Christmas themed beer advertising from the early 1900’s

Christmas morning is always hectic so I had no plans to blog today but the presents are all unwrapped and the kids have hit a wall and crashed out for naps so I thought I’d take a quick minute to look at some old Christmas themed beer advertising, because you just don’t see print ad’s like this anymore.

First up an advertisement for Gund’s Peerless Beer that ran in the Omaha Sunday Bee on December 20, 1908. This ad portraits a more traditional image of Santa Claus with his sack of toys and an angel on his shoulder. The text is upbeat and delivers a message of pro American sentiment and prosperity in the New Year, 1909.

“For where in all the world is there a nation richer, more righteous or happier than ours?”

1909 was going to bring the good times according to this advertisement, “a new era of business confidence and boundless abundance” and naturally a “Bumper Glass” of Gund’s Peerless Beer is the only way to toast the good times ahead, because Gund’s is “The beer that makes the world smile with you”. I feel like the only thing missing in this Advertisement is an American Flag, not sure how they missed that.

Omaha Sunday Bee, 12-20-1908

 

Next up is an Advertisement for Pacific Bottle Beer that ran in the Tacoma Times on December 19, 1912. This print piece is more straight forward that the last one, no fancy imagery it’s intention is only to inform you that Pacific Bottle Beer is should be party of Christmas dinner.

“Important food extracts form the basis of Pacific beer, so that it is in reality a food and as such has a very rightful place on the Christmas dinner table.” This line sounds better than calling it “liquid bread”. Some skillful wordplay around the fact that beer is intoxicating “It adds a lot to the joys of this annual festive event for it is cheering, invigorating and animating” and “There’s a social side, Pacific beer is a food adjunct that helps enliven the occasion and make manifest the true holiday spirit” which isn’t a lie, most of us have a family member who becomes a bit too “animated” with holiday spirit. What this Advertisement lacks in visual flare it makes up for with well crafted words.

Tacoma Times 12-19-1912

 

From the pages of the Aberdeen Herald on December 23, 1912 this beer ad for the Aberdeen Brewing Company is the least substantial of the Christmas themed advertisements.  Some bottle images and a minimal text reminding you to “Step up to the phone” place an order for “Golden Age” beer before it’s too late. “The imported Hops, the selected Malt and Rice used in its making result in a beer that for full rich flavor and genuine goodness cannot be excelled”. The thing that catched my attention is the price of beer in 1912, a dozen quarts for $1.55 or two dozen pints for $1.90.

Aberdeen Herald 12-23-1912

And Finally a small advertisement from the Geo. J. Renner Brewing Company out of Akron Ohio printed in the Akron Daily Democrat on December 25, 1902. The top hat wearing New Years baby and a bottle of Renner’s beer with the simple statement “With the New Year drink Renner’s-beer” because “You will never regret it”.

Akron Daily Democrat 12-25-1902

It’s been another fun year of beer blogging and I look forward to more next year, from my Family to yours Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Cheers

Chaddah

Chad Lothian

About Chad Lothian

Chad Lothian lives in Old Town, Maine. He is a craft beer enthusiast and homebrewer. Chad has travelled to brewpubs, breweries and brewfests all over New England.