Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

  • Home
  • About
  • Editorial
  • Birthdays
  • Art & Beer

Socialize

  • Dribbble
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Powered by Genesis

Beer In Ads 1798: Olympia Bock Beer

January 22, 2016 By Jay Brooks


Friday’s ad is for Olympia Bock Beer, from the Pilsen Brewing Co. of Chicago, Illinois. I think it’s from around 1910, though certainly before prohibition. The serving women depicted in the middle of the barrel includes some random oddness. On the tray she’s holding there’s two logo glasses, though they appear to be fairly small or short, that are garnished with something green. It would be weird for it to be hops, and the one on the right also looks a little like a leaping frog, though that makes no sense either. And given her pale complexion, she could be mistaken for a zombie.

Olympia-Bock-Beer-Signs-Pre-Pro-Pilsen-Brewing-Company_79964-1

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

Beer In Ads #1797: Portrait Of A Bock Beer Goat

January 21, 2016 By Jay Brooks


Thursday’s ad is for Bock Beer, from who knows when. I think it was from a brewery from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, but that’s based on some unsubstantiated reference I found. But it’s a great portrait of a goat, and looks to be a very fine looking Bock Beer thanks to the magnificence of its mascot.

Oshkosh-Bock-Beer

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

Beer In Ads #1796: Hofer Löwenbräu Bock

January 20, 2016 By Jay Brooks


Wednesday’s ad is for Hofer Löwenbräu Bock, from the 1930s. It was created by German poster artist Ludwig Hohlwein using only shades of red and blue.

1930s-ludwig-hohlwein-bock-beer-poster

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

Beer In Ads #1795: A Pair Of Bocks

January 19, 2016 By Jay Brooks


Tuesday’s ad is a pair for Bock Beer, again from who knows when. So it’s two separate Bock posters, apparently by the same artist. The on the left is simply a black goat, but the one on the right includes what I’ve been calling bock gnomes, though I don’t know exactly what they are or what they’re supposed to be. He looks happy, but then I don’t think he’s yet noticed that the brown goat behind him is drinking beer from his mug. Also, look at his left hand, which he’s holding in a very particular pattern. Thumb and index finger are touching, forming am “okay” circle, middle and ring fingers are raised and standing tall together, while the pinky is deliberately sticking out. Is that some early form of gang sign? What the hell is that?

bock-bock

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

Beer In Ads #1794: Racing Goat

January 18, 2016 By Jay Brooks


Monday’s ad is another one for Bock Beer, again from who knows when. It’s also produced by the Donaldson Litho. Co. of Newport, Kentucky as a sample of their printing work, complete with pricing information at the top. This is one of several bock-themed samples they produced, and in this one a goat is driving a race car fast, and looking very determined.

bock-beer-hangers-car

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

Beer In Ads #1793: The Bock Beer Gnomes

January 17, 2016 By Jay Brooks


Sunday’s ad is also for Bock Beer, from who knows when. This is definitely an odd one. There’s a large goat filling the middle of the ad. To the right, a gnome is dancing wildly — with his hat in one hand and a fork in the other — to the music of what appears to be a pan flute being played by another gnome sitting on a barrel. On the left hand side, a trio of gnomes are sitting on a picnic bench. There’s a beer stein on the bench, but on top of the table there’s the head some animal, possibly a boar. One of the gnomes is holding a large knife, suggesting he’s about to start carving up dinner. Which will be served with bock, of course.

bock-gnomes

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

Beer In Ads #1792: Bock Man & Goat Boy

January 16, 2016 By Jay Brooks


Saturday’s ad is for Bock Beer, from the late 1800s or early 20th century. I’m not quite sure about this one. It’s either an unsuspecting man in the beer cellar, mug of beer in hand with his lunch of bread and … what are those, turnips or rutabagas? He sits there slumped over, shoulders drooping with resignation. Does he know that there’s a mad goat behind him about to pounce or is completely unaware of his fate? Alternatively, it’s the world’s weirdest crime-fighting duo: Bock Man and Goat Boy!

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

Beer In Ads #1791: G.F. Burkhardt’s Bock Beer

January 15, 2016 By Jay Brooks


Friday’s ad is for G.F. Burkhardt’s Bock Beer, from 1877. The G.F. Burkhardt Brewery, of Boston, Massachusetts, was originally founded in 1850 but was effectively closed by prohibition in 1918, never to return after its repeal. The ad shows quite the raucous party in the cellar of the brewery, complete with the requisite goat.

G._F._Burkhardts_bock_beer-1877

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

Beer In Ads #1790: Goat Dancing

January 14, 2016 By Jay Brooks


Thursday’s ad is for Bock Beer, again from either the late 1800s or early 20th century. In this one, a statue to the lofty goat has quite literally been put in a pedestal, and four couples are dancing around it. The men are all wearing aprons (I’m going to guess those are bartender’s aprons from that time period) so maybe it’s some bock ritual dance I’m not familiar with. Who knows?

bock-beer-statue

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

Beer In Ads #1789: Flying Goats

January 13, 2016 By Jay Brooks


Wednesday’s ad is for Bock Beer, from either the late 1800s or early 20th century. It was produced by the Donaldson Litho. Co. of Newport, Kentucky as a sample of their printing work, complete with pricing information at the top. This is one of several bock-themed samples they produced, and in this one not only can goats fly, they can fly airplanes.

bock-beer-hangers-plane

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

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Find Something

Northern California Breweries

Please consider purchasing my latest book, California Breweries North, available from Amazon, or ask for it at your local bookstore.

Recent Comments

  • Bob Paolino on Beer Birthday: Grant Johnston
  • Gambrinus on Historic Beer Birthday: A.J. Houghton
  • Ernie Dewing on Historic Beer Birthday: Charles William Bergner 
  • Steve 'Pudgy' De Rose on Historic Beer Birthday: Jacob Schmidt
  • Jay Brooks on Beer Birthday: Bill Owens

Recent Posts

  • Historic Beer Birthday: James Moffat September 25, 2026
  • Beer Birthday: Charles Finkel September 25, 2026
  • Beer Birthday: Bill Owens September 25, 2026
  • Beer In Ads #5358: Heineken’s Bockbier September 24, 2026
  • Beer Birthday: Aaron Gore September 24, 2026

BBB Archives

Feedback

Head Quarter
This site is hosted and maintained by H25Q.dev. Any questions or comments for the webmaster can be directed here.