Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

Socialize

Beer In Ads #522: Have A Glass

By


Tuesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1961. The very-red ad shows a greasy-haired bartender in uniform, handing you a glass of Budweiser. There’s a bowl of popcorn on the bar and a Bud lamp on the wall behind. The ad is part of A-B’s long-running “where there’s life … there’s Bud” campaign, showing their beer in a variety of settings. One thing I’m starting to notice is how unusual the glassware is in so many of the ads of this time period. I’m so used to the ubiquitous pint or shaker glass, but I can’t say when it became the standard bar glass. I spent a lot of time in bars as a kid in the late 1960s and 1970s (I had an alcoholic stepfather) and I can’t say I remember there being much in the way of unusual glassware, though I was young and not paying that close attention, so there’s that to consider.

61budweiserbeer

Beer In Ads #521: Move Up To Schlitz

By


Monday’s ad is for Schlitz, also from 1960. The ad was suggesting that instead of staying home to watch the big horse races, that tavern keepers instead invite you “Come and Watch the Races.” It looks to me like the couple drinking Schlitz must have won their race, they look so happy.

60schlitzbeer

Guinness Ad #102: St. George & The Guinness

By

guinness-toucan
Our 102nd Guinness ad harkens back to a bygone era, when knights in shining armor battled fire-breathing dragons to rescue damsels in distress. When it’s really from, I have no idea. But when St. George prepares to battle the dragon in the distance, his squire first brings him pint of Guinness. “Guinness For Strength” reads the tagline and, somewhat humorously, a smaller dragon is also bringing the big dragon a pint of Guinness, too. Still, my money’s on St. George.

Guinness-knight-2

Beer In Ads #520: Back In The Days — The Good Old Days … When Beer Was Really Beer Was

By


Friday’s ad is for Pabst Blue Ribbon, from 1960. They seemed to focus on this nostalgia theme around that time, as if the 1890s or so was the best time ever for beer. I doubt that’s true, but it’s usually safe to make such a claim when few people who lived then are still around to compare or disagree. Anyone who was 20, and drinking beer, in 1890 would have been 90 in 1960. And the goofy expression with the sandwich in one hand, holding a beer up to his lips is priceless.

60pabstbeer

Beer In Ads #519: Bottoms Up With Colt 45

By


In honor of Bikini Appreciation Day, Thursday’s ad is for Colt 45, from 1974. Showing the backside of a raven-haired woman in a white bikini playing the board game Bottoms Up while a side-burned lothario is looking way too intently at the game, which is especially odd since Bottoms Up is not exactly a game of strategy. In fact — believe it not — the game was commissioned by Colt 45 in 1970 and figured prominently in their advertising for a number of years. It was, not surprisingly, a drinking game. The couple here is drinking, of course, Colt 45.

colt45-bottoms-up

The game was produced by Taurus Creations and sold for a number of years. It was even advertised in more mature Men’s magazines without the bikini.

bottoms-up-bw

Beer In Ads #517: Pouring Carling Black Label

By


Tuesday’s ad is for Carling Black Label, from 1960, from their “People try it … and they like it” series. The ad simply shows a glass of Carling Black Label being poured into a glass. I’m thirsty. But does that glass look striped? Like it’s a crystal glass with vertical indentations? Hmm. Something is making it look that way, but I can’t quite figure out why.

60carlingblacklabelbeer

Beer In Ads #516: Next Time You’re Drinking Beer, Look At The Label

By


Monday’s ad is for Budwesier, from 1957, from their “Where’s there’s Life … there’s Bud!” series. Showing a couple presumably making dinner as the wife tosses a salad while her husband pours the beer, which she appears to find far more interesting than the salad. But what I really love is the ad copy in the top left-hand corner. “NEXT TIME you’re drinking beer, look at the label. Does it list the ingredients? The Budweiser label does.” Wow, so that means it is better. Barley, rice, hops, yeast and water. And the others that don’t list their ingredients. What do you think they’re using? Grapes? Corn? Well, okay maybe corn.

57budweiser

Guinness Ad #101: Encore!

By

guinness-toucan
Our 101st Guinness ad is from 1950, and appears to be by an artist named “Victoria.” According to an auction website, it was originally “printed by Mills & Rockleys Ltd., Ipswich.” The ad features a blonde lass in a red dress playing the harp on the Guinness label, while a glass of Guinness awaits her, sitting on a table by her side.

Guinness-encore-500

Beer In Ads #515: Curl Your Hand Around A Frosty Glass Of Pleasure

By


Friday’s ad is for Ballantine Ale, from 1956. Showing an ambiguous pair of dudes eyeing one another, with frosty glasses of pleasure curled around each hand, who are saying — in unison, perhaps? — “That’s Ale, Brother!” And then there’s this great copy below. “No other ale … no beer … has such refreshing flavor yet is so light and non-filling.”

56ballantineale