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Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #2243: Purity Is Supreme

April 11, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1907. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, it’s purity again, and especially the ingredients in their beer, which they oddly refer to as “materials.” “The goodness of Schlitz is largely due to them.”

Schlitz-1907-purity

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, Schlitz

Beer In Ads #2242: The Alcohol In Beer Is A Trifle

April 10, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Monday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1908. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, Schlitz is still hammering on its healthful qualities and its purity, claiming it “has no after effects.” And at “only 3½ per cent,” “the alcohol in beer is a trifle.”

schlitz-1908-alcohol-in-beer

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, Schlitz

Beer In Ads #2241: Not All People Prefer The Same Beer

April 9, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Sunday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1907. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, they’re again suggesting that beer purity is the most important quality in a beer. “Not all People Prefer the same beer—that is true. They are guided by taste; and tastes differ as beers do. But tastes can be cultivated. And absolute purity is much more important.” Purity. That’s the name of their game.

Schlitz-1907-people

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, Schlitz

Beer In Ads #2240: When Beer Is Pure There Is Nothing More Healthful

April 8, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Saturday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1908. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, Schlitz is touting its purity and concludes that “When beer is pure there is nothing more healthful,” adding “And Schlitz beer is pure. It brings no after-effects, no biliousness.” But more importantly, don’t even think about drinking the wrong beer. “That is why the doctor generally says ‘Drink Schlitz.'”

schlitz-1908-doctor

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, Schlitz

Beer In Ads #2239: Healthful

April 7, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Friday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1908. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, entitled “healthful,” they took a theme they’ve talked about before and went just a little bit further with it, oddly. “Malt is a food, half digested. Hops are a tonic.” Half digested? What on earth do they mean by that?

schlitz-1905-healthful

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, Schlitz

Beer In Ads #2238: There Is All The Good Of Beer, And None Of The Harm

April 6, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1908. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, Schlitz details just how good their beer is for you, and why. “Malted barley is a digested food. Hops are a tonic — also an aid to sleep.” All of it leads to their inescapable conclusion. “There is all the good of beer, and none of the harm, in Schlitz.”

schlitz-1908-malted-barley

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, Schlitz

Beer In Ads #2237: The Home Beer

April 5, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Wednesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1907. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, Schlitz is trying to persuade people to stock their beer at home. Why? Because of it’s “purity.” And how about this reason: “Get the good without the harm.”

schlitz-1907-home-beer

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, Schlitz

Beer In Ads #2236: The Sturdiest Peoples Of The Earth Drink Beer

April 4, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1908. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, which begins with this boast — “The Sturdiest peoples of the earth drink beer” — and then explains how beer drinkers are less nervous then other people, and less likely to have dyspepsia, too. Of course, while dyspepsia sounds bad, it’s just a fancy word for indigestion. The ad goes on to detail the many other ways in which drinking beer (though not drinking too much) is good for you. These are my favorite sentences. “The barley is food; the hops are a tonic. The trifle of alcohol is an aid to digestion.”

schlitz-1908-studiest

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, Schlitz

Beer In Ads #2235: The All Important

April 3, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Monday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1907. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the larger breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, with the title “The All Important,” you might understandably wonder what is the all important? It’s purity, of course, which is “absolute cleanliness” and “freedom from germs.” And that is more or less what it means. Google’s definition is “freedom from adulteration or contamination.” I certainly wouldn’t “knowingly drink beer that was not.”

schlitz-1907-all-important

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, Schlitz

Beer In Ads #2234: The Doctor Says “Drink Beer”

April 2, 2017 By Jay Brooks


Sunday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1908. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the larger breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, a doctor apparently prescribes beer for “the weal and convalescent,” so if it’s good enough for “those who need strength” then it should be pretty good for you, too.

schlitz-1908-doctor-2

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, History, Schlitz

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