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Historic Beer Birthday: Christian Kalmbach

September 5, 2026 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Today is the birthday of Christian Kalmbach (September 5, 1846-February 5, 1932). He was born in Wörnersberg, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. When he was twenty, in 1866, he emigrated the U.S., finding work as a brewer at the Croh Brothers Brewery and later the Schmitt & Kofen Brewery in New York. After ten years as a journeyman brewer, he moved to Springfield, New York in October of 1876 and partnered with Theodor Geisel (the grandfather of Dr. Seuss) and bought Oscar Rocke’s brewery on Boston Road. They renamed it the Christian Kalmbach & Theodore Geisel Brewery. In 1894, he retired and Geisel remained and they started trading under the name Highland Brewing Co., but five years later they merged with two more local breweries and became the Highland Branch of Springfield Breweries, at least until it was closed permanently due to prohibition.

Here’s his obituary from the Springfield Daily Union in 1932:

The brewery around 1880.

And here’s another obituary, this one from the Springfield Daily Republican:

Filed Under: Birthdays, Breweries, Just For Fun Tagged With: Germany, New York, United States

Beer In Ads #5335: Bock Beer Rider

August 31, 2026 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

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.

Monday’s trade card is for Bock Beer generically, that was apparently created in Bavaria, Germany, sometime after 1850 but before 1900 or so. I think this would be considered a Victorian Trade Card, popular from the 1870s until around 1900. They were typically created via lithography, which gave them vibrant colors. Their popularity as far as I can tell was primarily in the United States, so I suspect that whoever claimed this was Bavarian was simply incorrect and it seems more likely it was created here. This one shows a woman riding a goat side-saddle with a glass of bock beer raised high.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, New York, United States

Beer In Ads #5334: Bock Beer Tankard

August 30, 2026 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

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.

Sunday’s trade card is for Bock Beer generically, that was apparently created in Bavaria, Germany, sometime after 1850 but before 1900 or so. I think this would be considered a Victorian Trade Card, popular from the 1870s until around 1900. They were typically created via lithography, which gave them vibrant colors. Their popularity as far as I can tell was primarily in the United States, so I suspect that whoever claimed this was Bavarian was simply incorrect and it seems more likely it was created here. This one shows a goat in a circle with a tankard of bock in the foreground.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, New York, United States

Beer In Ads #5333: Bock Beer Goat Love

August 29, 2026 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

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.

Saturday’s trade card is for Bock Beer generically, that was apparently created in Bavaria, Germany, sometime after 1850 but before 1900 or so. I think this would be considered a Victorian Trade Card, popular from the 1870s until around 1900. They were typically created via lithography, which gave them vibrant colors. Their popularity as far as I can tell was primarily in the United States, so I suspect that whoever claimed this was Bavarian was simply incorrect and it seems more likely it was created here. This one seems to show a goat staring lovingly at a woman depicted on a presumably bock beer barrel.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, New York, United States

Beer In Ads #5332: The Statue Of Liberty Bock

August 28, 2026 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

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.

Friday’s trade card is for Bock Beer generically, that was apparently created in Bavaria, Germany, sometime after 1850 but before 1900 or so. I think this would be considered a Victorian Trade Card, popular from the 1870s until around 1900. They were typically created via lithography, which gave them vibrant colors. Their popularity as far as I can tell was primarily in the United States, so I suspect that whoever claimed this was Bavarian was simply incorrect and it seems more likely it was created here. This one may be the most damning one to prove they were actually American give that it features a goat as the Statue of Liberty holding up a glass of bock beer.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, New York, United States

Beer In Ads #5331: Bock Beer, Hopfen Und Malz Gott Erhalts!

August 27, 2026 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

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.

Thursday’s trade card is for Bock Beer generically, that was apparently created in Bavaria, Germany, sometime after 1850 but before 1900 or so. I think this would be considered a Victorian Trade Card, popular from the 1870s until around 1900. They were typically created via lithography, which gave them vibrant colors. Their popularity as far as I can tell was primarily in the United States, so I suspect that whoever claimed this was Bavarian was simply incorrect and it seems more likely it was created here. This features a brewer’s star and a banner with the phrase “Hopfen und Malz Gott erhalts!” which I believe was a parody of “Bayern und Pfalz, Gott erhalt’s”, or “God save Bavaria and the Palatine”, which were two parts of the Bavaria that were separated and reunited a few times.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, New York, United States

Beer In Ads #5330: Bock Beer Trade Card

August 26, 2026 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

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.

Wednesday’s trade card is for Bock Beer generically, that was apparently created in Bavaria, Germany, sometime after 1850 but before 1900 or so. I think this would be considered a Victorian Trade Card, popular from the 1870s until around 1900. They were typically created via lithography, which gave them vibrant colors. Their popularity as far as I can tell was primarily in the United States, so I suspect that whoever claimed this was Bavarian was simply incorrect and it seems more likely it was created here.

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

Beer In Ads #5327: Bock Bier, A Oldbairisch Dirndl Un a luschdiger Bua

August 21, 2026 By Jay Brooks

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.

Friday’s poster depicts a goat, a man and a woman along with beer and food. The lithograph was created in 1884 by H. Schile & Co. of 14 & 16 Division St. in New York City. Henry Jerome Schile was born in Germany, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1851, settling in Manhattan, which is where he opened his own print company. The text at the top of the poster reads: “A Oldbairisch Dirndl Un a luschdiger Bua” which is roughly translated as “An Old Bavarian dirndl and a very funny Bua” (slang for Lederhosen). The text at the bottom is more inscrutable, “A Moas’l BocK Bier un a Sam’l dersu” which was stumped by Google translate. Anybody know?

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, New York, United States

Beer In Ads #5322: Bock! Bock! Bock!

August 15, 2026 By Jay Brooks

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.

Saturday’s poster is for Bock! Bock! Bock! It was created in 1879 by Herman Dohm, who was a lithographer, engraver and printer located in New York City.

Filed Under: Art & Beer, Beers, Just For Fun Tagged With: Advertising, Bock, History, New York, United States

Beer Birthday: Tara Nurin

August 7, 2026 By Jay Brooks

Today is the 53rd birthday of beer writer Tara Nurin. She’s originally from Annapolis, but now calls Camden, New Jersey her home, where she writes for Forbes, USA Today, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, VinePair, and many others. Her most recent book is about the history of women in beer, entitled “A Woman’s Place Is in the Brewhouse: A Forgotten History of Alewives, Brewsters, Witches, and CEOs.” She also founded Beer for Babes (f.k.a. Barley’s Angels New Jersey). I don’t remember when I first met Tara, possibly at a North American Guild of Beer Writer events, but she’s been a great addition to the beer writer’s cadre, and a couple of years I worked with Tara on her media panel for the Craft Brewers Conference. Join me in wishing Tara a very happy birthday.

Tara with a taster of beers.
With Herlinda Heras at the Hopland Tap during a recent trip to California.
With Samuel Adams brewer Megan Parisi.

NOTE: All photos purloined from Facebook.

A Woman’s Place Is in the Brewhouse.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Beer Writers Guild, Maryland, New Jersey, United States, Writing

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