MILWAUKEE – Pabst, that icon of Milwaukee, is returning to its former home. The company will open a microbrewery and testing center at the old Pabst brewery in Milwaukee. Pictured here is a part of the Pabst revival in the city including the famous Pabst sign and the Brewhouse SuitesMORE HERE
CINCINNATI – Two well known regional brands are re-finding their place in the pantheon of Ohio business history. Christian Moerlein Brewery and Rookwood Pottery are profiled in a recent issue of the Cincinnati Business Courier. U.S. Bank’s Business Watch profiled the two companies in a TV report, seen above. TheyMORE HERE
RUTHERFORD, California – Inglenook’s vineyards and brand are now one again. Movie and winemaker Francis Ford Coppola has purchased the storied California brand Inglenook to go with his farm in Rutherford, California. Coppola purchased the farm, but the brand was separated from the actual land in the 1970s. The InglenookMORE HERE
A new book by Dan Backer and Lance Watson taps brewing history to detail the can designs of nearly 500 beer brands. The book, published by Chronicle (Amazon link at right) shows major and minor brands. Like other Chronicle books, it is handsomely produced at is quite authoritative. It isMORE HERE
At one time, Pabst Blue Ribbon was a great brand. Through bad marketing (or no marketing), it declined. Then, some college kids found out that it tasted just as good as Bud. And they renamed it PBR and it became hip again. Of course it was a bit more complicated thanMORE HERE
Some items from the headlines, and files: The Plymouth brand has been getting an “Old Fashioned” bit of exposure in the new Bacon & Blue ad for Wendy’s. The ad is getting some great airtime, pleasing Mopar fans to no end. It looks to be a 1969 Belvedere in theMORE HERE
There is a parallel going on in Scotland and Puerto Rico. The Diageo brands Captain Morgan and Johnnie Walker are both in the throes of being moved, and both are against the will of locals. Captain Morgan is an interesting case; critics have pounced on the fact that it isMORE HERE
Here’s a word relationship that won’t be on S.A.T. tests. As Schweppes is the top brand for tonic water, Canada Dry is the top brand for ginger ale. This pre-1960 guide, from the collection of the late attorney Charles P. Pollard, shows a historic, and sellable, image of the brand.MORE HERE
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Home to numerous micro-breweries and a Budweiser plant, the visitor’s bureau here has come up with a tour of locally made beer brands, from Budweiser to regional craft brews. Located 50 miles north of Denver, Fort Collins has been called the Napa Valley of Beer. ThereMORE HERE
As celebrity culture has become more trashy, so has the risk for the consumer and luxury brands associated with those stars. The most recent example? The Hennessy cognac brand owned by Paris-based LVMH Group. Think of this. Your historic brand, the leading cognac brand in the world, is associated with theMORE HERE