Wednesday’s ad is another holiday one for Schlitz, this one from 1960. She certainly looks ready to party, handing our glasses of beer. I want to be at her Christmas party.
And here’s a better scan of the ad, but smaller.
Beer In Ads #492: Light Refreshment For Your Holidays
Tuesday’s ad begins the holiday season for beer ads, and our first this year is for Schlitz, most likely from the 1950s. With the slogan “light refreshment for your holidays,” the ad shows a couple having a few beers by the tree. The woman lounges on a sofa, as the man presumably just gave her a present to open. She certainly looks happy; is it the warm glow of Schlitz or the anticipation of opening a decidedly jewelry box sized gift?
Next Session A Dickens Of A Topic
Our 58th Session should be a fun one. Our host, Phil Hardy from Beersay, is apparently hoping for an old-fashioned Christmas this year, and at the top of his list is Charles Dickens’ immortal classic A Christmas Carol. Hardy is attempting to merge the two, which, as Dickens himself said of the goal of his novella in the preface. “I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.” We should all aspire to such heights. The basic idea, which by now you must have guessed, is to write about the beers of Christmas past, present and future, or as Hardy tells it in his announcement post, A Dickens of a Topic for December 2011:
A Christmas Carol
The idea for me was based loosely around the visits of three ghosts to Ebenezer Scrooge, but relayed in a post about the beers of Christmas past, present and future.
What did you drink during Christmas holidays of old, have you plans for anything exciting this year and is there something you’d really like to do one day, perhaps when the kids have flown the nest?
Do you have your own interpretation, was Scrooge perhaps a beer geek?
Or maybe it’s all one day. What will you drink Christmas morning, Christmas afternoon and what will you top off the holiday with that evening?
Just a few examples there, but the idea was to keep the topic as open as possible to allow you free rein to write about a subject with a seasonal twist in whatever way the title grabs you.
My own favorite interpretation of A Christmas Carol is the Bill Murray film Scrooged, which I watch each year without fail, tearing up at the end … every … single … time. There, now you now; I’m a sentimental old fool.
Acid rain. Drug addiction. International terrorism. Freeway killers. Now more than ever, it is important to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Don’t miss Charles Dickens immortal classic; Scrooge. Your life might just depend on it…
Or maybe not, but just to be sure, why not write your Dickensian blog post anyway, and post it up on Friday, December 2.
Guinness Ad #48: Guinness Time
Our 48th Guinness poster by John Gilroy features Santa Claus decorating the Christmas tree with Guinness bottles, with a little help from all of his zoo animals. Now that’s “Guinness Time” … er Christmas Time.
Beer In Ads #273: Seasons Greetings From Miller High Life
Saturday’s holiday ad is for Miller High Life from 1949 and features their “Girl in the Moon” wishing everyone “Seasons Greetings.” I normally don’t keep the “Beer in Ads” series running through the weekend, but there’s just too many great Christmas beer ads not to. And mores specifically, “A Holiday toast to you from the National Champion of Quality … Miller High Life.”
And here’s a close-up of the artwork.
Beer In Ads #272: Blatz Mistletoe Glasses Clink
Friday’s holiday ad is for Blatz from, I think, sometime in the 1950s. It shows a couple toasting their beer glasses under a sprig of mistletoe. I know what happens if two people meet under the mistletoe, but anybody know what happens when it’s two beers? Hoppy holidays everybody.
Beer In Ads #271: I Was Curious At Christmas
Thursday’s holiday ad is also for Schlitz from 1948 and is from their “I Was Curious” ad campaign, where someone who’s never had it before finally “tasted it” and now they “know why Schlitz is … The Beer that made Milwaukee Famous.” The only difference is that this time it was during a Christmas party.
Beer In Ads #270: To All The Many Friends Of Schlitz
Wednesday’s holiday ad is for Schlitz from 1951 and shows an apartment building with a myriad of different Christmas celebrations, but all of them, of course, involving Schlitz.
Beer In Ads #269: Hey Mabel, Black Label Christmas Tree
Tuesday’s holiday ad is for Carling Black Label from 1955 during their Hey Mabel period of time. The tree is just Mabel hanging “black labels” on it. Now that’s a tree.
The Anchor Christmas Party 2010
A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I attended the Anchor Christmas Party that’s held each year at the brewery. It’s one of the few events I can drag her out to, and it’s always a good time, seeing lots of local friends in the beer community. They put out an amazing spread and, of course, the beer is exquisite. Not much more to say about it, but I thought I’d share a few photos from the event.
Mrs. Brookston Beer Bulletin and me at the annual Anchor Christmas Party.
Zambo (21st Amendment), Rich Rosen (Pi Bar, Chenery Park), Jen Garris (Pi Bar), Sarah, Lloyd Knight (21A), Dave Suurballe (everywhere), James Renfrew (formerly with Potrero Hill Brewing) and Shaun O’Sullivan (21A).
Shaun O’Sullivan and Sarah.
Shaun O’Sullivan, Dave McLean (Magnolia), James Renfrew, Rich Rosen and Dave Suurballe
Me and Fritz Maytag.