Tuesday’s holiday ad is for Carling’s Red Cap Ale, from 1957. It’s a frenetic scene, as an unseen person’s hand opens — or snaps a cap open — of beer as he watches the army of cartoons he’s invited over to trim his cartoon Christmas tree. The dog’s loose and grandpa’s smoking his pipe by the tree. What could go wrong? Have a beer.
That was version of the ad in French, below is the same ad, though not nearly as good a scan, in English.
It’s day thirty-seven of my seasonal scurry to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.
2011 was the thirty-seventh year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and from 1987 through the present day, each year Anchor’s Our Special Ale has included spices, a different combination of them every time. Generally the base beer has been a spiced brown ale, although it has been varied from time to time, as well. This thirty-seventh label was was a “Great Basin Bristlecone Pine,” or “Pinus longaeva.”
Monday’s holiday ad is for Schaefer, from 1942. Mailman #1942 … wait, that’s the mailman for 1942, and he’s delivering “oldtime Holiday Cheer” in the form of a gift box of Schaefer beer. Forget Santa, now that’s what I want the mailman to bring.
It’s day thirty-six of my seasonal scoot to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.
2010 was the thirty-sixth year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and from 1987 through the present day, each year Anchor’s Our Special Ale has included spices, a different combination of them every time. Generally the base beer has been a spiced brown ale, although it has been varied from time to time, as well. This thirty-sixth label was was a “Maidenhair Tree,” or “Ginkgo biloba.”
Sunday’s holiday ad is for Schlitz, from 1948. This is a holiday-themed ad from a long-running series of ads Schlitz did that were all three-panel cartoons that all began with someone being “curious” about Schlitz beer, trying it in the second panel and then finally declaring it fit for human consumption … I mean great, usually saying now they understood what Schlitz was the beer that made Milwaukee famous, basically self-referencing their slogan. In this one, it’s a Christmas party, with a gift exchange, though it seems odd that they decorated the tree outside, but had none indoors.
It’s day thirty-five of my flash forward to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.
2009 was the thirty-fifth year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and from 1987 through the present day, each year Anchor’s Our Special Ale has included spices, a different combination of them every time. Generally the base beer has been a spiced brown ale, although it has been varied from time to time, as well. This thirty-fifth label was was a “Monterey Cypress,” or “Cupressus macrocarpa.”
Saturday’s holiday ad is for Altes beer, from the Tivoli Brewing Co. of Detroit, Michigan, from 1915. Featuring Santa Claus holding a case of beer, apparently saving your bottle caps could pay off. According to the carton, “Save the Altes caps and get an elegant 42 piece set of china free.” I wonder how many crowns it took to get your free set of china?
It’s day thirty-four of my frantic flight to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.
2008 was the thirty-fourth year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and from 1987 through the present day, each year Anchor’s Our Special Ale has included spices, a different combination of them every time. Generally the base beer has been a spiced brown ale, although it has been varied from time to time, as well. This thirty-fourth label was was a “Jeffrey Pine,” or “Pinus jeffreyi.”
Friday’s holiday ad is for the William Simon Brewery, of Buffalo, New York. But on closer inspection it turns out to be just another ad dressed up for the holidays.
In case you missed it, today was “National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day.” Not surprisingly, a lot of ugly Christmas sweaters involve beer, such as one of my favorites, “Frothy the Snowman.”
But it’s not too late. There are nine more days until Xmas, plenty of time to pick up your own ugly beer sweater. I found at least thirty different beer-themed ones. You can see them all in the slideshow below. A few of them are t-shirts meant to mimic a sweater, but since their in the same spirit, I’ve included them, as well. Enjoy.
