Mixing Beer And Elephants Article

by Michael Don Knapik

(Most of the content of this article first appeared in American Breweriana Journal in the Nov-Dec 2002 Issue)

Elephants and Beer - a strange mix - no? Not really! You see, I recently wrote the first book on elephant collectibles called: Everything Elephants: A Collector’s Pictorial Encyclopedia” published by Schiffer Publishing LTD. It has over 1000 images in over 140 categories. As I collected information and images about elephant collectibles for my encyclopedia, I noticed that the elephant (or a close relative) has been used to promote and advertise many beverages, including beer!

In my book, beer advertising items using elephants are found in several categories including: Advertising in Magazines and Newspapers, Ashtrays, Beer Cans, Bottles and Boxes, Beer Taps, Bowls, Coasters, Clothes (e.g., T-shirts) Labels, Signs and Trays. Together, these categories constitute a meta-category I call Elephant Breweriana.

Since many of you involved in Breweriana do not need another article on the generalities of collecting things beer, I am going to jump right in and start describing some of the interesting collectibles that are part of Elephant Breweriana.

Beer Cans and Bottles

The first category of Elephant Breweriana and probably the most-collected, is Beer Cans and Bottles. There are several brands sporting elephants and some beer manufacturers even produce an 'elephant' brand per se (for example - Labatts Imported Elephant beer). Elephant Red has in my opinion, the neatest elephant graphic on a beer can and their other advertising items (tin and lighted signs, carrier box etc.) have the same great elephant graphic as their can.

In addition to those shown, other cans and bottles sporting elephant images or named after an elephant include:

· Bright Brewery bottle

· 1986 Delevan Beer can made to celebrate the sesquicentennial of Delavan Wisconsin’s notoriety as the circus capital of the 19th century

· Halida Export Beer from Vietnam

· India Pale Ale from Old European Brewery Co. in Cold Spring, MN

· San Luis Obispo (California) Elephant Ale

Fremlins Ale Cone Top Can Pfeiffers Beer Bottle Imported Elephant Bottle Rogue Beer Can

Fremlins Ale cone top can; the cap also has the elephant image on it. 1935. $750-1000.

Brown glass beer bottle in 1-quart size by Pfeiffer Brewing Company of Detroit, Michigan. Has label created by Johnnie Pfieffer. 10" H x 3.75" L. 1948. $25-40. Courtesy Of: Author.

Imported Elephant green glass beer bottle by Labatt; USA branch based in Norwalk, Connecticut. 9 " H x 2.25" L. 1990s. $3-5. Courtesy Of: Author.

Rogue beer can from South African Breweries, LTDF, in Johannesburg, South Africa. 4.75" H x 2.5" L. $3-5. Courtesy Of: Author.

Elephant Red Beer Can Ginger Beer Bottle Windhoek Beer Can Elephant Stout Tiger Brewery Label

Elephant Red large beer can. 6.25" H x 3.25" L. 1990s. $5. Courtesy Of: Author.

Relatively rare Ginger Beer Stoneware bottle. It has the Ginger Beer Trademark of Jumbo Bottling Works of Cincinnati, Ohio on a 3-color label. 8 oz. size. c.1900-1910. $200-300. Courtesy Of: Bill Champion.

Windhoek Beer can issued by the South West Breweries in South West Africa. 340 ml. size. 1970s-80s. $7-10. Courtesy Of: Klasines Nijmeijer.

Elephant Stout beer label from Tiger Brewery in Singapore, $10. Courtesy Of: Ricardo Plano

Kenya Breweries was formally registered on December 8, 1922, by George And Charles Hurst. Their first beer was brewed in small copper vessels heated by Kuni fires. It was bottled by hand and the Breweries' first order of ten cases was personally delivered to the General Manager of the Stanley Hotel which, over the years, has hosted kings, queens and international adventures like William Holden and Ernest Hemingway.Tusker was reported to be Hemingways favorite beer. Their unique Lager beer soon became as much a part of East Africa's tradition as safari itself. George Hurst was killed in 1923 by a changing bull elephant. In memory of his tragic death, the famous lager that he had created was named TUSKER. Today, TUSKER "The beer from the shadow of Kilimanjaro" is known throughout the world. And now, you can enjoy this special international favorite which is made with bima equatorial barley and the pure waters of Mizuma Springs in Kenya. On the label of every bottle of Tusker Lager are the words Bia Y Angu Nchi Yangu. That's swahili for "MY Beer My Country." Note: Do not confuse the Kenyan TUSKER beer with the tusker beer made by Vanuatu Breweries. The latter is named after a wild boar native to the south pacific, and doesn't have anything to to with elephants. (from http://www.internetwines.com/rws16118.html via W. Mertzetrunk)

Beer Taps

The next category of Elephant Breweriana is Beer Taps. An Elephant Red tap has a prominent plastic or resin elephant atop it. Another variety has an image of an elephant instead of the figurine. A Rock Ice tap has a mastodon painted on it. Another elephant beer tap was made for the Lost Coast Brewery, in Eureka California, called Indica; the art is an abstract elephant king.

Rock Ice Tap Elephant Red Beer Tap Fremlins Beer Pump Clip

Rock Ice Amber Lager beer tap by Rolling Rock Brewery in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, blue background with Mastodon image. 9.5" H x 5" L. 1990s. $20-30. Courtesy Of: Author.

Elephant Red Beer tap with brown composition elephant. 13" H x 7" L. 1990s. $30-40. Courtesy Of: Author.

Fremlins Bitter Beer pump/tap clip made from plastic with the inscription "Traditional Draught Ale - A Part of Kent Life". 3.5" H and 4.75" L. $15-20. Courtesy Of: Alan Drew.

Coasters

Elephant Breweriana includes Coasters with images of elephants. Many beer makers with an elephant logo or advertising brand made bar accessories sporting their elephant image, including coasters. Coasters are usually made of heavy paper or cardboard, but other materials include wood, pottery, marble etc.

Fremlins Beer Coasters Imported Elephant Coaster Deilerium Tremens Coaster

Various Fremlins beer coasters by Fremlins Brewery, before the brewery was bought out by the brewing company, Whitbread in 1967. 3.5 H x 3.5 L. various dates pre-1967. $5-20 each. Courtesy Of: Mary Marwick.

Large coaster for Imported Elephant beer. 6" D. 1990s. $6. Courtesy Of: Author.

Delirium Tremens coaster - voted best beer in the world. 3.5" H x 3.5" L. 1990s. $5. Courtesy Of: Author.

Advertising Signs

Signs advertising beer or a brewer, with an elephant on them is an interesting category because signs are where some of the best graphics can be reproduced, usually in a large format and using lasting materials such as enamel or porcelain on tin or a similar metal substrate. There are reproductions of older signs that cost much less than the ceramic-over-tin originals, which can run to several hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Rock Ice Tin Sign Imported Elephant Plastic Sign Elephant Red Lighted Sign Fremlins Porcelain Sign

Tin sign advertising with mastodon for Rock Ice Amber Lager by the Latrobe Brewing Company in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. approx. 22" diameter. 1994. $20. Courtesy Of: Author.

Plastic 3-Dimensional sign advertising Imported Elephant Beer by the Anheuser-Busch Company; Item # 530-020. 17" H x 18" L. 1987. $35. Courtesy Of: Author.

Lighted plastic sign box for Elephant Red beer of the Anheuser-Busch Co. 15 W" x 15H". 1990s. $35-50..

Die cut enameled tin sign for Fremlins Ale. 12" H x 16" L. c.1940s-50s. $100. Courtesy Of: John Stadnicki.

T-Shirts

No article on Elephant Breweriana would be complete without showing at least one Elephant T-shirt produced to advertise a beer. There is probably at least one T-shirt for every Elephant used as an advertising icon by breweries!

Chang Beer T-Shirt

Chang Beer T-shirt, XL, $10-15.

Finally, we know that beer makers like elephants, but can any of you Breweriana aficionados tell me if elephants like beer?

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Send mail to MichaelKnapik@EverythingElephants.com with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2002 Michael Don Knapik Last modified: April 03, 2008

Send mail to MichaelKnapik@EverythingElephants.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2002 Michael Don Knapik
Last modified: April 03, 2008