Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 1051554A: Beer Faucet

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Today in 1913, US Patent 1051554 A was issued, an invention of Roady A. Champion, for his “Beer Faucet.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to faucets, and particularly to that class of faucets whereby air is forced into the upper portion of the barrel or cask containing the liquid to be delivered so as to force the liquid out through the faucet.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a very simple, cheap, and effective device of, this character, easily operated, easily’ repaired, having few parts and not liable to get out of order.

A further object is to improve the construction of the valve used in the air compressing pump whereby to prevent any out let of the beer into the pump upon the up stroke of the piston.

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Beer In Ads #1803: Amstel Bock Bier

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Wednesday’s ad is for Amstel Bock Beer, from 1935. It’s hard to think of Amstel brewing a bock, but they did make Amstel Dark when I was a kid. But the ad itself is pretty cool, that minimalist thirties style with strong colors and lines. Although the goat is wearing a blank expression and doesn’t look happy to be there.

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Beer In Ads #1802: Bock For Three

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Tuesday’s ad is yet another one for Frank Fehr Brewing Co.’s Bock Beer, again probably from the 1890s. The brewery was located in Louisville, Kentucky, but started out as the Otto Brewery. Its name changed to Frank Fehr in 1890, and remained that name until it closed in 1964. In this one, a serving woman holds three beers on her tray for unseen customers, smiling and staring in their direction. Behind her, a goat is staring, not at the customers, but at the woman, and more disturbing, he’s licking his lips. What the hell kind of ad is this?

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Beer In Ads #1801: Fiddler On The Bock Barrel

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Monday’s ad is another one for Frank Fehr Brewing Co.’s Bock Beer, probably from the 1890s. The brewery was located in Louisville, Kentucky, but started out as the Otto Brewery. Its name changed to Frank Fehr in 1890, and remained that name until it closed in 1964. In this one, Tevye the Goat fiddles on top of a barrel of bock beer. He may be a small goat, but he plays with heart.

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Patent No. D631360S1: Beer Bottle

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Today in 2011, US Patent D631360 S1 was issued, an invention of Sven van Westreenen, assigned to Koninklijke Grolsch N.V., for his “Beer Bottle.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description is simply “the ornamental design for a beer bottle, as shown and described, although it also includes this explanation of the drawings:

The broken lines showing of the bottom raised ridges are for illustrative purposes only and form no part of the claimed design.

The slanted shading shown on the bottle represents a translucent surface.

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Patent No. 3231154A: Siphon Device For Beer Kegs

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Today in 1966, US Patent 3231154 A was issued, an invention of Mack S. Johnston, for his “Siphon Device For Beer Kegs and the Like.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The present invention relates to a new improved gas pressure siphon device for drawing fluid such as beer from containers such as beer kegs or barrels, using a gas to drive” the fluid from the container. More especially, the present invention relates to a new improved siphon device comprising a portion which remains in the keg at all times, whereby the keg is constantly sealed, and another portion which is permanently connected to a dispenser (as in a restaurant) and can be readily connected to’ the keg portion by a bar tender so that the dispensing siphon is automatically in operating condition.

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Beer In Ads #1800: My Pet Goat Bockbier

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Sunday’s ad is for Bock Beer, from sometime before prohibition. It’s for the Bockbier from the Indianapolis Brewing Co. It appears more modern to me, especially because of the font, but who knows. It’s a funny little cartoon, but I do love the expression on both the hunter and the goat. They always say that pet owners resemble their animals

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A Beer Can Timeline

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Today is Beer Can Appreciation Day, because on this day in 1935, the first cans of beer were sold. Cans of “Krueger Cream Ale” were sold by the Kruger Brewing Company in Richmond, Virginia, with other breweries following suit the very same year. Here’s some fun resources about the history of the beer can. First, there’s a History of the Can (that’s all cans) while Rusty Cans has a more beer-centric timeline. Keglined has An Illustrated History of the American Beer Can and Timeline has another history that goes back to ancient times. And CraftCans has this infographic timeline showing “8 Decades of Canned Beer.”

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Click here to see the timeline full size.

Patent No. 5384135A: Process For The Manufacture Of An Alcohol-Free Beer Having The Organoleptic Properties Of A Lager Type Pale Beer

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Today in 1995, US Patent 5384135 A was issued, an invention of Henri J. J. Caluwaerts, assigned to Brasserie Du Cardinal Fribourg S.A., for his “Process for the Manufacture of an Alcohol-Free Beer Having the Organoleptic Properties of a Lager Type Pale Beer.” Here’s the Abstract:

A process for the manufacture of an alcohol-free pale beer (AFB) whose organoleptic properties are those of a lager beer, comprising the manufacture of a lager type alcoholic pale beer from pale malts containing 20 to 30% of brown malts, mashed to obtain a wort whose attenuation is of the order of 50% and the dealcoholization of the alcoholic pale beer, by evaporation, under high vacuum, of at least about 50% of the volume of this beer. The concentrate obtained by evaporation may be rediluted with water, flavored and sweetened until a concentration of 4° Brix is obtained in order to produce the AFB. The concentrate may also be subjected to a second vacuum evaporation at a temperature of less than 60° C. until a concentrate assaying between 45° and 65° Brix is obtained which is storable for several months before the redilution into an AFB.

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Patent No. 4070133A: Pump Compressor Unit For Use With Pumping Draft Beer

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Today in 1978, US Patent 4070133 A was issued, an invention of Homer McCormick, for his “Pump Compressor Unit for Use with Pumping Draft Beer.” Here’s the Abstract:

An air supply unit provides high pressure moisture-free air in the dispensing of beverages. Components are housed in a portable cabinet and include a compressor and an automatic air pressure switch to switch on the compressor and begin air flow when system pressure falls below a pre-set level. A check valve is located in the high pressure line adjacent the compressor to maintain line pressure when the compressor is off. A small air bleed opening is located between the check valve and the compressor to allow compressed air to move through the air line yet bleed residual pressurized air to prevent stalling of the compressor which could occur if high pressure air was present in the compressor when it is restarted. The high pressure air discharge line includes a dump-check valve to permit high pressure air to be manually bled from the system before the air lines are disconnected and to prevent back flow of fluid into the air supply unit.

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