 (Above) Label from Carling's Red Cap Ale from the late 1970's, with pre-printed months of years (July-December shown on this right side portion), notched as a date code.     |  “LUCKY AGE DATED LAGER” 1930-40’s, Lucky labels stamped with dates. “Holahan says the beer is at its best when it is brewery fresh in the bottles, cans or kegs. He says that beer deteriorates with age regardless of what container it is in.” 1951, Interview with Billings Brewing Co. brewmaster
“Look for a number on every label. Every Rainier Ale label is stamped with a number. The number corresponds to the date the Ale
was brewed.” Rainier Ale ad, 1934 DOES YOUR MILK COME FROM A WISCONSIN COW?Naturally not. Why? Well, because by the time you got your milk, it would not be fresh.What’s milk, cows and Wisconsin got to do with beer and ale? A lot! Beer and ale are perishable products – similar to milk in many respects.Beer tastes better the sooner it’s served after leaving the brewery aging cellars.Holihan Brewing Co. ad, 1952 “Bottled beer does not improve with age! Insist on brewery fresh Congress. Bottled Daily – Delivered Daily.” Congress Beer ad, Syracuse NY1959 “Under ideal conditions, packaged beer will maintain its
flavor and clarity for at least 3 months” Proper Handling of Pabst Package and Keg Beer <<<<< Pabst Brewing Co., 1977 “This label is Dated For Your Protection. Demand & Serve FRESH BEER.” Neuweiler label, 1950’s “After it is bottled, beer is no different from many other
packaged food products. The fresher it
is when served, the better it will be appreciated by the consumer. Therefore rotation of stock is of utmost
importance.” The Practical Brewer, MBAA, 1947 Schaefer has determined that our beer will maintain flavor
and body for at least 120 days, and ... we remove our
product from the shelves at that time and replace it. The Story of Quality, F & M Schaefer 1974 “… people don’t seem to realize that beer is more perishable than-say, milk. If they appreciated the fact that beer is a food and showed it the same respect they show other foods, more people would enjoy and appreciate the real worth of beer.” The Simple Truth about Beer C. Schmidt, 1962 (LEFT) Minster, Ohio's WOODEN SHOE BREWING CO. not only date coded their labels as noted in this ad from 1948, they recommended a very short 30 day shelf life. “The fresher the beer, the better it is. Beer doesn’t improve in taste after canning or bottling.” “…beer should be consumed as soon as possible after leaving the brewery. Beer does not improve while stored in kegs, bottles or cans.” “Ask Joe” columns, Joe Ortlieb, brewer, 1969-70 “…the sooner after (Schmidt’s Beer) is packaged you drink
it, the better.” Beer As Beer Should Be, C. Schmidt’s 1979 “Coors beer, like any other beer, is at its best when it is
first packaged.” A Handful of
Questions about Coors, 1977 "Coors takes absolutely no chances when it comes to fresh beer taste. The company's 60-day freshness policy, the strictest in the beer industry, assures that Coors is always stocked fresh..." A Hatful of
Questions about Coors, 1985 "Bottled or canned pasteurized beer should be consumed within two months and draught unpasteurized within one week after it leaves the brewery to be at its flavorful best." ----1970s Genesee booklet "Our bottled beer has a shelf life of two months." --- 1980 - Herb Straub Straub Brewing Co. St. Marys PA  (Left) Illustration of Miller Brewing Co's crown-stamped date code, introduced in 1975, based on a 4 month shelf life period.
|
