Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Baetz Dairy Bar Ad - July 1949

Here's a sure sign of summer: a newspaper ad for ice cream, in this case for the Baetz Dairy Bar that used to be on U. S. 6 (Lake Road, or West Erie Avenue if you prefer). The ad ran in July 1949 in the Lorain Journal  – 64 years ago.

I've written a lot on this blog about the Baetz Dairy Bar and the Lorain Arena, which was built right behind it.

I find the 1949-era ice cream flavors indicated in the illustration kind of interesting: maple walnut, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cherry, lemon and pineapple (yuck!). Nothing too exotic there. But it is 1949, don't forget. (I can't read the flavor on the top left banner; it might be butter pecan.)

Compare that to the 15 most popular ice cream flavors in 2012 (here). Vanilla is still the most popular flavor, with chocolate at #2, strawberry at #4 and cherry at #11. So the illustration is still fairly current except for the appearance of the kids. (Do little girls still wear bloomers?)

While growing up, I seem to remember that we ate a lot of the basics: chocolate, vanilla and neapolitan – with some raspberry sherbet tossed in the dessert mix fairly regularly. Usually Bowman ice cream too for many years.

Now, when the spouse and I go to Toft's (our favorite ice cream), I prefer the 'cake' flavors – cake batter and wedding cake – along with the occasional Moose Tracks.

What are your favorite flavor and brand of ice cream?

6 comments:

Dorene from Ohio said...

The darling illustrations of the children remind me of the old first grade readers by Ginn and Co., the ones with Dick and Jane.

-Alan D Hopewell said...

Currently, it's Blue Bell Coconut Fudge, but wehen I was a kid, it was Chocolate Marshmallow from Lorain Creamery.

Just recently, I found a place that still makes and sells Chocolate Marshmallow-Braum's, a chain of ice cream shoppes down here.

Anonymous said...

Chocolate Pecan is my current favorite. Honey Hut on State Rd in Cleveland.

Dan Brady said...

I've heard that the Honey Hut ice cream is excellent! They have a great bee advertising mascot too!

Ken said...

Man Alan that Coconut Fudge is awesome and my favorite too, but not always easy to find. Mint chocolate chip is a good substitute. Here in Houston my wife won't eat anything but Blue Bell.

-Alan D Hopewell said...

I'm allergic to mint, but the regular chocolate chip, The Great Divide (chocolate and vanilla), Neopolitan, just about anything chocolate from Blue Bell is wonderful.

Blue Bunny makes a dynamite Double Strawberry flavor; should actually be called "Triple Strawberry" because it has strawberry ice cream, with real strawberry slices, and a swirl of strawberry running through it-you can get it in Ohio, folks, if Strawberry trips your trigger.