Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Talking About Hops & History In San Francisco

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Last Thursday, I helped the San Francisco Brewers Guild put together a fun event at the Old Mint with Flipside and the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society called Hops and History. My part during the event included being the moderator of a panel discussion about opening and running a brewery in the city of San Francisco.

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Shaun O’Sullivan (21st Amendment), Shaun’s son Ryan, Dave McLean (magnolia), Keith Greggor (Anchor) and me. Below is the audio of our discussion.

One of my favorite parts of the evening was a gallery showing of local breweriana, provided by my friend Ken Harootunian, along with some pieces from Anchor Brewing and some labels from SF Brewers Guild executive director Brian Stechschulte.

Below are a few highlights from the gallery:

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The gallery room.

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Acme Beer.

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Steam Beer wooden sign.

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More Acme Beer artifacts.

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The original artwork from a Lucky Lager ad.

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Items from Rainier, Lucky Lager and Regal Pale Beer.

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Lucky Lager. Ice Cold.

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An old, pre-Prohibition, wooden keg and taps from Anchor, along with some additional steam beer artifacts.

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Another Acme pin-up ad.

Beer In Ads #897: A Toast To You

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Tuesday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1949. The scene in the ad depicts a ceremonial burning of the mortgage — presumably because it’s now paid off and not in protest — with the assembled party goers toasting the event with beer, and making the comparison to champagne that Miller continually advanced as its selling point. It’s funny to think that there was a time when people actually paid off their mortgages in full and owned their homes outright, but it happened. It was even relatively common enough back then that it could be used in a beer ad. But when’s the last time you heard of that happening recently?

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Beer In Ads #894: Taste And Enjoy This Truly Genuine Beer

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Thursday’s ad is for Miller Beer, from 1959. It’s another one of Miller’s minimalist ads from the late fifties. Showing a scene that’s looks to be a fancy cocktail party, but one where tuxedoed guests sit on the floor and there’s a gold plated beer bucket cooling the Miller High Life. I have to wonder, though. What exactly is “truly genuine.”

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Beer In Ads #893: Boy! Make Mine Ruppert

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Wednesday’s ad is for Ruppert Knickerbocker Beer, from 1947. Ah, what innocence … a time when yelling “Boy!” was considered acceptable. He looks more like a milk delivery person, but I assume it’s meant to be at a baseball game, meaning it’s also odd that they’re showing glass bottles. I also love that slogan. “Slow Aged for Finer Flavor.” As opposed to fast aging?

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Beer In Ads #892: Something More Than Beer

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Tuesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from the 1951. Showing a couple wearing near-matching outfits, and certainly the exact same apron, with the man having constructed a gadget to do as little work as possible while the meat on the grill cooks. Check out his socks, and the white bucks. They never quite explain what the “Something more than Beer” might be, but apparently it’s “The Companion of Contentment.”

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History & Hops This Thursday

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Join us this Thursday for what’s shaping up to be a fun evening of Hops and History at the former U.S. Mint building in San Francisco. The event is being put on by Flipside, a San Francisco History Events Group, in conjunction with the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society. The Society is currently “undertaking the restoration of San Francisco’s landmark Old Mint to house the future San Francisco Museum at the Mint,” and in the meantime is using the space to hold local history-themed events. Flipside worked with the San Francisco Brewers Guild — and I helped a little bit — but especially SF Brewers Guild executive director Brian Stechschulte to create an evening that includes a program of talks about the history of beer in the city, and also includes a gallery showing of San Francisco breweriana on loan from my friend Ken Harootunian, along with some pieces from Anchor Brewing. Here’s what will be going on during the event, which takes place from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30:

  • John Freeman: The Curious 150 Year Cycle of Brewing Beer in San Francisco
  • Dave Burkhart, Anchor historian: History of California Lager
  • A History of Yeast: Man’s Oldest Industrial Organism
  • San Francisco Brewers Guild Panel Discussion (led by yours truly)
  • Screening of Brewers by the Bay film

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online at eventbrite. Here’s what your ticket includes:

  • Unlimited tasting of all breweries. Participating breweries include 21st Amendment, Magnolia, Triple Voodoo, Beach Chalet, ThirstyBear Brewing Company, Cerveceria de MateVeza, Speakeasy, Pine Street Brewery, Anchor and Pacific Brewing Laboratory.
  • Presentation on brewing history
  • Interactive yeast exhibit
  • Historical brewing memorabilia exhibit by Ken Harootunian & Anchor
  • Food available for purchase from by Off The Grid
  • Docent led tours of the historic 1874 Old Mint
  • Souvenir sampling mug included
  • Photobooth sponsored by UpOutSF
  • Music by DJ Jacob

Join us Thursday for Hops & History. See you then.

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Beer In Ads #891: Good Living At The Beach

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Monday’s ad is for Schlitz, from the 1955. It’s one of their “Know the real joy of good living …” series of ads, shows a couple at the beach, though they don’t actually look anywhere near sand or a spot where they could get onto the water. All I see are high, rocky cliffs. Maybe that’s why, despite the towel around his neck, they’re both bone dry.

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Beer In Ads #890: Enjoy Yourself, Enjoy Yourself

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Friday’s ad is for Hampden Mild Ale, from the 1950s. Hamden Brewery was located in Massachusetts. I’m not sure that troubadour singing “Enjoy Yourself, Enjoy Yourself” from atop a beer barrel would make anyone want to drink their beer, but who knows. The tagline at the bottom is pretty interesting. “The First Truly Mild Ale in America.” I wonder who true that was?

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