Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - 41 minutes ago
If this hilarious video for the annual The Repeal of Prohibition Beer Festival doesn’t make you want to attend, I don’t know what else would. The festival will be held at Schlafly Bottleworks in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday, April 14th, 2012 from noon until 5:00 p.m.
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Feb 9, 2012, 11:46 am
Regular Bulletin readers know how much I love infographics, a marriage of data and graphic illustration that shows information in a beautiful and understandable way. So I was thrilled when I got an e-mail this morning from a new Silicon Valley start-up, Visual.ly, whose mission is just that, to crea...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Feb 9, 2012, 1:49 am
Wednesday’s ad is another one for Budweiser, though this one’s a little older than yesterday’s, most likely from the late 1950s or early 1960s. It’s from Budweiser’s long-running “Where There’s Life” series of ads. The ad features a couple on the beach, and even though its night thei...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Feb 8, 2012, 7:21 pm
I know it’s a good thing when celebrities drink craft beer, because people tend to copy their behavior. So the more celeb’s drinking good beer, the more some people might pick it up, too. But I can’t help but find it a little sad, too. I just don’t find all the minutiae about famous people
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Feb 8, 2012, 3:48 pm
Just in time for the World Beer Cup this May, the Brewers Association today released their annual style guidelines for judging. According to the press release, this year’s guidelines include 140 separate categories, including one new one: “Indigenous Beer Category.” Curiously, the World Beer C...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Feb 8, 2012, 12:34 pm
Yesterday I received the word that there’s a new brewery opening soon in the Bay Area. It’s called The Rare Barrel and they’ll be a gypsy brewery specializing in sour beers. By gypsy, they mean to brew at area breweries and then ferment, age, package and serve their beers at their own facility...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Feb 8, 2012, 1:52 am
Tuesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from not too long ago: 1987. And while I don’t normally feature the overtly sexist ads, this one is too classic to ignore. This, and variations on it, were nearly ubiquitous in the late 1980s. I recall seeing them everywhere. I still think it’s a fairly clever ad...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Feb 7, 2012, 4:39 pm
Today in 1974, Grenada gained their Independence from the United Kingdom. Grenada Grenada Breweries Carib Brewery Grenada Breweries Ltd.
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Feb 7, 2012, 1:05 pm
Last year, Brewmaster Mark Carpenter celebrated his 40th anniversary with Anchor Brewery. According to my notes, he started on September 30, 1971. During GABF, a film crew interviewed a number of us during some side events, and they put together this video that includes some luminaries from the craf...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Feb 7, 2012, 1:16 am
Monday’s ad is still one more by Eugene Oge, a French illustrator who did a number of great beer adverts during his lifetime from 1861-1936. He was a major figure in the Belle Epoque and did many outstanding ads for resorts, food, and all sorts of beverages and brands. This is the fifth of his
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Feb 6, 2012, 4:11 pm
Amid recent rumors, the Tenth and Blake Beer Company, the craft-and-import division MillerCoors created last year, announced today that they’re purchasing Crispin Cider, which includes both the Crispin and Fox Barrel hard cider brands. From the press release: Minneapolis-based Crispin sold its fir...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Feb 5, 2012, 8:50 pm
I found this odd little gadget while searching for an image this morning. It’s a Football Beer Caddy, apparently “handcrafted from recycled steel.” The 12-inch tall steel sculture is meant to hold your beer, though I can’t for the life of me understand why you’d do that. After pouring your...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 28, 2012, 6:15 pm
Our 104th Guinness ad is another group portrait of many of the iconic Guinness animals and their zookeeper. Last week it was at the zoo, this week they’re at St. James Gate, the “Home of Guinness.” Which is ironic, since I was there last night — sort of. More on that later today.
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 28, 2012, 1:15 am
Friday’s ad is old one, undoubtedly from the 19th century. It’s for a St. Louis brewery, the oddly named Christian Staerlin’s Phienix Brewery. I love these old industrial illustrated love letters, showing large, gleaming colorful industrial complexes. They seem to have been quite common at one...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 27, 2012, 1:51 pm
You probably knew that each state has some form of an ABC, an alcohol control organization that after Prohibition was created to administer their state’s laws regarding alcohol. Not surprisingly, they also have an organization where the professionals in these state organizations can get together a...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 27, 2012, 1:16 am
Thursday’s ad is another one for Schlitz, this one from 1967. Using their iconic slogan “When you’re out of Schlitz, you’re out of beer,” it’s presumably meant to be humorous. Showing an interesting contrast, with the patron in a black suit with a red tie while the serve sports a red sui...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 26, 2012, 3:47 pm
If you were following the twitterverse closely on Tuesday, you might have noticed an interesting story developing, as relayed in tiny bites by Lagunitas owner Tony Magee. I’ve rejiggered the twitter stream, re-ordered it, uncompressed abbreviated words, and added additional ones for clarity in an ...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 26, 2012, 1:59 am
Wednesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1966. It’s another of the “real gusto” series, this one showing a server in a white tuxedo carrying five mugs full of beer. Look closely at the foam. Does that look real to you?
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 25, 2012, 5:47 pm
After scouting numerous sites in North Carolina and neighboring states, Sierra Nevada Brewing announced today they have selected a location near Asheville, North Carolina to build a new brewery to supply their beer throughout the east coast. From the press release: The site, approximately 90 acres i...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 25, 2012, 2:13 am
Tuesday’s ad is another one for Budweiser, also from 1964 and again withe tagline “that Bud… that’s beer!” In this one, a man with a goofy-looking expression is holding a bottle of beer at a party, and appears to be drinking it straight from the bottle.
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 25, 2012, 1:39 am
In honor of today being “Beer Can Day,” the anniversary of the first beer can’s introduction by the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Co. of Newark, New Jersey on January 24, 1935, here’s an amazing use of a beer can. Now this is recycling, or perhaps more correctly repurposing. For many years, peop...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 24, 2012, 2:59 pm
It was with a heavy heart that I received the news this morning that Danny Williams lost his battle with cancer last night, and passed away peacefully in his sleep. Ben Spencer sent me the word, and had this to say about his friend. “Danny was a great man. He was loved by many. This
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 23, 2012, 2:17 am
Today’s work of art is by the social realist French artist Marcel Gromaire, and the majority of his ouvre depicted characters in social settings. Our featured painting is no exception, and it shows a pair of men enjoying some pints of beer in a pub, inn or cafe. The title of the work is The
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 22, 2012, 6:07 pm
Today in 1918, the Ukraine declared their Independence from Soviet Russia and unified the same day, a year later in 1919. Ukraine Ukraine Breweries Baltika Breweries Chernomor Brewery Chernihiv Brewery Desna / Чернігів Donetsk Brewery Lugansk Brewery Lvivske L’vivska Brewery / Перша �...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 22, 2012, 12:03 pm
Here are the winners from this weekend’s Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival in Anchorage, Alaska. Black Raven Brewing, Redmond, Washington Firestone Walker Brewing, Paso Robles, California Silver Gulch Brewing & Bottling, Fairbanks, Alaska And the Best Winter Beer: Kodiak Island Brewing, Kod...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 21, 2012, 11:01 pm
Our 103rd Guinness ad is obviously a tie-in Guinness did with the Edinburgh Zoo, which makes sense since so many of the animals featured in their early advertising were zoo animals, and even often included a zookeeper, too. The animals in the first ad look more like they did in the iconic ads. In th...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 21, 2012, 2:24 pm
Today is the birthday of Jinx Falkenburg, who was a minor actress in the 1930s-40s, but a major model. Originally a beauty queen from Barcelona, Spain (some accounts say Chile), her real claim to fame was being chosen as the first Miss Rheingold in 1939. By all accounts, the Miss Rheingold Contest e...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 21, 2012, 1:29 am
Friday’s ad is for Schlitz, also from 1962. It’s from their “Real Gusto” campaign, and in this one a man with a crewcut is downing his beer, while holding a sandwich in one hand.
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 20, 2012, 4:05 pm
Anchor Brewery is teasing us. Earlier today they tweeted this enigmatic photo that vaguely hints at a new series of beers from the oldest craft brewery in America. All the tweet says is that we have to wait until Monday. “We’re brewing up a special announcement for Monday, January 23. Here’s a...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 20, 2012, 3:08 pm
We all know good labels, packaging and artwork can help a beer sell. I may not like that a mediocre beer might sell better than a great one if it has more eye-catching artwork, but it happens all the time. It was especially true in the early days of craft beer when many people who
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 20, 2012, 2:16 pm
Our 60th Session returns to all things beer, and specifically Growlers Galore! That’s the topic chosen by this month’s host, Kendall Jones, of the Washington Beer Blog. Here’s what he’s thinking about growlers: These days people take growlers for granted. In my neck of the woods, growlers ar...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Jan 20, 2012, 2:31 am
Thursday’s ad is for Miller High Life, also from 1962. It’s a very fake-looking western setting, just a studio with a few props — a wagon, fence and saddle. Couldn’t they have done the same shot at an actual farm or even better, a cattle ranch? Our “cowboy,” mug of beer in hand, is looki...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Dec 15, 2011, 1:30 am
Wednesday’s holiday ad is for Rheingold Extra Dry Lager Beer, from 1955. The ad features Miss Rheingold from that year, Nancy Woodruff, out singing Christmas carols with a “friend.”
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Dec 14, 2011, 4:53 pm
The magazine that I used to run, as the GM, along with publisher Tom Dalldorf — the Celebrator Beer News — has gone digital. Beginning with the current December 2011/January 2012 issue you’ll be able to read it online or download a pdf to put on your iPad ofr other tablet/smartphone. The onlin...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Dec 14, 2011, 12:47 pm
Before Prohibition became a reality, the prohibitionists used shameless propaganda to advance their cause, and it became increasingly absurd as time went on. When the temperance movement began in the 1830s, it was primarily against hard liquor, and beer was thought of as a drink of moderation, which...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Dec 14, 2011, 11:06 am
Today in 1819, Alabama became the 22nd state. Alabama Alabama Breweries Avondale Brewing Back Forty Beer Co. Chattahoochee Brewing Crazy Dane Brewing Blue Pants Brewery Emerald Coast Beer Company Folklore Brewing and Meadery Good People Brewing Old Black Bear Brewing Olde Auburn Ale House Southern F...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Dec 14, 2011, 2:37 am
Tuesday’s holiday ad is for Schlitz, from 1959. The ad shows a couple, with the man holding a beer and the woman a small, wrapped Christmas gift. But what’s not clear is whether they’re outside or if that snowy tree-lined scene behind them is looking through a large window. Because they don’...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Dec 13, 2011, 11:05 pm
I suspect many of you watched the Ken Burns documentary series Prohibition, based on the Daniel Okrent book Last Call, when it aired a few months ago on PBS. In the latest issue of Reason magazine there is an interview with Ken Burns, discussing the documentary. Since they mentioned that there was a...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Dec 13, 2011, 2:02 pm
Congratulations to Matthew C. — a.k.a. “Bakersfield Beer Lover” — for being the winner of this year’s Brookston Survival Pool. He outlasted 29 others to emerge victorious in Week 14, when he picked Baltimore over the winless Colts. See you all next year for another survival pool.
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Dec 13, 2011, 1:37 am
Monday’s holiday ad is for the Canadian beer O’Keefe Ale, from 1958. With the slogan “… dans l’esprit des fetes!” — “in the holiday spirit” — it features a fetching couple under the mistletoe pouring a glass of O’Keefe Ale.
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Dec 12, 2011, 10:30 pm
Our 59th Session is something of a departure, as the topic could just as properly be about beverages other than beer as beer itself. Our host, Mario Rubio from Brewed For Thought was looking to branch out of beer and explore our other liquid passions. Seizing upon a suggestion I made regarding the D...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Dec 12, 2011, 7:32 pm
With Christmas falling on a Sunday this year, apparently more than half of the states still have antiquated blue laws on their books, restricting alcohol sales on Sundays, Christmas or both. As of about a year ago, at least fourteen states still enforced some kind of Sunday restriction. But accordin...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Nov 2, 2011, 1:20 pm
Today in 1889, South Dakota became the 40th state. South Dakota South Dakota Breweries Crow Peak Brewing Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant Firehouse Brewing Heist Brewing Company Lean Horse Ale Prairie Berry Winery Wooden Legs Brewing South Dakota Brewery Guides Beer Advocate Beer Me Rate Beer G...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Nov 2, 2011, 1:03 pm
Today in 1889, North Dakota became the 39th state. North Dakota North Dakota Breweries Edwinton Brewing Fargo Brewing North Dakota Brewery Guides Beer Advocate Beer Me Rate Beer Guild: No known brewers guild State Agency: North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner Capital: Bismark Largest Cities:...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Nov 2, 2011, 1:42 am
Tuesday’s ad is a 1948 ad for Schlitz. It’s part of the “I was curious” series, this one showing a buttoned-down young being schooled by an older gentlemen (father-in-law perhaps?) on what beer to drink. He certainly seemed to prefer drinking to listening to the woman playing the piano.
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Nov 1, 2011, 12:09 pm
Our 57th Session is a bit of a last-minute hardscrabble just to make it happen, and big props to our host, Steve Lamond, from Beers I’ve Known — who was supposed to host December but stepped in to November’s glass slipper after tragedy struck our original Cinderella. The illustrious Pete Brown...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Nov 1, 2011, 2:17 am
Monday’s ad is a 1955 Halloween ad for Ballantine Ale. Showing an apparently impressed jack-o-lantern who just tried some beer, he’s declaring “that Ale brother!”
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Oct 31, 2011, 3:36 pm
Today in 1864, Nevada became the 36th state. Nevada Nevada Breweries Backyard Brew Pub Banger Brewing Barley’s Casino & Brewing Company Big Dog’s Brewing BJ’s Pizza, Grill, and Brewery: Reno Boiler Room Pints Brewery and Sports Bar Boulder Dam Brewing Brew Brothers Brewery Buckbean Brewing Chi...
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Oct 31, 2011, 1:37 am
As tomorrow is Halloween, this week’s works of art involves the supernatural as well as beer. It’s from around 1639 and was painted by Judith Leyster, one of three significant Dutch Golden Age female artists. It’s known by various titles, The Last Drop, the Gay Cavalier and the Merry Drinkers....
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Jay Brooks posted an article on Brookston Beer Bulletin - Oct 29, 2011, 10:26 pm
Our 91st Guinness ad apparently is advertising home delivery, or at least being available at home, by featuring a deliveryman walking down a residential street with a couple of cases of Guinness while virtually everyone living there is out on the front porch, balcony or window wondering aloud; “Is...
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