Today in 1876, US Patent 185565 A was issued, an invention of Wilhelm Noll, for his “Improvement in Liquid Forcing Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
The invention consists in the combination of an air-pump and an air Washer or purifier, with a tapping-plug and a discharge tube, the several parts being connected with each other so as to be portable and capable of being attached to a barrel or keg.
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.
Today in 1973, US Patent 3780198 A was issued, an invention of Leo F. Pahl and Norman H. Jones, assigned to the Crown Cork & Seal Co., for their “System For Carbonating Beverages.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
It is one object of this invention to reduce the cost of carbonating beverages.
It is another object of this invention to improve sanitation. in the carbonation of beverages.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a carbonating system for beverages which is easily cleaned.
It is a still further object of this invention to achieve specified levels of carbonation in beverages with a high degree of accuracy.
It is also an object of this invention to achieve a specified level of carbonation without requiring numerous and continuous manual adjustments.
It is an additional object of this invention to permit filling of beverages at a low pressure.
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.”
Today in 1900, US Patent 664227 A was issued, an invention of Alexander Plawin, for his “Beer Cooler.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
My invention relates to beer or liquid coolers; and its object is to provide a cheap and simple portable device of this character which can be conveniently carried by hand from place to place, so that it will be especially adapted for use on picnics and other outings when it is desired to have a barrel or keg of beer or other liquid and where no provision can be made for placing the barrel or keg directly on ice.
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.
While researching Joseph Fallert, whose birthday was earlier today, I came across an interesting lawsuit they were involved in brought by the Department of Agriculture in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, which was in Brooklyn. It seems the Joseph Fallert Brewery mislabeled fifty cases of beer they brewed and shipped them to Cuba. Apparently the beer was labeled “St. Louis” and “Bohemian Brewery’s Bottling” with the beer itself called “Brilliant BOHEMIAN Beer,” none of which was true.
Anyway, below is a report of the adjudication of the case interspersed with beer labels of breweries making Bohemian-Style Beer.
I’m not sure what “Bohemian Beer” was specifically as defined in the early 1900s. There were quite a few beers that called their beer Bohemian, or “Bohemian Style” or “Bohemian Type” beer from that time period up through the 1950s and 60s. But the U.S. Attorney, after an investigation by the Department of Agriculture, alleged the beer brewed by Fallert was not Bohemian.
There even was Bohemian Beer brewed in St. Louis by the American Brewing Co.
If you read through the case, taken from a “Report of Committee and Hearings Held Before the Senate Committee on Manufactures Relative to Foods Held in Cold Storage,” you may have noticed that judgment was rendered without the Joseph Fallert Brewery having brought a defense or even appearing in court. I guess they figured there really was no legitimate defense they could bring and it appears that only the beer was lost, confiscated and sold at auction, and they weren’t fined or in any other way punished as far as I can tell.
It’s day thirty-three of my trot 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.
2007 was the thirty-third 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-third label was was a “Valley Oak,” or “Quercus lobata.”
