Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Historic Beer Birthday: Robert Leo Hulseman

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Today is the birthday of Robert Leo Hulseman (April 5, 1932-December 21, 2016). You may not know his name, but you’ve almost certainly used the product he pioneered in the 1970s, especially if you’ve ever been to a party. Hulseman was born in Chicago and began working at the company his father started in 1936, The Solo Cup Company, when he was only eighteen, eventually becoming CEO in 1980. But the reason he deserves to be remembered came in the 1970s when he came up with the now-ubiquitous red solo cup, the cup of choice for countless keg parties, backyard barbecues and almost any other large-scale gathering you can name.

In the early 1970s, Hulseman hired famed Hollywood designer Sandy Dvore to redesign their plastic cups. Dvore had worked on such projects as the title sequence for the Partridge Family, Knot’s Landing, and the Young and the Restless, as well as doing trade ads for the back cover of Variety for many years. He apparently redesigned their logo on the spot, and it was immediately accepted and implemented (and is still in use today). He also suggested that they add some color to the cups themselves, and the initial cup colors were the exact same ones he used in the Partridge Family titles: blue, yellow, and, of course, the iconic red. While other colors have been available, it’s the red that really took off. The company has run numerous consumer surveys over the years, and red always emerges as the favorite by a wide margin. So you may see additional colors from time to time, but the red is likely never going away.

One other innovation that Hulseman created, that you probably use several times a week, is the “Solo Traveler coffee cup lid.” So drink a toast to Robert Leo Hulseman with whatever your favorite beverage happens to be, just make sure you drink it out of a red solo cup.

Beer In Ads #5205: Moerlein’s Celebrated Bock Beer, An Easy Winner

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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 second ad is for Moerlein’s Bock Beer, which was published on April 4, 1891. This one was for Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, which was originally founded in 1853. This ad ran in the Cincinnati Enquirer, also of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Beer In Ads #5204: Bock Beer! The First Genuine Bock Of The Season

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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 first ad is for Heublein’s Bock Beer, which was published on April 4, 1878. This ad was for the Heublien Company of Hartford, Connecticut, which was originally founded by Andrew Heublien in 1862 as a restaurant. They were one of the first companies to sell RTDs (Ready-to-Drink cocktails) in 1875 and soon after, in 1906, acquired the rights to sell, and later manufacture, A-1 Steak Sauce. WHile I couldn’t find anything specific about them brewing beer in the 19th century, they must have had someone brew it for them. This ad ran in the Hartford Courant, also of Hartford, Connecticut.

Historic Beer Birthday: Marcus Rapp

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Today is the birthday of Marcus Rapp (April 4, 1834-September 24, 1904). He was born in Gerlingen, Württemberg, Germany, but emigrated to the U.S. and settled in West Virginia. In 1859, with a partner, Louis Hebrank, he founded the Rapp & Hebrank Lager Beer Brewery, which later became known as the Parkersburg Brewing Co. But it only last until prohibition, closing in 1914.

Here’s a short history from the Huntington (West Virginia) Museum of Beer & Brewing:

The first Parkersburg Brewery was founded by Marcus Rapp in 1859. During the time the company was known as the Rapp & Hebrank Brewery, the original plant was built near present day Route 68 and Marrtown Road near Marrtown. The new brewery was built in 1896 because the Rapp-Hebrank brewery could not meet the demand for beer in Parkersburg.

After the move, the company became known as The Parkersburg Brewing Company and was a thriving business until Statewide Prohibition. The plant was located at Seventh Street where Daley Transfer is now located. The American Brewing Company was on Depot Street in Parkersburg, near the present-day laundry building of St. Mary’s Hospital.

The brewery only operated during 1934 – 1938. It was most likely an attempt by the original owners of the Parkersburg Brewery to re-enter the beer business after Prohibition. The original Parkersburg Brewery buildings were sold years later.

The brewery around 1880.
The Bottling Works around 1905.

Historic Beer Birthday: Henry Thrale

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Nobody’s sure exactly when the birthday of Henry Thrale is, not even the year is certain. He may have been born in 1724 or it may have been 1720. He did, however, die on April 4, 1781. He was the son of brewer Ralph Thrale (1698–1758), who bought the Anchor Brewery in Southwark, London, England in 1729. Henry Thrale became the owner when his father died. By “the early nineteenth century it was the largest brewery in the world. From 1781 [after Henry Thrale died] it was operated by Barclay Perkins & Co, who merged with Courage in 1955. The brewery was demolished in 1981.”

Henry_Thrale


This is his basic biography from his Wikipedia page:

Henry Thrale was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1765 to 1780. He was a close friend of Samuel Johnson. Like his father, he was the proprietor of the large London brewery, H. Thrale & Co.

Born at the Alehouse in Harrow Corner, Southwark, he was the son of the rich brewer Ralph Thrale (1698–1758) and Mary Thrale. He married Hester Lynch Salusbury on 11 October 1763; they had 12 children, and she outlived him. He was MP for Southwark 23 December 1765 – September 1780, an Alderman, and Sheriff of the City of London: a respected, religious man who was a good hunter and sportsman with a taste for gambling.

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Thrale’s Anchor Brewery around 1785.

This is the entry for Barclay, Perkins & Co. Ltd, which at one time had been Thrale’s Anchor Brewery, from “The Brewing Industry: A Guide to Historical Records,” edited by Lesley Richmond, Alison Turton, published in 1990:

barclay-perkins-history-1
barclay-perkins-history-2


anchor-brewery-c1820-john-thomas-smith-1766-1833
The Anchor Brewery around 1820.

And finally, the famous English writer Charles Dickens, during the period when he was writing many of his major works, “he was also the publisher, editor, and a major contributor to the journals Household Words (1850–1859) and All the Year Round (1858–1870). In “Volume V, from March 30, 1861 to September 21, 1861,” in a piece entitled “Queen of the Blue Stockings,” from April 20, 1861, Ralph Thrale is mentioned in a history of the Barclay Perkins brewery to give context to his tale:

LondonSE1BarclayPerkinsAnchorPlaque2_SP_Mar10
A marker where Thrale’s brewery once stood in central London.

Beer In Ads #5203: Now’s The Time To Say … Blitz Weinhard Bock For Me!

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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 second ad is for Blitz Weinhard Bock Beer, which was published on April 3, 1951. This ad was for the Blitz Weinhard Brewing Co. of Portland, Oregon, which was originally founded in 1856. This ad ran in the Oregonian, also of Minneapolis, Oregon.

Historic Beer Birthday: Frederick Hinckel Jr.

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Today is the birthday of Frederick Hinckel Jr. (April 3, 1859-February 25, 1917). He was the son of Frederick Hinckel Sr., who co-founded the Hinckel Brewery of Albany, New York. His father, Hinckel Sr., along with Johann Andreas Schinnerer, founded the F. Hinckel & A. Schinnerer brewery in 1852, which was also known as the Cataract Brewery. “Its premises occupied half a city block, bounded by Swan Street, Myrtle and Park Avenues. By 1864 Hinckel was the sole owner of the business.” When his father passed away in 1881, Frederick Jr., along with his brother Charles, took over the brewery. It closed in 1920 when prohibition went into effect, and did reopen after repeal. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any portraits of Frederick Jr.

hinckel-brewery-letterhead

Here’s his obituary from “The Brewer’s Journal” for November 1916-October 1917:

hinckel-brewery-wagon
A Hinckel Brewery beer wagon.
Henkel-Brewery-1880-malthouse
Although the brewery closed in 1920 because of prohibition, and never reopened afterwards, the build was preserved and today is an apartment complex.

Beer In Ads #5202: The Bock Beer Time Is Near, And It Comes But Once A Year

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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 first ad is for Gleuk’s Bock Beer, which was published on April 3, 1912. This ad was for the Gluek Brewing Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was originally founded in 1857. This ad ran in the Star Tribune, also of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Beer In Ads #5201: The Old Brewmaster Says: Spring Time Is “Bock Beer” Time.

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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 second ad is for Rainier Bock Beer, which was published on April 2, 1913. This ad was for the Rainier Brewing Co., of Seattle, Washington, which was originally founded in 1878, though during American prohibition they did brew Rainier in Canada at a brewery located in Kamloops, British Columbia. This ad ran in The Vancouver Sun, of Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada.

Historic Beer Birthday: John Frederick Oertel Jr.

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Today is not the birthday of John Frederick Oertel Jr. since no one’s quite sure exactly when he was born, but we do now that he died today. (1899-April 2, 1961). He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and was, of course, the son of John Frederick Ortel, who founded the Oertel Brewing Co. there in 1892. After his father passed away in 1929, he became the president of the brewery and ran it until he passed away today in 1961.

This is his obituary, from the Louisville Courier-Journal on April 3, 1961:

John F. Oertel, Jr., president of Oertel Brewing Company, died about 9:30 last night after collapsing at his home, 4922 Brownsboro Road. He was 61. Oertel, a leading Catholic layman here, apparently died of a stroke, his family physician said. Although he had been under medical treatment for the past year, his death was unexpected, the doctor said.
Oertel, a Louisville native, had headed the brewing company for about 30 years. He took over the presidency after the death of his father,. who founded the company here in 1892.
SOLD IN SIX STATES
Under the son’s leadership, the company embarked on expansion programs after the repeal of Prohibition and the end of World War II. Its product is now sold in about six states. The company, Kentucky’s oldest continuously operating brewery, stayed open during the prohibition era by limiting its output to soft drinks and “near beer,” a nonintoxicating beverage.
HONORED BY POPE
Oertel was made a Knight of St. Gregory by the late Pope Pius XII in 1955 for his services to the Catholic Church. He was a co-chairman of the church’s education fund drive here in 1953. Oertel was a member of St. Joseph Church. He was a member of the boards of Bellarmine College, Boys’ Haven, and the Stock Yards Bank. Oertel was a graduate of St. Joseph School and St. Xavier High School here. Survivors include his wife, the former Marie Hirt, and a sister, Miss Mary Louise Oertel.

Here’s the same obituary, but the hard copy from the newspaper: