Board 21

Much of board 21 are corks that I got from eBay.  Hamms corks are leading off row one, fourth in row three, and second in the last row.  The blue one dates from 1957; the reds, differentiated by the brighter white on the last one, date from 1953 and 1948, respectively.  That second one in row one is a Michelob Ultra, actually one I just found that improved on a rusted one I had before, and is not a cork.  The Pabst in row one, pre-Blue Ribbon, was from 1942.  Of course, the MGD is not a cork, but it is a handsome cap.

Row two starts with the Rolling Rock I mentioned yesterday, with the difference being the lack of the tax amount on the side; it dates from 1948.  Three Drewrys are on the board.  The first one, here in row two, is a 1946.  The second one, second in row three, dates from 1954, and the third, sitting second to last on the board, is also a 1948 cap.  Three Schlitz also on the board, in varying shades of cream/off white.  All three date from 1950, and you see them in the third and fifth slots on row two and third on row three.  The PBR that finishes off row two in the fourth slot is a 1948 gold.

Row three begins with a Gunther Premium Dry.  Gunther was a Baltimore brewer bought out by Theo Hamm in 1959.  Hamms dumped the BBC brands, but sold out to Schaefer three years later.  Schaefer remade Gunther as one of its discount brands until it was in turn sold in 1976.  The only one we haven't hit in this row is the Meister Brau at the end.  Meister Brau was a Chicago brand until a beer chemist invented the formula for light beer.  Meister Brau Lite was much more attractive than the main brand, and Miller bought the brewer and changed it to Miller Lite.  In more recent news, Meister Brau, Handi-Wrap, and 150 other brand trademarks are up for auction next month by Brands USA Holdings.  For a pittance, it could be yours...  my Meister Brau dates from 1947.

Row four starts out with Breunigs,  from Rice Lake Brewing in Rice Lake, WI.  This brewer went belly-up in 1974; the cap is from 1962.  The blue one in the middle is a non-cork Rolling Rock;  and the last one left to mention is the Budweiser at the end.  Buds are almost impossiblr to get a good date from, but I'm guessing late 50's.

That's it for this trip.  Hopefully I'll get through the next few boards really soon.