Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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More On Brewery Caves

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I’m not sure what my fascination with spelunking is, apart from enjoying it as a kid, but the number of brewery caves certainly adds a new dimension of interest. Last year, my post Brewery Caves dipped its toe into the subject, and recently I noticed there’s even more out there about it. For example, the James River Steam Brewery in Richmond, Virginia was built in 1886, right along the bank of the titular James River. The brewery also included a brewery cave and remnants of it can still be seen. The brewery only lasted thirteen years, closing in 1879, falling prey to a post-civil war depression “caused by the railroad credit crisis.” Interestingly, it was “was founded by David G. Yuengling Jr., son of the founder of the D.G. Yuengling and Son Brewery in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.” Earlier this month, the site of the James River Steam Brewery was added to the register of historic places, meaning at some point it may be open to visit or perhaps a museum will be built around it. Drinks Business has more on the story.

Perhaps more interesting is that the British publication Brewery History devoted an entire issue to American brewery architecture. It’s the current issue and you can order a copy from the website. Issue 155 contains five articles spanning lagering caves, preeminent architects and the redevelopment of redundant breweries. To get a flavor for the issue, you can download a pdf of the Introduction by guest editor Susan K. Appel. The other articles include “Stahlmann’s Cellars: a large American lagering cave from the 19th-century,” and “An examination of the Lemp Brewery Cave.” See the Table of Contents for a full list of the articles.

Beer In Ads #1108: Hallucinating Jazz Bands

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Thursday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1958. It’s seedy, steamy setting of seduction. A sultry, well-made up, siren lies on a shag carpet, cigarette in hand, its smoke wafting into the air. Using an LP (remember those, kiddies?) for a pillow, she glances up to see a bottle of beer being poured into a glass for her. She’s apparently hallucinating, too, as a jazz band can be seen floating in the air just above the radio/stereo system behind her head. Does that mean she’s had quite enough to drink already, despite being poured another? Frankly, I think she looks a bit too much like Agnes Moorehead from her later years, circa “Endora” from Bewitched.

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What Breweries Did During Prohibition To Stay In Business

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Here’s an interesting list from Mental Floss concerning something most of us rarely think about. What did the few American breweries that managed to keep the doors open during prohibition do? Some of the products they continued to make included.

  • Ice Cream
  • Pottery
  • Malt Extract
  • Dyes
  • Beer

But check out Mental Floss’ How Breweries Kept Busy During Prohibition for a fuller explanation.

Beer In Ads #1107: The Stagecoach

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Wednesday’s ad is another one for Rheingold Beer, again from 1958, featuring Miss Rheingold from that year, Madelyn Darrow. In this one she decked out in a Western outfit, just arriving somewhere after a long journey by stagecoach. At least there are a couple of cases of beer on the roof, though they’ll probably need to be cooled down for a while after a long ride through the west.

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Beer In Ads #1106: Fireplace Popcorn

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Tuesday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, this one from 1958, featuring Miss Rheingold from that year, Madelyn Darrow. Wearing a very wide skirt, she’s salting the first batch of popcorn. Her paramour is making a second batch over the fireplace. At least she has a beer at the end of her skirt, unlike so many of these ads.

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Beer In Ads #1104: The World’s Largest Selling Beer In Small Bottles

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Sunday’s ad is for Goebel Beer, from 1948. Sold in “the Bantam bottle,” which I assume was 7 or 8 ounces, I think you’d have to sell a lot more bottles of your beer just to equal what your competitor was selling in the larger 12-oz. bottles. Whatever the case, “The world’s largest selling beer in small bottles” seems like a dubious distinction, and one that doesn’t seem likely to sway consumers. I’d be asking myself “what’s wrong with their beer if they’re advertising is concentrating on the small size of their bottles?”

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Beer In Ads #1103: Glasses And Cans

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Saturday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1959. Showing a couple on a mountain lake, maybe on a boat, they certainly look like like they’re in a remote spot. The brought cans of Schlitz with them, since it’s best not to have glass on a boat, but then they brought glasses to pour the beer into. What’s that all about?

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Beer In Ads #1101: Horse & Buggy

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Thursday’s ad is another one for Rheingold Beer, this one from 1957, featuring Miss Rheingold from that year, Margie McNally. She’s riding a horse-drawn carriage in the fall, accompanied by her fluffy white dog. She’s also wearing a spiffy little black outfit.