I’m off to see the new Muppets movie which opens today. I’ve been a huge fan of the Muppets since I was a kid, so today’s beer video is an odd one, from the original Muppet Show, which was a pun-filled variety extravaganza that ran for five seasons between 1976-1981. Each show featured a celebrity guest star, and this one come from Season 3, Episode 20, which aired in February of 1979. The guest star was none other than Sylvester Stallone, just a few months before the release of Rocky II. In one of the segments he sings (yes, sings, and his musical abilities are every bit the equal of his thespian prowess!) a rendition of “A Bird in a Gilded Cage,” while holding a mug of beer. Accompanied by Rowlf on piano, with Fozzie, Gonzo and some additional Muppets singing along, at least a couple of them also have mugs of beer. Sadly, no one takes a drink during the sad song, but I’m amazed they were even allowed to show beer at all on television in the late 1970s.
Beer In Film #66: Beer The Musical
Today’s beer video is the trailer for Beer: The Musical, which is apparently a 30-minute animated musical that was created by Marshall Slayton in 2008. Here’s the description from YouTube. “Two friends locked in an epic struggle to fight the evil powers that seek to over tax their sole source of solace…beer. Oh yeah… there are songs too…” ANother sourcs says it’s “about two friends who are fighting against a corporate slum-bag’s attempt to overtax alcohol and bring their favorite pastime (drinking) to an end.” Ever heard of it? Me neither.
Beer In Film #56: The Rheingold Marching Band
Today’s beer video is an animated commercial for Rheingold Beer using stop motion, from around 1956. As an animation buff, an ex-marching band geek (and with a train for my son Porter), this commercial has everything I love.
Beer In Film #48: John Barleycorn By Traffic
Today’s beer video is a rendition of the old English folk song John Barleycorn, this version by the band Traffic, from their 1970 album John Barleycorn Must Die. The video is essentially a slideshow of images that works well with the lyrics of the song.
Some Girls For Strong Beer Month
It’s February, and that means it’s time for the 12th annual Strong Beer Month, once again with six new extreme beers each at 21st Amendment and Magnolia throughout the month. Try them all, and you get to keep the commemorative logo glass. Just collect all 12 punches in your Strong Beer Month ticket before the beer’s all gone. You can read all about it at both Magnolia and 21st Amendment websites.
This year’s theme is the 1978 album “Some Girls” by the Rolling Stones. “The players on the album from left to right on the album (green row) are: Ben Spencer (Magnolia Head Brewer), Shaun O’Sullivan (21A owner), Zambo (21 Head Brewer), Dave McLean (Magnolia owner) and Nico Freccia (21A owner). There is also an Easter egg in the album, see if you can find Motor Kiesling, a good friend of both the 21A and Magnolia.”
Here’s the beer for this year:
- Rye Rye Rocco Rye Brown Ale: 8.1% abv
- Let It Rauch German-influenced Smoked Beer: 8.1% abv
- Promised Land Imperial IPA: 11.2% abv
- Smokestack Lightning Imperial Stout: 9.7% abv
- Quadlibet For Tenderfeet Belgian Abbey-style Quadrupel: 8% abv
- Old Thunderpussy Barleywine: 10.6% abv
- Framboise Forte d’Or Belgian-style Raspberry Golden Ale: 10.2% abv
- Dub Step Imperial I.P.A.: 10.2% abv
- Beast of Burden American-Belgo Imperial IPA: 9.9% abv
- Red Titan Giant Red Ale: 12.8%
- Bike Lane Hopper Imperial Black IPA: 9.6% abv
- Hendrick’s Imperial Stout: 9.3% abv
And here’s the back cover, too, with more details about each beer:
This year for the first time, they also created a third poster, this one showing the Strong Beer Month gang pal’ing around with all of their celebrity friends. Must be nice to be a brewer.
Beer In Film #24: ElbowSkin’s Beer Song
Today’s beer video is a wonderful song created for Melbourne’s beer week, Good Beer Week. It was written and performed by Dave Elbow and Ernie Skin of the duo ElbowSkin. I’m sure some people will find something to be offended by in the song, but it’s pretty damn funny. It’s also very catchy with some great quotes like “unleash the beast” and “it’s like drinking god’s tears.”
Beer Song by ElbowSkin from The Post Project on Vimeo.
The Great American Beer Fest Rap
This is a pretty funny video, JDirty and BIG Trox — GABF “Great American Beer Fest Rap”, made at last year’s Great American Beer Festival, which Charlie Papazian just tweeted. Enjoy.
Beck’s Music-Playing Edison Bottle
For their New Zealand market, Beck’s hired an ad agency, Shine, to create some buzz for their brand, and they came up with The Beck’s Edison Bottle, the world’s first beer bottle you can play like a record.
Here’s the description from Vimeo:
The first playable beer.
19th Century technology meets 21st Century music over a bottle of beer in the latest extension to the Beck’s Record Label project.
This time, the art label has evolved, and been replaced by the grooves of Auckland band Ghost Wave. Their new single was inscribed into the surface of a Beck’s beer bottle which could then be played on a specially-built device based on Thomas Edison’s original cylindrical phonograph.
Making the world’s first playable beer bottle was a formidable technical challenge. The clever people at Auckland firm Gyro Constructivists first had to design and build a record-cutting lathe, driven by a hard drive recording head. Then they reinvented Edison’s original cylinder player, using modern materials and electronics and built to very fine tolerances.The Edison Bottle made its public debut at SemiPermanent in Auckland in May to a standing ovation from the assembled media and design community.
Beck’s has had a long association with music and art. In fact, at about the same time Heinrich Beck was brewing his first beer in the 1870s, Tom Edison was tinkering away on designs for the first phonograph.
Considering how beer has influenced recorded music since then, this physical collaboration was very appropriate and long overdue.
And below is a video showing the design and manufacturing process, along with a short demonstration of the bottle being played.
These close-ups show what the grooves on the bottle look like.
The Celebrator Silver Polka
During last night’s Celebrator 25th Anniversary Party, Vic Kralj, from the Bistro, wrote a spoof of “Roll Out the Barrel” for our silver anniversary, entitled the Celebrator Silver Polka. Then he rehearsed it with regulars and friends from his beer bar, unveiling it as a special surprise for Tom Dalldorf during the party. Below is a video the evening’s performance.
And here’s the sheet music, if you want to sing along.
Afterwards, Tom was presented with a framed copy of the song.
And later he and Arlene posed with some of the culprits who perpetrated his surprise.
The Band Is Back For Strong Beer Month
It’s February, and that means it’s time for the 11th annual Strong Beer Month, once again with six new extreme beers each at 21st Amendment and Magnolia throughout the month. Try them all, and you get to keep the commemorative logo glass. Just collect all 12 punches in your Strong Beer Month ticket before the beer’s all gone.
Here’s the beer for this year:
- Promised Land Imperial I.P.A.: 10.5% abv
- McLean’s Wee Heavy: 8.4% abv
- Delilah Jones Rye: 9.6% abv
- Quadlibet for Tenderfeet: 9.4% abv
- Old Thunderpussy Barleywine: 10.6% abv
- Smokestack Lightning Imperial Stout: 9.8% abv
- Lord & Master Strong English Blonde: 8.2% abv
- Dub Step Imperial I.P.A.: 10.2% abv
- Nelson, Jade, and Helga Imperial I.P.A.: 10.5% abv
- Red Giant Imperial Red Alek: 11%
- Two-Lane Blacktop Imperial Black I.P.A.: 10% abv
- Hendrick’s Imperial Stout: 8.6% abv
This year’s theme is the 1969 album “The Band” featuring Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, John Simon, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel, and while I know the names, I couldn’t pick most of them out in a line-up, so I’m not sure who’s playing who this year.
And here’s the back cover, too:
