Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #1932: Grandmother Hangs The Mistletoe

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Saturday’s ad is entitled Grandmother Hangs the Mistletoe, and the illustration was done in 1951 by Douglass Crockwell. It’s #63 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, the family stands around, beer in hand, and watches as grandmother stands precariously on a chair hanging the mistletoe. They’re all smiling, though grandad appears to be clapping, though I’m not sure if that’s because he’s amazed she was able successfully hang it, or if he’s just glad he doesn’t have to get up on that chair.

063. Grandmother Hangs the Mistletoe by Douglass Crockwell, 1951

Beer In Ads #1906: Decorating For Christmas

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Monday’s ad is entitled Decorating For Christmas, and the illustration was done in 1949 by Douglass Crockwell. It’s #37 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, it appears that several people have come over to a house to drink beer and watch the couple who own that house as they decorate for Christmas. Apparently this used to be a spectator sport, drink some beer and watch people work.

037. Decorating For Christmas by Douglass Crockwell, 1949

Beer In Ads #1893: Getting Ready For Christmas

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Tuesday’s ad is entitled Getting Ready For Christmas, and the illustration was done in 1948 by Douglass Crockwell. It’s #24 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, the womenfolk are preparing to wrap all of the Christmas presents while the men sit, smiling and drinking beer. Hopefully they’re at least cheering them on so they;re not completely useless.

024. Getting Ready for Christmas by Douglass Crockwell, 1948

Beer In Ads #1775: A Tradition In Hospitality

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Wednesday’s holiday ad is for Budweiser, from 1962. The slogan “A Tradition in Hospitality” was used by Anheuser-Busch in holiday ads over a number of years, from at least the 1940s. It’s quite a spread they’ve put out; large turkey, grapes and a Jell-O mold in the background. Who the hell is serving Jello-O with dinner?

Bud-1963-xmas-tradition

Beer In Ads #1773: Holidays Were Made For John Forsythe

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Monday’s holiday ad is for Michelob, from 1980. This holiday ad for Michelob featured actor John Forsythe, who’s best know for being the voice of Charlie in Charlie’s Angels and on the 1980s TV show Dynasty. And right before joining the cast of Dynasty, he did this ad for Michelob, where he’s putting out some bottles of beer into a bowl of ice for a party. Notice the six-pack in the corner that’s been decorated with a wreath. I can’t say I recall them doing special holiday carriers, but then I didn’t really drink the beer in 1980, either.

Michelob-1980-xmas-forsythe

Beer In Ads #1771: Mac’s Bottle Santa

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Saturday’s holiday ad is for Mac’s, from New Zealand. The ad is a fairly recent one, from 2014. Originally known as McCashins Brewery, for founder Terry McCashin, it was New Zealand’s first craft brewery when it opened in 1981. But almost everybody called it Mac’s, and that’s the name it goes by today, and for most of its existence. But the ad is pure genius, taking Mac’s distinctive bottle and having look like a dead beer ringer for the man in red. It almost makes me wish I had some in the cooler.

macs-beer-santa-2014

Beer In Ads #1770: Season’s Greetings, A Holiday Toast To You …

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Friday’s holiday ad is for Miller High Life, from 1949. One of my favorite Christmas ads, featuring a version of Miller’s “Girl in the Moon,” with a wreath around the moon as she offers “Season’s Greetings” and “A Holiday toast to you from the National Champion of Quality … Miller High Life.”

Miller-1949-wreath-girl

Beer In Ads #1769: May The Christmas Season Be A Merry One

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Thursday’s holiday ad is for Acme, from 1948. San Francsico’s Acme Breweries got famed pin-up artist Alberto Varga to create the artwork for their annual Christmas card, this one, of course, for 1948 as they also wish everyone a great next year. “May the Christmas Season be a Merry One … and ’49 a Golden Year for You!” I guess she must be Mrs. Claus? Have a happy and hoppy holiday!

Acme-xmas-1949

Beer In Ads #1768: Guinness Time

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Wednesday’s holiday ad is for Guinness, from 1962. This is one of the last illustrations John Gilroy did for Guinness, and it was featured on the company magazine for Christmas 1962. The slightly angled one below is the largest image of it I could find, although the smaller one below it gives you a better look at it. I like how determined Santa is to get that glass of beer, willing to jump through a harp held my a lion.

Guinness-1962-santa-lion-harp

Guinness-Time-1962

Beer In Ads #1767: Open Before Christmas

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Tuesday’s holiday ad is for both Narragansett Lager Beer and Ballantine, from 1979. Although the ads was created by the Narragansett Brewing Co., they did include a can of Ballantine in the ad, too, and mentioned it in the ad copy that accompanied that it:

Open up the holiday season with a
‘Gansett lager beer or a Ballantine Ale.
Or both if you’re expecting friends.
And speaking of friends, it’s loyal friends like you who have made Narragansett Lager Beer and Ballantine Ale traditional New England favorites.
And that’s a tradition we’ve been carrying on longer than any other New England brewery, thanks to you.
So, as the old year comes to a close, be sure to open the New Year with our best Narragansett Lager Beer and Ballantine Ale.

xmas-gansett_1979