Today is my good friend and colleague Stephen Beaumont’s 62nd birthday. And not only a friend, but a neighbour, partner and ally, too (inside joke). In addition to his Blogging at World of Beer online, Stephen’s written numerous books, including the recent World Atlas of Beer (along with Tim Webb) and the Pocket Beer Book, among much else. Join me in wishing Stephen a very happy birthday.
Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have 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. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.
Tuesday’s second ad is for O’Keefe’s Bock Beer, which was published on April 14, 1908. This one was for the O’Keefe Brewery of Toronto, Ontario, which had its start in 1862 when Eugene O’Keefe and partners bought the Hannath & Hart Brewery. A couple of years later, after one partner passed away, O’Keefe took control and renamed it O’Keefe and Company in 1864. This ad ran in The Globe and Mail, of Canada.
Today is the 69th birthday of Gary Gillman, an attorney in Toronto, who also writes online at Beer et seq. He describes himself as a beer and food writer with a historical focus in these areas. He’s also published full-length, referenced articles in beer historical and food journals and he’s done two brewing collaborations with Toronto’s Amsterdam Brewery, to recreate an 1870 English AK Bitter recipe. In addition, he’s been a beer enthusiast for over forty years, and started participating online as soon as that became viable. In his daily life, he represents several breweries, as well as other food and beverage businesses, so brings a unique perspective to his writing. He’s also contributed articles to several beer magazines. Join me in wishing Gary a very happy birthday.
