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Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #5200: Voigt’s “Bock Beer” Just Arrived

April 2, 2026 By Jay Brooks

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 first ad is for Voigt’s Bock Beer, which was published on April 2, 1913. This one was for the Voigt Brewing Co., of Detroit, Michigan, founded in 1866 by William Voigt.  This ad ran in The Flint Journal, of Flint, Michigan.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Michigan

Beer In Ads #5182: Spring’s Herald, Pfeiffer’s Bock Beer

March 24, 2026 By Jay Brooks

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.

Tuesday’s first ad is for Pfeiffer’s Bock Beer, which was published on March 24, 1915. This one is from the C. Pfeiffer Brewing Co., of Detroit, Michigan, which was originally founded in 1899 by Conrad Pfeiffer. This ad ran in The Detroit Free Press, also of Detroit, Michigan.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Michigan

Beer In Ads #5165: It’s Wise To Ask For Milwaukee’s Choicest Bock Beer

March 15, 2026 By Jay Brooks

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.

Sunday’s second ad is for Braumeister Bock Beer, which was published on March 15, 1950. This ad was for the Independent Milwaukee Brewery of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which was originally founded in 1901 by Henry N. Bills, William Gutknecht, Charles Evers, Emil Czarnecki, and William Jung. This ad ran in The Monroe Evening News, of Monroe, Michigan. I love that they put the goat in glasses and a graduation mortarboard so he’s look “smart.”

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Michigan, Wisconsin

Beer In Ads #5149: Winter Brewed For Summer Flavor!

March 7, 2026 By Jay Brooks

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 National Bohemian Genuine Bock Beer, which was published on March 7, 1956. This ad was for the National Brewing Co., of Baltimore, Maryland, which was originally founded in 1885, and they also operated breweries in Detroit, Michigan and Orland, Florida. This ad ran in The Detroit Free Press, of Detroit, Michigan.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Maryland, Michigan

Historic Beer Birthday: Conrad Pfeiffer

March 7, 2026 By Jay Brooks

c-pfeiffer
Today is the birthday of Conrad Pfeiffer (March 7, 1854-April 24, 1911). He was born in Germany, possibly Wurzburger, but moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1871, founding the Conrad Pfeiffer Brewery in 1889. In 1902, it became known as the Pfeiffer Brewing Co. which remained its name even after prohibition. With falling sales, in 1962 they changed the name to a more generic Associated Brewing Co., but that only lasted four years with the brewery closing for good in 1966.

Conrad-Pfeiffer
This biography of Pfeiffer is from the “History and Biography of the City of Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan,” published in 1909.

Conrad-Pfeiffer-bio-1
Pfeiffer-Bock-Beer--Labels-Pfeiffer-Brewing-Company
Conrad-Pfeiffer-bio-2
Pfeiffer-Famous-Beer-Labels-Pfeiffer-Brewing-Company
Conrad-Pfeiffer-bio-3
Pfeiffer-wurzburger
Conrad-Pfeiffer-bio-4
Pfeiffers-Winter-Beer-Labels-Pfeiffer-Brewing-Company
Conrad-Pfeiffer-bio-5
C-Pfeiffer-Brewery

And this is the history of the brewery, excerpted from “Detroit Beer: A History of Brewing in the Motor City,” by Stephen C. Johnson:

Conrad-Pfeiffer-Brewing-history-1
Factory-Scene-Post-Cards-C-Pfeiffer-Brewing-edit
Conrad-Pfeiffer-Brewing-history-2
Pfeiffer-tray
Conrad-Pfeiffer-Brewing-history-3
Pfeiffer-truck

Conrad-Pfeiffer-cartoon
And this history of the brewery is also from the “History and Biography of the City of Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan,” published in 1909.

Conrad-Pfeiffer-history-1
Pfeiffers-Beer-Labels-Pfeiffer-Brewing-Company
Conrad-Pfeiffer-history-2
Famous-Beer-Labels-C-Pfeiffer-Brewing-Co

Filed Under: Birthdays, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Germany, History, Michigan

Beer In Ads #5147: Frankenmuth Is Michigan’s Largest Selling Bock

March 6, 2026 By Jay Brooks

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 Frankenmuth Bock Beer, which was published on March 6, 1956. This ad was for the International Breweries, Inc., of both Detroit and Frankenmuth, Michigan. Frankenmuth Brewing Co. was originally founded in 1899 as the Gold Medal Brewery, and was known as Frankenmuth from 1933 until 1955, when it and two other breweries merged to become International Breweries, Inc. This ad ran in The Jackson Citizen Patriot, of Jackson, Michigan.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Michigan

Beer In Ads #5143: The Bockiest Bock Beer In Town

March 4, 2026 By Jay Brooks

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.

Wednesday’s first ad is for Brucks Bock Beer, which was published on March 4, 1941. This ad was for the Bruckmann Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, which was originally founded in 1905 as the Ohio Union Brewing Co. This ad ran in The Grand Rapids Press of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Michigan, Ohio

Beer In Ads #5128: Dr. Seuss For E and B Bock Beer

February 24, 2026 By Jay Brooks

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.

Tuesday’s first ad is for E and B Bock Beer, which was published on February 24, 1938. This ad was for the Ekhardt and Becker Brewing Co. of Detroit, Michigan, which was originally founded in 1873 by August Ekhardt and Herman Becker. This ad ran in The Muskegon Chronicle, also of Muskegon, Michigan. A second identical ad ran the same day, but in the Monroe Evening News, from Monroe, Michigan, though I’ve included it below because while it’s slighter lighter it’s also a little clearer.

It’s certainly possible I’m wrong, since it is not definitively signed, but it sure looks like the artist was Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss. I know he did advertising work for Narragansett Brewing and also Schaefer Brewing, but was unaware of any others until today. If it’s not Seuss, then it’s surely an artist trying to copy his style.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, Cartoons, History, Michigan

Beer Birthday: Fred Bueltmann

February 22, 2026 By Jay Brooks

Today is Fred Bueltmann’s 57th birthday. Fred was a partner in New Holland Brewing, and was their VP of brand and lifestyle before announcing his departure a few years back. He’s also a self-styled Beervangelist and published the “Beervangelist’s Guide to the Galaxy,” which was successfully funded on Kickstarter. These days he’s spending his time with the horses at Red Horse Center and playing Sousaphone with the Strapping Owls. I’ve met Fred several times over the years but got to know him a lot better at GABF a several years ago, when it seemed like we judged together on every other session, and had a marvelous time in between rounds. Join me in wishing Fred a very happy birthday.

beervangelist-1


Fred’s promo shot for his Beervangelist book.

beervangelist-2
With Carolyn Smagalski at Wynkoop during GABF a couple of years ago. (“borrowed” from her Facebook page, thanks Carolyn).
Jeff-Mendel-and-Fred
Fred, with Jeff Mendel, at GABF in 2013.
mallett-1
John Mallet, from Bell’s, with Fred at Red Horse Ranch in Michigan (photo purloined from Facebook).

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Michigan

Beer In Ads #5200: Now Is The Time To Enjoy … Stroh’s Bock Beer

February 12, 2026 By Jay Brooks

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.

Thursday’s ad is for Stroh’s Bock Beer, which was published on January 12, 1957. This ad was for the Stroh Brewery Co. of Detroit, Michigan, which was originally founded in 1850.  This ad ran in The Mansfield News-Journal, of Mansfield, Ohio, serving “Richland, Ashland and Crawford counties, as well as parts of Morrow, Knox and Huron counties in the north central part of the state.”

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, Michigan

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