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Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #4924: Poth’s Bock Beer

March 29, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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.

Saturday’s ad is for Poth’s Bock Beer and was published March 29, 1907 in the Philadelphia Inquirer, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The ad was for the F.A. Poth & Sons Brewery, also of Philadelphia, and it’s an interesting advertising approach told in a story involving a waiter and restaurant patron having a conversation about bock beer.

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

Beer In Ads #4916: Defeat Of The Cold-Water-Men By The Bock

March 21, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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.

Friday’s ad is called “Defeat of the Cold-Water-Men by the Bock, March 21, 1873” and depicts an epic battle between men and goats, with apparently the goat winning. The artist who created the poster was Emil Bott, a German-born artist who emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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

Beer In Ads #4892: Neuweiler’s Bock Beer

February 25, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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.

Tuesday’s ad is for “Neuweiler’s Bock Beer,” and was created in 1939. Neuweiler Brewery was located in Allentown, Pennsylvania and was founded in 1900. It closed in 1968.

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

Beer In Ads #4890: Daufer Bock

February 23, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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.

Sunday’s ad is for “Daufer & Co. Bock Beer,” and was created in 1934. Daufer & Co. was located in Allentown, Pennsylvania from 1860 until 1938, although it was known by a variety of names over that time period.

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

Beer In Ads #4875: Yuengling Modern Bock

February 8, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, 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.

Saturday’s ad for “Bock” is for a modern version of Bock from Yuengling Brewery, which I picked primarily because I wanted something from Pennsylvania, and definitely did not want something from anywhere in Missouri. I believe this done as a limited release in 2009, and presumably the art was done in-house. But they did a good job of having look both modern and a little retro, too.

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

Beer In Ads #4795: Yuengling Bock

November 17, 2024 By Jay Brooks

After taking a few months off from my “Beer in Ads” series, having finished documenting the Miss Rheingold ad campaign that lasted from 1941 to 1964, I thought it was time to bring back the ads, and decided to concentrate on Bock ads for the foreseeable future. Bock, of course, 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.

Sunday’s ad was created for the D.G. Yuengling Brewing Co. of Pottsville, Pennsylvania and was created in 1890 by Louis Deutz.

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

Brewhog Determines 6 More Weeks Of Winter Beers For 2021

February 2, 2021 By Jay Brooks

Over in Gobbler’s Knob, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Phil the Groundhog — a.k.a. the Brewhog — raised up his head this morning for the 135th time and looked around, and this year and saw his shadow. You know what that means? It’s six more weeks of drinking winter beers this year. Or something about a late spring, I can’t keep it straight. You can see a video of Punxsutawney Phil here. And there’s more information about Groundhog Day at the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

But this year, I suppose given how shitty the year is starting, it isn’t too surprising, though not every groundhog agrees on what the future hold. For example, Staten Island Chuck along with Shubenacadie Sam in Canada and General Beau Lee in Georgia have predicted an early spring for 2021.

Although another Canadian groundhog, Balzac Billy, from Alberta, Canada, also predicted six more weeks of winter, whereas Essex Ed of Orange, New Jersey did not see his shadow and neither did Buckeye Chuck of Ohio or Big Al, a 14-foot, 1,000-pound alligator, from Texas, who is given KFC chicken each February 2. If he eats the chicken, it’s an early spring, if he passes, then it’s more winter. This year, he did not eat.

So it’s up in the air whether, I mean weather, we’ll have an early spring or more winter. I tend to go with the original, Punxsutawney Phil, but for no better reason then I’m from Pennsylvania. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

In Alaska, they celebrate Marmot Day.

Fingers crossed. And if you don’t have time to watch all of the deliciously wonderful Groundhog Day film today, here it is in a slightly shorter version just over three minutes.

Filed Under: Just For Fun, Related Pleasures Tagged With: Holidays, Humor, Pennsylvania

Beer Birthday: Suzanne Woods

April 24, 2019 By Jay Brooks

allagash
Today is Suzanne Woods’ 41st birthday. I first met her during my trip to Philadelphia for Philly Beer Week its inaugural year. She used to write online as the Beer Lass and now is the mid-atlantic territory manager for Allagash, though when I first met her she worked for Sly Fox Brewing outside of Philadelphia. Join me in wishing Suzanne a very happy birthday.

slyfox-12
With Suzanne during a visit to Sly Fox Brewing at the beginning of Philly Beer Week.

An afro'd Suzy Woods and Wendy, from Dogfsh Head, with the Hammer
An afro’d Suzy and Wendy, from Dogfish Head, with the Hammer during Philly Beer Week 2010.

sidecar-4
Outside the Philly Bar, Sidecar, with some colorful local characters at the bar.

suzanne-woods-5
Suzanne posted this photo of herself when she was five when she turned thirty, eleven years ago.

Filed Under: Birthdays Tagged With: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Bergner & Engel Brewing’s Railroad

July 21, 2018 By Jay Brooks

steam-train
The third Saturday in July is “Railroad Day,” which I know not only because I collect holidays, but also because of my son’s obsession with trains. So this is an interesting historical artifact. The Bergner & Engel Brewing Co. of Philadelphia was one of the more prominent breweries in the Philly neighborhood known as Brewerytown, a nine-block area of the city with breweries on virtually every street.

Bergner & Engel was one of the bigger ones in Brewerytown, and in the late 1880s they published a book with chromolithographs of their brewery and their brewing process that are a great timepiece. The 24-page bound publication is really cool. Anyway, because it’s Railroad Day, these two illustrations of the brewery’s boxcar and locomotive are especially awesome.

This is on Page 11, showing B&E’s boxcar:

B&E-Refrigerator-Car

And on Page 12, they show the locomotive, which they claim at the time is “the first and only locomotive owned and operated by any brewing establishment in America:

B&E-Engine-lg

Filed Under: Beers, Breweries, Just For Fun, Related Pleasures Tagged With: History, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, technology

Beer In Ads #2664: Take Some Home … It’s Sugar-Free*

June 7, 2018 By Jay Brooks


Thursday’s ad is for Old Reading Beer, from the 1940s, I think. The ad is by famed pinup artist Alberto Vargas and shows a woman in a skintight skimpy outfit (to today’s eyes it looks like a modest one-piece bathing suit) with a belt. She’s also holding a hat. The tagline starts with “From the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country.” Reading Beer was my hometown brewery growing up, although it closed when I was a junior in high school. The most interesting part though is their other claim. “Take Some Home … It’s Sugar-Free*. I’m sure that asterisk is important, but I’m not sure what it refers to. That part of the ad is missing and I can’t find many other examples. So far all of the similar ads include the asterisk but no additional information as you’d expect. Maybe at the bottom in a very tiny font, it says “just kidding.”

reading-beer-cardboard-sugar-free

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers Tagged With: Advertising, Health & Beer, History, Pennsylvania

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