Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising.
Friday’s ad is for Magnolia Bock Beer. The ad was published on June 13, 1908. This one was for, I think, the Houston Ice & Brewing Co., which was located in Houston, Texas and was founded by Hugh Hamilton in 1889 and closed in 1918 due to Prohibition, though it opened for only one year afterwards in 1934. They were also known as the Magnolia Brewery. This ad ran in the St. Landry Clarion, of Opelousas, Louisiana. The ad is actually for The Elk Saloon, which was also in Opelousas, Louisiana. Here’s how it was described in an article entitled: What were Opelousas’ first restaurants and bars? “Another early Opelousas saloon was the Elk Saloon, managed by J. Adam Budd Company, which was opened in the downtown area before 1907.”
