THE BEGINNINGS
- Of Bavarian Brewery
THE BEGINNINGS
- Of Bavarian Brewery
ADS - From Newspapers
SMOKING ACCESSORIES: Ashtrays, Matches & Lighters
Up until a few decades ago in the U.S., before smoking was prohibited inside most taverns, restaurants and buildings, it was common in the U.S. for many people to smoke along with drinking. Therefore, it was common for most brewers to provide items to accommodate the needs of smokers along with a promotional message for their beers. The most common items were ashtrays, matches and lighters, as shown in the following. It was also common for many people to smoke cigars, cigarettes or pipes in most places, even at work. In viewing some of the older photos on this web site, sometimes they show men with a cigar or cigarette in their hand.
ASHTRAYS
c. Eary 1900s. These ashtrays were evidently provided in the Bavarian Rathskeller before Prohibition. A common slogan at that time was "Bavarian Beer? Why of Course!" This saying is also shown on Chargers that were displayed in the Bavarain Tap Room, which can also be viewed under Trays and Chargers.
c. 1960s.
This ashtray was generic for the different IBI brands, including Bavarian/s. As shown, it includes the Bavarian Brewery location in Covington, KY. It also shows the other cities where IBI had breweries including; Detroit, MI, Tampa, Fl, Buffalo, NY and Findlay, OH.
MATCHES
c. Early 1950s. This matchbook was from both Bavarian and its main distributor, Stanley. It provides a rather equal amount of advertising for Bavarian's as well as for Stanley. This partnership of joint advertising for these two entities also included baseball jackets (see Athletic Sponsorships), beer truck signage and possible other items. Of course, an unique facet of the matches is that they resemble beer bottles.
LIGHTER
c. Early 1960s. This Zippo lighter shows the logo and image for International Breweries Inc. (IBI) and is in its original box. It also contains the the signature of Bruce Berckmann who was President of IBI from 1955 until 1964. Note that the slogan on this lighter - "If it's International you know it's better beer!" - is the same as on the ashtray shown above. By using the corporate name with various promotional items on occaision, it helped save marketing costs by reducing the need for IBI to create them for each of their brands.
