The Poetry of Blatz Beer?

Check out this great 1883 New Year's greeting card and its poetic ad for Blatz beer, all products of the Valentin Blatz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At the time of this card's issue, Mr. Blatz was still operating the brewery he'd started in 1850 right down the road from Johann Braun's City Brewery (est. 1846). Upon Braun's death in 1889, the two companies would merge to become the third largest brewer in Milwaukee. In 1959, the Blatz brand label was sold to Pabst, and in 2005-2006, the Valentin Blatz Brewing Company Office Building was converted into condos.










































If you enjoyed the advertising poetry in this posting, you might also enjoy:

Poetry in Lotion
The Poetry of Ex Lax
Bob the Bunny
C.G. Blatt's Photographic Emporium
Dr. C.B. Weagley, Veterinary Surgeon
The Palace Saloon and Restaurant

Bronze Fonz in Milwaukee?

Appeared in the Press-Citizen October 1, 2007

Rust belt brewer, metropolis of kegs,
city of knock and brat and cheddar wursts,
we’ve always looked to you to quench our thirsts
and not to give us public art with legs.
Every famous city has its Thinker
but did you really—really?—have to settle
on transforming Mr. Leather into metal
and giving Milwaukee a statue of Henry Winkler?
But metal, I guess, befits a man of cool:
Philly has Rocky, Chicago’s got M.J.,
and it would be a less than happy day
if Bob Uecker got his own reflecting pool.
So raise your mug or glass or plastic cup;
Let’s give the Fonzie project two thumbs up.