Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #5308: Wissembourg Heute Bock!

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. 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. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Saturday’s ad was created for another Heute Bock, which was published around 1890. Heute in German means “today” and humorously Google translates the full text as “Today I’m Crazy.” This poster was made for an unspecified German brewery since in 1880 Alsace was part of Germany. The chromolithograph is marked as “97” and one source states the artist was a C. Burckardt and it was created or printed in Wissembourg, a town that today is part of France, but from 1871 to 1919 belonged to Germany. According to the British Museum, Burckardt was a “Lithographic printer and publisher based in Weissenburg; often lettered on prints as ‘C Burckardt’s Nachf.’ (‘Successor of C Burckardt’); succeeded by Rudolph Ackermann at an unknown date.” That information is consistent with all of the recent Heute Bock posters I’ve featured, so I suspect they were all done by the same printing house. This one includes a bit of text, as follows:

Es tobet und schäumt der edle Bock
Mit seinem langen Zottelrock. _
Wer Bockbier trinken will der gebe Acht,
Dass er kein Burzelbaumchen macht.

Google Translates the text as:

The noble goat rages and foams
With his long shaggy skirt. _
If you want to drink bock beer,
Make sure that you don’t make a fuss.

I suspect that’s not exactly right, and probably ignores idioms from the time, but is probably close.

Beer In Ads #5307: Heute Bock Double Goats

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. 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. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Friday’s ad was created for still another Heute Bock, which was published around 1880 to 1900. Heute in German means “today” and humorously Google translates the full text as “Today I’m Crazy.” This poster was made for an unspecified German brewery since in 1880 Alsace was part of Germany. The chromolithograph is marked as “100” although it’s identified by the initials “C.B.N – W,” which is close to the common “lithographer’s monogram mark on late 19th-century commercial chromolithographs and advertising posters produced in Germany,” especially around Munich.

Beer In Ads #5306: Heute Bock! From The Tap

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. 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. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Thursday’s ad was created for yet another Heute Bock, which was published around 1880 to 1900. Heute in German means “today” and humorously Google translates the full text as “Today I’m Crazy.” This poster was made for an unspecified German brewery since in 1880 Alsace was part of Germany. The chromolithograph is marked as “99” although it’s identified not by the initials “C.A.W.,” but “Burckardt’s Nachfolger, Wissembourg, Germany,” according to one source, although Google translate gives this as the text at the bottom of the poster: “Printed and published by C. Burkard’s Successors (R. Ackermann), Weissenburg (Alsace).” And another source claims it was “Published by Wentzel,” though no idea where they got that from.

Beer In Ads #5305: Gnomes & Heute Bockbier!

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. 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. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Wednesday’s ad was created for yet another Heute Bock, which was published around 1880. Heute in German means “today” and humorously Google translates the full text as “Today I’m Crazy.” This poster was made for an unspecified German brewery since in 1880 Alsace was part of Germany. The chromolithograph is marked as “412” although it’s identified not by the initials “C.A.W.,” but “Burckardt’s Nachfolger, Wissembourg, Germany,” according to one source, although Google translate gives this as the text at the bottom of the poster: “Printed and published by C. Burkard’s Successors (R. Ackermann), Weissenburg (Alsace).” And another source claims it was “Published by Wentzel,” though no idea where they got that from.

Beer In Ads #5304: Heute Bockbier!

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. 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. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Tuesday’s ad was created for another Heute Bock, which was published around 1880. Heute in German means “today” and humorously Google translates the full text as “Today I’m Crazy.” This poster was made for an unspecified German brewery since in 1880 Alsace was part of Germany. The chromolithograph is marked as “413” although it’s identified not by the initials “C.A.W.,” but “Burckardt’s Nachfolger, Wissembourg, Germany,” according to one source, although Google translate gives this as the text at the bottom of the poster: “Printed and published by C. Burkard’s Successors (R. Ackermann), Weissenburg (Alsace).” And another source claims it was “Published by Wentzel,” though no idea where they got that from.

Beer In Ads #5303: Heute Bock

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. 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. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Monday’s ad was created for Heute Bock, which was published around the 1880s or 1890s. Heute in German means “today” and humorously Google translates the full text as “Today I’m Crazy.” This poster was made for an unspecified German brewery. The chromolithograph is marked as “Plate No. 407” and identified by the initials “C.A.W.,” which was a common “lithographer’s monogram mark on late 19th-century commercial chromolithographs and advertising posters produced in Germany,” especially around Munich.

Historic Beer Birthday: Franz Joseph Fabacher

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Today is the birthday of Franz Joseph Fabacher (July 25, 1826-March 3, 1897). He was born in Busenberg, which is in Bavaria, Germany. He moved to New Orleans, Louisiana when he was 21, in 1847. He became a successful grocer and restauranteur and in 1890 was an early investor in the Jackson Brewing Co. in New Orleans. By 1895, he became president of the brewery, a post he continued in until his death in 1897, when his son Laurence succeeded him in running the business.

Here’s his obituary from the New Orleans States newspaper the day he passed away on March 3, 1897:

The Jax Brewery in 1939.

And this obituary is from the next day, in the Times Picayune:

The Fabacher family around 1885. Franz Joseph is seated on the far right.

Beer In Ads #5300: Senats-Bock

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. 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. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Friday’s ad was created for Senats-Bock, A Doppel-Bock Beer, which was published in 1955. This poster was made for the various breweries in Hamburg, Germany, who annually created a seasonal doppelbock known as “Senats-Bock” or “Hamburger Senatsbock,” which was a traditional strong collaborative Doppelbock that locak breweries each brewed in their own unique creative interpretation of a classic bock style, typically launched with a grand tapping ceremony (Anstich) early in the year, held at the Hamburg Rathaus.  The poster was created by German graphic designer and artist Thomas Abeking.

Historic Beer Birthday: Charles F. Russert

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Today is the birthday of Charles F. Russert (July 24, 1861-July 8, 1920). He was born in Mannheim, Germany, the son of a brewer, and from him learned the family craft. When he was 17, in 1878, he emigrated to the U.S., originally finding work at a brewery in New York City. A few years later he became the brewmaster of A.J. Houghton & Co., which was also known as the Vienna Brewery, located in Boston, Massachusetts. He was still employed there when he passed away.

Here’s a short obituary of Russert from the Western Brewers Journal:

Here’s a short description of the brewery’s history from Curbed Boston:

From 1870 to 1918, the “Vienna” brewery churned. It took over the site of the old Christian Jutz brewery, built in 1857. Their Vienna lager, concocted from a German recipe, came into favor in the 1850s and ’60s and displaced the heavier English and Irish ales. This is the ONLY landmark brewery in Boston that’s protected by the Boston Landmarks Commission.

Beer In Ads #5298: Löwenbräu Pale Bock Beer

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. 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. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Wednesday’s ad is for Löwenbräu Pale Bock Beer, which was published on July 22, 1964. This ad was for the Löwenbräu Brewery, of Munich, Germany, which was originally founded in 1383. It’s funny to me that in trying to position the brand as high-end, they state that it’s “the world’s most exclusive and expensive beer.” This ad ran in the Evening Standard, of London, England.