Here's another vintage beer ad that ran in the
Lorain Journal during the month of April. Only this time the date is April 8, 1947 – and the beer is
Barbarossa.
It's a nice, stylish ad. I like the tagline too: A Welcome Label on any Table.
According to the book,
Cincinnati's Brewing History, Barbarossa was brewed by the Red Top Brewing Company and was its premium brand of beer. It was produced solely at the Dayton Street plant until the demise of Red Top in 1957.
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| Courtesy of taverntrove.com |
The book also reveals the story behind the beer's unusual name. It states that the iconography of the Barbarossa label (
at left) "revolves around the legend of Frederick I, the king of Germany and a Holy Roman emperor. According to this legend, Frederick, also known as Barbarossa, never actually dies but bides his time in a cave, waiting for the ravens to cease flying so he can return to Germany in triumph."
Somehow, that creepy story doesn't exactly make me want to reach for a cold, refreshing Barbarossa.
But it must have worked for my grandfather, though. According to my mother, it was her father's favorite beer.
2 comments:
Reading about Barbarossa Beer reminded me of my first sip of beer. My grandfather always drank Duquesne Pilsener Beer, which was brewed in Pittsburgh. I remember being at his house and begging him for a sip of beer when I was about 6 years old -- my first drink of beer. Duquesne, better known simply as Duke, was advertised as "The Prince of Pilseners". It was quite popular through the 1950s but as with most locally brewed beers became a casualty of the large breweries and disappeared. I still remember the advertising jingle for the beer. Thanks for the memory.
Hi Rick,
Thanks for posting your memory. It's interesting how loyal our parents and grandparents were to their favorite beers, so much so that decades later, we still remember what brands they drank.
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