Beer Ads of the 1980s

This post continues a look at beer ads through the decades, courtesy of AdLand's collection of Super Bowl commercials. Ads of the seventies were catchy, memorable, and focused on a more adult market. The 80s began in the same vein (it's not a beer ad, but the year's big winner was the famous Mean Joe Greene Coke ad). We have more of the amusing Miller Lite and classic Budweiser ads. But in 1981, there's a poignant Schlitz ad where a referee touts the fact that half of "loyal Michelob drinkers" chose Schlitz in a blind tasting. (The researcher in me would draw a different conclusion....) In a year, the great empire of Schlitz would have collapsed, and the company would be sold off to Pabst.

In fact, the early years of the 80s show the last of the great era of regional brewing. Blatz (already sold off, but a regional name), Heileman's, Schlitz, Stroh's and Genesee (which still lives!) all had ads alongside Bud and Miller. In the last Superbowl, Bud was the only game in town. (By 1983, the US would reach the all-time low in breweries operating in the US--you'd have to go back to the 18th Century to find so few.) In 1984--the year of the famous Apple ad-- A-B had begun to assert its dominance. As a consequence, commercials started their inevitable decline as inbred breweries asserted bland brands. In 1987, we saw that high-water mark of beer advertising Spuds McKenzie (where's my html sarcasm tag?), and two years later, Bud Bowl. The rise of one new power did arrive in 1986, however, when Coors made its Superbowl debut.

I'm hearing reports of IE crashing, so I'm putting everything behind the link.

--> Click for the rest of the videos <--

1980

Miller Lite - Carlos Palomino (1980) - 0:30 (USA)

Budweiser - This Buds For You (1980) - 0:30 (USA)

1981

Old Style - Gods Country (1981) - 0:30 (USA)

Schlitz - Schlitz vs. Michelob Live! (1981) - 0:60 (USA)

1984

Stroh Light - Poker Game (1984) - 0:30 (USA)

Old Milwaukee - Shotgun Rapids Idaho (1984) - 0:30 (USA)

1986

Lowenbrau - Skiing (1979) - 0:30 (USA)

Coors - Mark Harmon - The Aging Room (1986) - 0:30 (USA)

1987

Bud Light - Spuds Mackenzie - Party Animal (1987) - 0:30 (USA)

1989

Budweiser - Bud Bowl I part 6 (1989) - 0:30 (USA

_____________________

Everything But the Squeal

Among thrifty carnivore types, there's an axiom: "everything but the squeal." This applies to a pig and how much of the body to utilize. Apparently that axiom is one Ron Gansberg applies to beer, too, because he has re-harvested his apricots and included the meat from the pits in his latest beer.

When I was out there in December, he showed me the high-tech process they use once they have the discarded pits from their Apricot Ale. As I recall, it involves a hinged lever device and a lot of grunting. And then an explosion of pit shrapnel. In the end, what you have is an almond-tasting nut so small it takes 600-700 to make a pound. These have been used to flavor amaretto liquor and other almondy-tasting things, as well as tonics to ward off cancer. (Studies say it doesn't work.) In any case, the fruit of this laborious process is finally at hand. Over the weekend, Cascade will unveil a blended "white port/raspberry/apricot seed beer" for Zwickelmania.

Which reminds me-- Zwickelmania is this Saturday. It is an annual event wherein members of the Oregon Brewers guild throw open their brewery doors and give tours to the public. It was a smash hit last year--a little unexpectedly, according to the brewers I spoke to--and this year breweries are making an even bigger deal of it. Like, you know, releasing white port/raspberry/apricot seed beers.

For full details, including itineraries, maps, and addresses, go to the Oregon Brewers Guild website.

__________________
PHOTO: OSHIMS
Share

A New Astoria Canning Operation: Fort George

John Foyston, sporting the new "special to the Oregonian" tag on his byline, has a fascinating story about Fort George in today's paper. The ten-cent recap: Chris Nemlowill and Jack Harris bought that cool old (namesake) building that houses Fort George and they have very big plans. Most intriguing to me is this:

The deal gives Astoria its own Brewery Block, and Nemlowill and Harris have lots of plans, beginning with a new production brewery and canning line on the ground floor of the Lovell Building....

Brewer Jack Harris and his crew of helpers will trek to Houston, Texas in March to disassemble a used 30-barrel brew system (930 gallons) and three 1,800-gallon fermentation tanks that they're buying from St. Arnold Brewing and load it onto five trucks for the trek to Astoria. The system will increase capacity nearly fourfold from thee current 260 gallon brewhouse, which will remain in operation in the Fort George Building.

The result will be canned pounders of Vortex IPA--a fitting start, given that Vortex was named after the expedition to acquire the first brewery. (Video here of Chris describing it.) Vortex is also one of their best beers and a fantastic IPA, too, which probably factored into the decision.

Anyway, lots more in the story, so go have a look.

Super Bowl Beer Ads: 1970s

After the game last night, I was trawling the internets and came across an amazing site, AdLand, which has Super Bowl commercials from selected years going back to 1969. I found myself immediately scoping out the old beer ads, mostly just nostalgically. But as I watched them, I started to see how much the form has changed throughout the decades.

Yesterday I commented that the Super Bowl 44's ads seemed sexist in a way we haven't seen for 30 years. But actually, looking through these old ads, you see that they're far less sexist than stuff that came later. Society advances, beer ads devolve. Anyway, I figure I should take us on a tour of the decades, so today we have some selections from 1969-1979. The 70s were the time of jingles and catch-phrases, no doubt all burned into the gray matter of anyone over 40 years old. Just start singing "tonight is kind of special..." and watch the oldsters chime in.

It was also a time when beer was pitched at adult men, rather than stunted adolescent men. That was the era of "Miller Time," with a series of ads showing guys getting out of factory jobs and heading for a beer. In the Lowenbrau ad, you see upscale adults (not just men!) enjoying a beer. Interesting, because in 20 years things will have devolved into Spuds McKenzie. But one thing at a time.

I'll show you the first one--my favorite, from 1976-- and let you find the rest below the jump. Enjoy.

[These videos may be crashing IE. Bear with me, I'm trying to fix it.]

--> Click for the rest of the videos <--

Miller Lite - Rosey Grier and friends - (1976) - 0:30 (USA)

(And yes, I am old enough to remember that one--distinctly.)

1969

Schlitz - a moment - 0:30 (USA) 1969

1972

Pabst - Highwheelers - (1972) 0:30 (USA)

1976

Miller High Life- (1976) - 0:30 (USA)

1979

Lowenbrau - Skiing (1979) - 0:30 (USA)

Budweiser - Here Comes the King (1979) - 0:30 (USA)

Miller Lite - Ex-Quarterbacks (1979) - 0:30 (USA)

.

_____________________
Share

Super Bowl Wrap-up

I didn't expect to have comments about the Super Bowl, but three things really jumped out and compel me to comment.

1. Excessive sexism. It seemed like every other ad had a vicious anti-woman subtext. There seemed to be two variants, the likes of which I haven't seen in 30 years: 1) women are stupid, to be tolerated only for their bodies, or 2) women emasculate men. They seemed especially offensive because now, in 2010, it's really hard to blame this sentiment on culture. Sitting in a theater pub with an audience of at least 40% women really brought the offensiveness home.

2. Anheuser-Busch has released a 55 calorie beer--Budweiser Select. Apparently this isn't breaking news--388 people have rated it on BeerAdvocate (current score: D; sample comments: tastes of "white bread," "corn flavored-water," "metallic corn," "water from a glass that previously had a real beer in it"). Bud long ago abandoned hops; now, under the wise tutelage of the Belgian brain trust, they've abandoned malt, too. Next I envision Bud Pure Bottle Water.

3. Speaking of Bud, man, have they lost track of the brand. Back in the untroubled days of market dominance and regular growth, their marketing was hitting on all cylinders. Depending on the demographic, they had a masterful pitch. Luxury and tradition for the AARP set, hip athleticism for the sports set, rah rah revelry for the frat set. Pick a market segment and they owned it. Watching their woeful ads yesterday, I winced and wondered what had become of the marketing department.

But in the end, it was all lightness and joy: the Saints came marching in (Turbodog, no doubt, in hand).

Update. The New York Times points out another interesting trend: geezer nostalgia.

On the Super Bowl

There are few days so closely associated with beer as the Super Bowl--though most of America will be tippling tinny "lite" from a can. Here in Oregon, we eschew such indecency. Since allowing our TV to go dead with the transition to digital, Sally an I now end up in front of screens elsewhere when we wish to catch sports. (Preferences: Blazers, Red Sox, Badgers, Packers.) So tomorrow, we have a vast array of choices. We'll probably end up at the Bagdad, where the screen is large enough to make it feel live, and where the seats are aplenty.

(That denizens of other cities toil without a theater-pub seems inconceivable. It has become old hat to me, but I was reminded of what sporting bounty we enjoy when Sally's brother, a fanatic fan from Boston, visited us a couple years ago. The Ducks had their season opener, and he wanted to sample some local culture, so we headed over to the Mission. His eyes were golf-ball wide as we came into to the theater proper and he said, "this is tremendous!" Oh yeah, I thought, I guess it is.)

But I digress. I started this post with the idea of commenting on beers of the competing states. Oon the one hand, Indiana, we have a fairly nice little state for beer--32 breweries in all. Far and away the most famous of these is Three Floyds, which currently has four beers ranked in the top 26 on BeerAdvocate's highest-rated list. On the other hand we have Louisiana, with a more modest nine breweries. Dixie is the most famous, but Abita the most admired. (Unfortunately, Dixie was ravaged by Katrina and is no longer brewing beer; the brands are contract brewed elsewhere.)

By any measure, the edge must go to Indiana (even if Beervanians have a reason to harbor suspicions about the devotion provoked by Three Floyds). Except: I've never had a beer from Three Floyds, but I have had a Turbodog from Abita. I live very near the Screen Door, a southern restaurant on 24th and Burnside, and the first time I went, an aficionado told me, "you must have the Turbodog." I did, and now I pass along the wisdom whenever we return with newbies. It is not the most accomplished beer made, but it somehow beguiles, not unlike a wet lab fresh from a river--wet and aromatic, but infectiously enthusiastic. Tomorrow I will be rooting for the little team from NOLA, whom all the critics say is inferior to the team from Indy. Three Floyds is a better beer too, say the critics, but I'll be thinking of Turbodog.

Plus, Drew Brees is way cooler than Peyton Manning.
___________________
Share

Honest Pint Project Status Update

Let's admit it right at the top: I am a crappy champion. In other hands, the Honest Pint Project would now have far more certified purveyors and perhaps had a greater effect nationally. I have just had enough going on in life that I haven't devoted the time to the project it really warrants.

That said, the HPP is quietly gaining strength and helping change glassware--at least here in Oregon. In the past month, two breweries have taken a major step (Widmer and Full Sail) and introduced new, proprietary honest pints. Even more hearteningly, we're starting to see not only honest pints, but glasses that are marked with a line to show the 16-ounce level. Oregon has always been a leader in things related to craft brewing, and this is evidence of our commitment. Very cool.

Nationally things are a little slower, but still gaining. The Facebook page has 850 fans (join if you haven't!), and we have a few scattered certified pubs outside Oregon. I would love to see more of those, so if you're reading this from outside Oregon, consider certifying your local pub--it would be good for them and great for the project. It's super easy--just follow these instructions.

Finally, the piece I had in Draft Magazine a few months back produced some nice comments from readers. Matthew scanned the letters page, so have a look.



Trying to rectify my lameness somewhat, I hope to institute a new schedule of certifying a new place once a week for the foreseeable future. If you know of places serving honest pints, let me know: the_beerax [at] yahoo [dot] com. Thanks, as always, for your support.

Oh, and don't forget--buy some cool swag and help me defray costs.

Widmer Gasthaus Introduces Honest Pints

I am most pleased to announce the newest addition to our official list of Certified Purveyors of Honest Pints: the Widmer Gasthaus. The brothers have completely changed their glassware and now use an imperial pint with an etched line indicating the 16-ounce level. It's really cool to see breweries using the Honest Pint Project as an opportunity to introduce new proprietary glassware. The Widmer version is the graceful Irish-style glass and of course features their logo. (You can buy the honest pint glass at the pub.)



Widmer Gasthaus
Certified Purveyor of an Honest Pint
955 North Russell Street
(503) 281-3333
Website



Most of the folks around Portland are well aware of the Gasthaus, its nice German-inflected menu, and the specialty beers (including Collaborator brews) only available there on-tap. Now there's another reason to give them your business--honest pints.

Bonus pic: Rob Widmer with the measuring cup.


____________________
Share

Sour Ales, Wheat Ales

1. I'm pretty amazed by the poll results on the sour ales. Apparently there are a lot more sour ale fans than I knew. Either that, or there's an especially high correlation of sour ale fandom and blog reading. (Let's hope it's the former.)

2. Stan Hieronymus' latest book, brewing with wheat, is at the printer. It will be available later this month:

“Tracking those old beers—German, Belgian, whatever—makes one realize that the key to the old styles, probably even more than the recipes themselves, was to be found in the local microflora of each brewery. (Jean-Baptiste) Vrancken reports eighteenth and nineteenth century trials, in which brewmasters were sent from a brewery to another similar one, with all their equipment, raw material, and techniques. Sometimes the grains were even crushed in the first brewery to mimic the process perfectly. They never succeeded in making the same beer in the next village!”

Cool.

Your Opinion of Sour Ales

This morning's post has produced more interest in the topic of sour ales than I expected. And now I'm wondering--maybe there's more interest in sour ales than I realized. (And maybe all my friends are a bunch of unreconstructed hop-heads.) So, since everybody loves a poll,* here goes:



___________________
*Except for those of you who really, really hate them.
Share

Will Americans Drink Sour Ales?

I was trawling the internets this morning looking to see what the beer news o' the day looked like, and saw announcements for three new beers at Beernews. Two are sour ales, and at least one was soured with brettanomyces. Personally, I think the trend is fantastic; if some cataclysm reduced the world's beer supplies to sour ales, I'd live a happy life. But I wonder--is anyone actually drinking this stuff?

There's clearly a niche market for sour ales. When New Glarus released their soured fruit ales 15 years ago (ish), they were received with joy. As more breweries joined the party--though not until probably a decade after New Glarus, at least in any numbers--the sour-fans were yet more joyful. There are just enough of us to keep these small runs going.

Yet when I try to propagate the wild yeasted beers, I hit a brick wall. More than any other type of flavor, it seems that if a person doesn't like sour from the outset, he's never going to like it. (They may grow to admire well-made wild ales, but they'd never buy one for the pleasure.) Based on my very unscientific observation, maybe one in twenty people take to sour ales. And this is among beer fans.

One hopeful sign is that women seem to like sour ales more than men--and there's lots of growth potential there. Many of these beers are cuisine-friendly, and may curry some favor with the foodie set. So maybe there's hope.

BeerAdvocate currently lists 184 beers in the "American wild ale" style, which is a phenomenal number. I just wonder--a building trend, or a flash in the pan?
______________
Share

In the News

Top Sail Release
I meant to do this post yesterday, in advance of Full Sail's roll-out of their bourbon-barrel-aged porter, Top Sail. Aged in barrels from three different distilleries--Maker's Mark, Stranahan's and Four Roses--and then blended. If you live near Hood River, you can still attend the release there on Thursday. They will offer the final product along with a flight of beer from each of the casks so you can see what they contribute.

Top Sail Release
Thursday, February 4, 2010, 5-8pm
Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub
Hood River

Big Bottle Tasting at Saraveza
Another event in the near future is a "big bottle" tasting at Saraveza a week from today. Preston Weesner has corralled and aged a batch of rare beers in big bottles (which are named, I learned as a result of the event, things like Methuselah and Salmanazar)--like six and nine liters big. The beer list: 2006 Chimay Grand Reserve, 2007 Duvel Tripel, 2007 Samichlaus, 2008 St. Bernardus Abt 12, 2008 St. Feuillien Triple, 2007 Unibroue La Fin Du Monde and 2006 Val-Dieu Winter.

Accompanying menu: 15-month-old aged gouda cheese from Willamette Valley Cheese, house crackers and Marcona almonds; cherry smoked black pepper duck sausage with a Chimay beer and prune reduction; and a cider braised lamb and parsnip potato mash pasty with warm spiced butternut squash and pickled garnish. The event ain't cheap, but if you're bearing up under the financial strain, it's sure to be a great event. Preston is knowledgeable and entertaining.

Big Bottle Tasting
Saraveza, Feb 9, 6:30 pm
Tickets $60, call 503-206-4252 to reserve.

Draft Mag's Best Beers
I've been getting emails lately by the Oregon breweries who found themselves on Draft Magazines top 25 beers of the year. Mirror Mirror, Vlad the Imp Aler, and Kiwanda Cream Ale found themselves on a list that included Orval and Duvel. (Yes, Oregon had the most beers. We rock. Yawn.) I will refrain from my usual pooh-poohing; while this isn't the list I would assemble, it's quirky and brave enough to warrant a look.

Oh, and while we're talking Draft Mag, they also have a Q&A with Rogue about the Green Dragon. A shorty, but you might be interested. Teaser quote:

It’s always been a plan to brew there. In October, we put in a homebrew system, and we have Portland’s homebrew club, the Oregon Brew Crew, homebrewing on it. We buy whatever ingredients they want, and a portion of the proceeds goes back to their club. They make amazing stuff -- a barleywine, a golden strong ale, an IPA. And we’re putting in our own 15-barrel brewing system in January.

___________________
Share

Immature Markets and Rating Sites

My RateBeer post yesterday produced some great comments, including a link by an anonymous poster to this thread over at BeerAdvocate. In it, a member posted an email exchange he had with Cigar City Brewing in which a slightly snippy customer's email devolved into this final response by the owner:

I think you'll be happier buying your beer from Redhook or someone similar. Their customer service tastes so awesome! I am choosing to take the business path that is much less traveled and sincerely say, Dennis I do not want your business. And I encourage you not to do business with me.

In the day comments were open, the thread got 184 comments. To the question who was the bigger jerk, responses were running just about even. And here is the problem. When a public discussion breaks out about whether or not you are a jerk, as a business owner, you've already lost the battle.

To me, the whole thing is further evidence of an immature market (the point I was making when I highlighted Cigar City's stout, identified by RateBeer as America's best beer). It's the kind of thing a brewery might have done in Portland in about 1990. Now breweries are practiced at handling criticism and actively engage on the blogs, Twitter, and Facebook. I can't imagine that kind of incident happening here.

A second theme in those comments was the value of ratings sites. One view:

Beer and pub ratings are silly, are they not?

Another:

I don't think they are silly at all. ... They also open people's eyes to a world of beer they might not know of. In your case get people to hunt down fresh cask beer.

My opinion? RateBeer's a little silly, but BeerAdvocate is a great resource. In terms of the ratings, I find BA quite useful. Many a time I have stood in front of the coolers at Belmont Station and looked at a beer on BA. Particularly when I'm looking at a new brewery, I find the ratings useful in identifying which beer to buy. When I was at EastBurn recently, I looked up a beer on their taplist. BA is also a great resource for news and general brewery information. I go there regularly.

Ultimately, a ratings site is only as good as its raters. The folks writing about Northwest beer on the site are quite reliable. You can click on names and see how they've rated beers you like and see where their biases are. I haven't given a shout-out to BeerAdvocate before, but I should. Good work, gents!

___________________
Share