Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #1281: How Much Does The Brewing Industry Pay In State Excise Taxes?

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Wednesday’s ad is another one from the United States Brewers Foundation, this time from 1951. It’s another ad reminding people, with Prohibition less than two decades in the rearview mirror, that the brewing industry contributes quite a bit to the economy. In this case, the figure is $193 million for state excise taxes from the previous year, 1950, so really that’s just a small part of what the industry contributed to the economy, because it doesn’t include federal excise taxes, or any additional taxes levied on all businesses plus the special taxes reserved for alcohol companies. You just know today that the amount is exponentially higher.

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Beer In Ads #1280: Beer Taxes Exceed $2,000,000 A Day

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Tuesday’s ad is from the United States Brewers Foundation, from 1953. In a factoid-filled newspaper ad, the trade group sings the praises of the industry and their contribution to the economy. $2 million a day seems like a lot, though today it’s closer to $90 million a day, though it’s possibly more depending on which taxes are included in those statistics.

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Beer In Ads #1278: Home Of Budweiser

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Sunday’s ad is for Budweiser, from the 1950s. This is a postcard showing the St. Louis brewery complex from above, but is not a photo. It’s an illustration, and these were a common way to advertise a brewery then, used not just as postcards, but as posters, calendars and other large formats that could be framed. I think they’re incredibly beautiful and wish someone would put together a coffee table book of these brewery works of art.

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Beer In Ads #1276: The Gold Standard Of All Fine Beer

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Friday’s ad is for Hamm’s, from 1950. Showing bottles of “Hamm’s Preferred Stock Beer,” with a single can hiding behind them, on a silver tray, this is another case of physics run amok. The can looks like it hasn’t been opened yet, and the two open bottles are each about three-quarters full, yet the two glasses on the tray are filled to the brim. So either they’re tiny glasses (although they look proportionally the right size) or where did all the beer come from? This is a typical oddity in ads from this time period.

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Beer In Ads #1275: Be A Schlitzer

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Thursday’s ad is again for Schlitz, from 1958 (though parts of it are from previous years). Actually, it’s an advertising piece — a pamphlet or brochure — from their wonderful ad campaign, one of my all-time favorites, Schlitzerland. This piece, entitled “Schlitzerland, U.S.A., or how to entertain Schlitzfriends,” gives advice, along with songs, or how to throw various types of parties successfully. This is page twenty — the last page — with the tenth song, “Be a Schlitzer … Be Refreshed,” an original tune. Who’s thirsty now, after all that singing?

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Beer In Ads #1274: How To Schlitzcelebrate Holidays

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Wednesday’s ad is again for Schlitz, from 1958 (though parts of it are from previous years). Actually, it’s an advertising piece — a pamphlet or brochure — from their wonderful ad campaign, one of my all-time favorites, Schlitzerland. This piece, entitled “Schlitzerland, U.S.A., or how to entertain Schlitzfriends,” gives advice, along with songs, or how to throw various types of parties successfully. This is pages eighteen and nineteen, with the ninth song, “Schlitzingtime,” sung to the tune of “Jingle Bells.” The headline is “How to Schlitzcelebrate holidays, or Schlitzertainment for special occasions.” While it’s clear that this is about Christmas, notice they never mention it, being sensitive to people of all faiths decades before the “War in Christmas” was declared by the wingnuts. And I certainly love a tradition that involves hops and kissing and mistletoe.

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Beer In Ads #1273: Fun On The Schlitzyard Line

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Tuesday’s ad is again for Schlitz, from 1958 (though parts of it are from previous years). Actually, it’s an advertising piece — a pamphlet or brochure — from their wonderful ad campaign, one of my all-time favorites, Schlitzerland. This piece, entitled “Schlitzerland, U.S.A., or how to entertain Schlitzfriends,” gives advice, along with songs, or how to throw various types of parties successfully. This is pages sixteen and seventeen, with the eighth song, “Hail, Hail, The Schlitz Is Here,” sung to the tune of “Hail, Hail, The Gang’s All Here.” The headline is “Fun on the Schlitzyard line, or Schlitzrah for our side.” This one’s all about watching your favorite sports at the local tavern, “with Schlitz and chips for everyone.” I am so there.

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Beer In Ads #1272: Give A Happy Schlitzday Party

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Monday’s ad is again for Schlitz, from 1958 (though parts of it are from previous years). Actually, it’s an advertising piece — a pamphlet or brochure — from their wonderful ad campaign, one of my all-time favorites, Schlitzerland. This piece, entitled “Schlitzerland, U.S.A., or how to entertain Schlitzfriends,” gives advice, along with songs, or how to throw various types of parties successfully. This is pages fourteen and fifteen, with the seventh song, “Happy Schlitzday,” sung to the tune of “Old MacDonald Had A Farm.” The headline is “Give a happy Schlitzday party, or Birthday time is Schlitzing time.” I guess they didn’t want to pay the copyright fees for Happy Birthday.

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