Monday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1964. Taking a break from the World War 2 theme, this ad features an election theme, with everyone in favor of cheaper beer, but Anheuser-Busch recommending you “vote twice for Budweiser.”
Ukrainian Brewery Releases Trump Beer
Just in time for Trump’s first visit to foreign countries as President of the U.S., a Ukrainian brewery, Pravda Beer Theatre, has just announced the release of a new beer, a 7.2% a.b.v. beer called “Trump.” On the website, it’s initially referred to as a “blonde” although on the label it’s listed as an “Imperial Mexican Lager.” Here’s the description from the brewery’s website:
And here’s the label, where Trump is said to be the President of the Divided States of America:
From what I can tell about their portfolio of beers, they like to have a bit of fun with both their beer and the labels for them. This may be their first political beer, but it doesn’t appear to be their last, as several more are listed as “Upcoming” or “Maybe in Future.” UPDATE: I’ve heard from brewmaster Cory McGuinness, who wrote to me to let me know that in fact all four of their political series beers are, in fact, available now. Apparently, with English being not their first language, the English-language portion of the website has not been updated recently.
So the first beer in their politicam series is Frau Ribbentrop, a 4.5% Belgian Wit featuring German chancellor Angela Merkel:
And then there’s Obama Hope, a 7.2% stout, featuring former U.S. president Barack Obama:
And finally, the brewery has released Putin Huilo, an 8% Dry-Hopped Golden Ale, featuring Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Does anyone want to bet that Trump will be most upset about this because Putin’s beer is stronger than his?
Beer In Ads #2088: When Gentlemen Agree …
Tuesday’s election ad is for Budweiser, from 1965. In this ad, with the headline “When Gentlemen Agree …,” the elephant and the donkey appear happy and sharing a beer. This is when Johnson was president and shortly before we elected Nixon. I sure hope both sides of this year’s election can share a beer and appear so happy, and soon.
Beer In Ads #2087: Let’s Get Together
Monday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1952. In this ad, with the headline “Let’s Get Together,” and showing an angry elephant with his hands folded, and an equally angry donkey, both sitting on what seems to be a giant block of ice. I assume they’re waiting for hell to freeze over? The ad seems to be somewhat echoing our election tomorrow, 64 years after it first appeared. With only one more day to go until “E-Day” tomorrow, please make sure you to do exercise your right and make your vote count. Seriously, let’s get together on this.
Beer In Ads #2086: People’s Choice … Then And Now
Sunday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1952. In this ad, with the headline “People’s Choice … Then And Now,” and showing an illustration of an election in 1852 (100 years before the ad originally ran). The gist of the ad is nostalgia for a simpler time when politics was something that was hard fought, but then you moved on and had a beer. The text, “When all the shouting is over, folks will go right on voting for Budweiser,” is something I wish we can still do (apart for the brand choice, of course). With only two days to go until “E-Day,” please make sure you to do exercise your right and make your vote count. Then go fight on voting for beer with flavor.
Beer In Ads #2084: Go All The Way
Friday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1971. In this ad, Ed McMahon is asking you to Pick-A-Pair, or threatening you that if you don’t he’ll start tap-dancing … with his twin brother. Please don’t let that happen. So which pair will you pick? With only four days to go until “E-Day,” please make sure you to do exercise your right and make your vote count. Don’t dance around it.
Beer In Ads #2083: It’s Pick-A-Pair Time!
Thursday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1964. In this ad, it’s election time once again and time to Pick-A-Pair, whether it be six-packs or a new leader. The ad even suggests we should “be sure to vote twice.” Which pair will you pick? With only five days to go until “E-Day,” and one of the most important ones in my lifetime, please make sure you to do exercise your right and make your vote count. But only once.
Beer In Ads #2076: America Votes For No Bitterness
Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from the 1943. In this ad, showing four very diverse citizens at the ballot box, claims “America Votes For No Bitterness.” Maybe in 1943, but not in 2016, where bitterness reigns supreme, both in our IPAs and also in our elections. I actually had to unfriend someone on Facebook today for the first time ever for going full wacko on me over politics. There’s only a dozen days until the election, and I for one can’t wait until it’s all over.
Venezuela’s President Gives Brewery Ultimatum: Brew Or Go To Jail
There’s an interesting development going on in Venezuela. Empresas Polar, the country’s largest brewer — with an 80% market share — completely shut down their operations in April, apparently because of “supply problems of its main raw materials.” The president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, according to the drinks business, “has now threatened to take over the closed breweries, saying that the business owners risk being ‘put in handcuffs.'”
The country has been hit by a dire economic downturn over the last several years, and the president has not exactly been helping. John Oliver has covered the situation there hilariously at least twice, first in early May 2015 and then again last Sunday. In that report he mentioned that Marcos was threatening to jail owners of closed factories and have the government seize the buildings and take them over. And apparently one of those businesses he’s targeting is Polar. Here’s the rest of the story from the drinks beverage:
He said he was also ordering action “to recover the production apparatus, which is being paralyzed by the bourgeoisie”.
Meanwhile, Polar said it could no longer access the US currency needed to import the malted barley for beer production, and had to close the last of its breweries. Access to foreign exchange is currently under the control of the country’s government.
The beer shortage has had a big impact, as Venezuelans really like their beer. The tropical country has the highest per capita consumption rates of any nation in South America, and ongoing economic woes have to some extent been softened so far by the affordable luxury of a cold beer.
It’s the latest chapter in a long-running set of shortages and supply problems for beer and other food in Venezuela.
Polar’s billionaire owner, Lorenzo Mendoza, has been a vocal opponent of the President, with Maduro accusing him of waging an “economic war” on his government. Over the past year, Polar has been embroiled in a strike by brewery workers, conflict with the trade unions, and has seen its distribution centre occupied by the military.
Apropos of the nothing, it was almost impossible to find an image of Polar Pilsen that didn’t include a model in a bikini. Go ahead, Google it and see how hard it really is.
Prohibition Party 2016
My friend Paul Marshall sent me this delightful little story about the state of the Prohibition Party in 2016. And yes, that Prohibition Party. Believe it or not it’s the oldest independent third-party still active, and they field a presidential candidate every four years. The party was founded in 1869, and its single defining platform was that they were, and still are, “opposed [to] the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages.” I knew they were still around, hoping to convince people that Prohibition was really a good idea, and we should try it again, despite all evidence to the contrary. But what I didn’t know was just how small they’ve become.
In their heyday, before the 18th Amendment passed, they were active in American politics and contributed to the discussion, and even after Prohibition was enacted, continued to agitate for even stricter controls until they faded into obscurity. How obscure? In the 2012 national election for President of the United States, the Prohibition Party candidate, Jack Fellure of West Virginia, received 518 votes. But that’s not even the low point. One of their 2004 candidates, Earl Dodge of Colorado (there were two that election due to a split in the party), got 140 votes. At their peak, in 1892, John Bidwell of California received 270,770, which represented only a little bit less than half a percent of the roughly 63 million people then in the U.S. Seven times they cracked the 200,000 vote line, though not since 1916. The last time they hit over 100,000 votes was 1948, and 1976 was the last time they garnered more than 10,000. In the last three elections, less then 1,000 people voted for the party candidate.
2008 Prohibition Party presidential candidate Gene Amondson of Washington state, the last year for which they’re selling buttons on the party’s website store. When I say store, it’s actually a Cafe Press store, and the party website itself was created for free using Wix.com. The party coffers are apparently not very full.
According to the Guardian article by Adam Gabbatt, A sobering alternative? Prohibition party back on the ticket this election, revealed that this year’s candidate is Jim Hedges of Pennsylvania, and his running mate is Bill Bayes of Mississippi. Hedges is actually the only known member of the Prohibition Party to have held any elected office — local, state or national — in the 21st Century, when he was the Tax Assessor for Thompson Township, Pennsylvania between 2002 and 2007.
Gabbatt went to Pennsylvania to interview the candidates, and it’s a fascinating read. It’s interesting to hear him talk so matter-of-factly about such an anachronistic idea that most people have moved past, with the obvious exception of the anti-alcohol groups that still exist. But even they seemed to have abandoned trying to get Prohibition going again (even though they’d certainly be in favor of it). Instead, they’ve been slinging mud and trying to disrupt the manufacture and sale (though especially access and advertising) of alcohol pretty much since before the ink was dry on the 21st Amendment.
Not surprisingly, the makeup of the membership skews to an older demographic, and according to Hedges “the current members are over 50, many in their 70s and 80s, and many are ultra-conservative.” But one of the most surprising reveals in the article is just how small the Prohibition Party of today really is. Hedges said that there are “currently about three dozen fee-paying members, who each contribute $10 a year.” So that’s $360 the party receives in dues for the year, plus there was a trust set up in the 1930s that provides additional funds. In most elections recently, that’s allowed them to be on the ballot in just one state, though this year Hedges is hoping to make it onto the ballot in six states, with an ultimate goal of getting 1,000 votes in each. But he’s realistic about his changes of becoming president, which he states are simply. “Zero. None whatsoever.” Still, despite the great divide between his party’s platform, and my own politics, I still think he’d make a better president than Donald Trump. If only there were a button available.
Jim Hedges and Adam Gabbatt in McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, taken by Guardian author Adam Gabbatt.