer Belongs ads that the industry ran after World War 2.

Pabst-1930s-good-fellows

Beer Me Bro!

By

beer-pong
Today’s infographic is cheekily titled Beer Me Bro. It was created by Sarah Ostman, a student at Syracuse University, while she was an intern at Lab 42. Here’s her description of the project.

We took a look at a couple different topics surrounding men and beer advertising: how men are portrayed in ads, which factors influence their beer choice, and what types of ads they find most appealing. The most surprising stat? 57% of men said they don’t relate to male characters in beer ads. Check out the infographic below for the low-down on men in beer advertising.

Men-Beer-Ads-Infographic-11
You can see the infographic full size at Lab 42.

Beer In Ads #784: Camping With Schlitz

By


Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1953, showing a scene of a couple camping. They must have just arrived, because he’s just making the fire and her hair looks perfect. Not to mention that kicky sweater ensemble she’s wearing, that looks like the perfect camping outfit. Given the way she’s holding that can of beer up in the air so triumphantly, I think his plan was to take her into the woods and get her drunk. In that, it appears, he may have succeeded.

Schlitz-camping

Sorting Cases Of Beer … Fast

By

romania
In case you didn’t see this, it’s been up since last November, but it’s pretty funny, and mesmerizing to watch, especially from the laziness of your own couch or office chair. The video is simply workers at a beer distributor in Romania sorting the cases on mixed pallets as the come into the warehouse. I”m not quite sure why it’s called “Sorting Cases of Beer Like a Boss,” I think I’d call it “Sorting Cases Like It’s Friday Afternoon Minutes Before Quitting Time.” Or maybe happy hour was about to start?

Breweries By The Numbers 2012

By

brewhouse
The Brewers Association just released the number of breweries in the U.S. as of the end of last year. As of December 31, 2012, there were 2,336, which represents an increase of 387 over the previous year, meaning just over one new brewery opened every single day. Just as staggering; the total number of breweries-in-planning stood at 1,254.

And here’s the breakdown:

  • 24: A-B or MillerCoors owned
  • 109: Regional Breweries
  • 1,084: Microbreweries
  • 1,119: Brewpubs