Saturday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1943. I’ve talked about this before, how oftentimes back in the earlier part of the century, products like beer were referred to as “friendly.” Here’s another example where Schlitz claims that “for millions of Americans the simple joy of companionship are made richer, deeper, more satisfying with a glass of friendly SCHLITZ.” Damn straight, skippy, I don’t want one of those unfriendly beers touching my lips.

Wednesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1960. “One of the Real Joys of Good Living” is apparently waking up at 11:45 p.m., putting on your robe and going downstairs to make a sandwich and have a beer for a late night snack. Hilarious, I’m usually still up well past midnight, but I do wish I had that robe.

Saturday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1944. Another magic bottle on the tray, but more curious is the illustration. A bear (cub?) in a band uniform playing a tuba (Sousaphone technically) while sitting on a park bench. What on Earth does that have to do with beer generally, and Schlitz in specific?

Thursday’s ad is another one for Schlitz, this one from 1947. With the tagline “International Agreement,” the ad shows four people of different backgrounds (including possibly the butler from yesterday’s ad) drinking together. But the funniest part of the ads is in the ad copy, where it says “Around a table in some far-off corner of the world …” and yet out the window that clearly looks like the Golden Gate bridge. So that means in 1947, Schlitz’s idea of a “far-off corner of the world” was San Francisco. Hilarious.

Wednesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1949. It’s from their long-running “I was curious” series. I guess in 1949, just after World War 2, everyone had their own butler so the ad was relatable. It’s also a little funny that the tray sitting there is filled with pilsner glasses, but the butler used a humble tumbler when he tasted it, not wanting to use the fancy glassware for himself, I suppose.

Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1941. This ad was presumably from the months before America entered World War 2, when life was still relatively normal. A time when the “thoughtful wife” has Schlitz waiting for her husband when he arrived home from “a day’s hard work.” For some reason she left the icebox door wide open, letting all the cold air out and warming up the beer, not to mention all of the food in there.

Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1960. Good to know advertisers back then were as shameless as today. It’s fifty shades of brown, with an attractive brown-haired male model in a brown suit and tie, sitting in a tan chair while holding a beer and a brown puppy. I wonder who they were targeting with the ad?

Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1904. The ad is all text, apart from a small logo in the corner. It’s just a notice that drinking beer will keep you healthy, expressed in the headline as “Beer Keeps One Well.” But wait, there’s more. “It is a noticeable fact that those who brew beer, and who drink what they want of it, are usually healthy men.” But I love tis statement. “The malt and the hops are nerve foods.” Nerve foods?

Monday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1935. Today in 1909, Theodore Roosevelt set sail for Africa for a year-long safari, shortly after leaving office as President. His party arrived in Mombasa, British East Africa (now part of Kenya) and added local guides so that their number were just over 250 people. The hunting party included “legendary hunter-tracker R. J. Cunninghame, scientists from the Smithsonian and, from time to time, Frederick Selous, the famous big game hunter and explorer.” During their time there, they collected 11,400 “specimans” for the Smithsonian Institution and for the American Museum of Natural History in New York. These ranged from local flora and fauna up to big game, including “17 lion, 3 leopard, 7 cheetah, 9 hyena, 11 elephant, 10 buffalo, 11 (now very rare) black rhino and 9 White rhino.” You can read more about his adventures in On Safari With Theodore Roosevelt and the Smithsonian–Roosevelt African Expedition.

But in the beer world, the thing that Teddy Roosevelt’s safari is most know for it this. “President Theodore Roosevelt took more than 500 gallons of beer with him on an African safari. Must have been thirsty work!” You see this all over the place, including in today’s ad, which features the tagline “Said T.R. ‘I Want It in Africa.'” And then the artwork, illustrated by Ralph Frederick, shows Roosevelt in Africa followed by men carrying cases of Schlitz beer. Unfortunately, it’s not true. Here’s one account:

Our 26th president loved his beer to the point of brining 500 gallons back from a safari in Africa. That isn’t actually true – it’s a myth. Reality is that Theodore Roosevelt did not drink beer, or much at all, except an occasional Mint Julep. However Teddy Roosevelt knew that beer was powerful, and while training the Rough Riders in Texas, he bought the men all the beer they could drink as a morale booster.

I’ve also read that it was Bass Ale that he took on the safari, but regardless of which beer, it doesn’t really matter which brand since it never happened in the first place. None of the historical accounts of the safari mention the beer which, given the large and heavy amount of beer, you’d expect to be part of the record of the trip. It’s not, as far as I can tell. But it’s a powerful, and persistent, story, and a good story beats the truth almost any day of the week.

Tuesday’s ad is another one for Schlitz, from 1936. Between the recipe for “Famous Schlitz Rarebit” and the man pouring a little Schlitz into whatever that dish is — soup, dip, etc. — it’s clear that Schlitz is cooking with beer. Based on the look on his face, I’d say he’s had a few beers before the guests are even due to arrive. And his wife in the shiny blue dress looks like she’s been keeping up, and is bringing in the next round. It’s going to be a great dinner party!