Friday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1908. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, entitled “healthful,” they took a theme they’ve talked about before and went just a little bit further with it, oddly. “Malt is a food, half digested. Hops are a tonic.” Half digested? What on earth do they mean by that?

Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1908. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, Schlitz details just how good their beer is for you, and why. “Malted barley is a digested food. Hops are a tonic — also an aid to sleep.” All of it leads to their inescapable conclusion. “There is all the good of beer, and none of the harm, in Schlitz.”

Wednesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1907. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, Schlitz is trying to persuade people to stock their beer at home. Why? Because of it’s “purity.” And how about this reason: “Get the good without the harm.”

Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1908. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, which begins with this boast — “The Sturdiest peoples of the earth drink beer” — and then explains how beer drinkers are less nervous then other people, and less likely to have dyspepsia, too. Of course, while dyspepsia sounds bad, it’s just a fancy word for indigestion. The ad goes on to detail the many other ways in which drinking beer (though not drinking too much) is good for you. These are my favorite sentences. “The barley is food; the hops are a tonic. The trifle of alcohol is an aid to digestion.”

Monday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1907. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the larger breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, with the title “The All Important,” you might understandably wonder what is the all important? It’s purity, of course, which is “absolute cleanliness” and “freedom from germs.” And that is more or less what it means. Google’s definition is “freedom from adulteration or contamination.” I certainly wouldn’t “knowingly drink beer that was not.”

Sunday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1908. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the larger breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, a doctor apparently prescribes beer for “the weal and convalescent,” so if it’s good enough for “those who need strength” then it should be pretty good for you, too.

Saturday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1909. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the larger breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, celebrating their 50th anniversary, having been founded in 1849, they’re talking about their purity, and “common beer, usually, costs you just as much as Schlitz,” so the inference is that you might as while buy the Schlitz.

Sunday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1945. In this ad, a bluebird sits in a tree, singing its heart out, allowing Schlitz to make the analogy that their beer is “as free from bitterness as a songbird’s lighthearted melody.” As tortured analogies go, it’s not a bad one.