Monday’s ad is from 1900 and is for a German beer, C. Becker. The bottom of the ad says simply: “C. Becker: Die schone bisei, which is “the beautiful ____” something, I’m not sure what the word “besei” means. Anyone know? The ad also features a poem, in German, that’s likely about the beer but it’s a little hard to decipher. But at the heart of it is a great illustration of a beer server from the old days in Germany.
The current issue of Smithsonian magazine has an interesting article about archeologist Patrick McGovern, who’s at the University of Pennsylvania and his work uncovering evidence of early alcoholic beverages. His particular sub-field is molecular anthropology and he has a great book about his work titled Uncorking the Past. The Smithsonian piece is entitled Dig, Drink And Be Merry in the print version, but is called The Beer Archeologist online.
Patrick McGovern
Also prominent in the article is his collaboration with Sam Calagione and Dogfish Head and their latest concoction, an Egyptian ale called Ta Henket, whose recipe dates back several hundred centuries. The ingredients includes Middle Eastern spices such as za’atar, along with chamomile and dried doum-palm fruit.
Sam Calagione
One of my favorite new beer quotes I discovered in the article, too. Walking the halls of the University of Pennsylvania, the article’s author — Abigail Tucker — details an encounter between Dr. McGovern and a fellow professor, Alexei Vranich (an expert on pre-Columbia Peru). After a short discussion, Vranich thanks McGovern for his research, and quips. “I keep telling people that beer is more important than armies when it comes to understanding people.”
Late in the article, there’s also a nice overview of the emerging “beer before bread” debate within science and the origin of fermented beverages generally.
A display showing the ingredients used in the ancient Egyptian brew Ta Henket. (All photographs from the Smithsonian article by Landon Nordeman)
Our 74th Guinness ad is a newer ad, and shows the iconic toucan as a dart heading straight for the bullseye. At least he managed to keep two pint glasses of Guinness balanced on his beak.
Friday’s ad brings our Miller High Life week to a close. I’m not sure when the ad is from, but it’s a safe bet it was at least when needlepoint was popular. Although if my memory serves me, I think this is actually crewel. My mother, grandmother and several aunts were addicted to sewing and assorted needlework crafts. Still, I actually think it’s kinda cool — in a retro geeky way — but again that’s probably because I was around so much of it when I was a kid.
Thursday’s ad is yet another one for Miller High Life, the Champagne of Bottle Beer, this one from 1956. This one seems less about sophistication, and more about a return to a simpler, down home, country lifestyle. But it looks like a set, and nothing like an actual home. It just seems odd. “Aren’t we quaint, we’ve got an old iron stove.”
Wednesday’s ad is another one for Miller High Life, the Champagne of Bottle Beer, from 1948. Again, the attempt is to make it appear more sophisticated, as it’s served on a silver tray, with a garnish of an orchid and a handsome looking bottle opener resting on the tray, too. With that presentation, how could one not enjoy life?
Tuesday’s ad is for Miller High Life, the Champagne of Bottle Beer, but in a more down-to-earth setting: the bowling alley. I don’t know the age of the ad, but it feels Fifties. The ad copy claims the beer is “Sparkling … flavorful … distinctive.” Don’t they look like they’re having fun?
Monday’s ad is from 1948, and is for Miller High Life, which even then was being touted as the Champagne of Bottle Beer. It’s an obvious visual device to put the beer into a champagne bucket, but it works.
Our 73rd Guinness ad is again from the “Guinness For Strength” series, with a pair of golfers walking the links, but the one with the bottle of Guinness in this bag seems far more able to manage his large bag while his compatriot is struggling with not only a smaller bag but a wheeled cart. Since it looks likely that the U.S. Open will again be won by an Irish golfer, and in fact Northern Ireland, a golf ad seemed appropriate.
Friday’s ad is from 1956, and is for Falstaff and shows what appear to be the preparations for a cocktail and which, according to the wonderful ad copy, are making the people not just thirsty, but beer-thirsty!, apparently a whole new level of thirsty that only Falstaff can cure.
