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Breweriana: Collectible Beer Signs

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Beer Sign

Many beer fans these days are decorating their home bars with the breweriana of the past. One field of breweriana is collectible beer signs. These signs come from many places – bars, restaurants, gas stations, and in many forms. Some beer signs are stamped metal, some are neon, and then there are the painted mirror variety. A fine old antique beer sign sure can liven up your home bar or den, and with many reproduction signs available, prices are coming down for this unique home décor item.

From antique European beer steins to pint glasses to neon signs, the realm of breweriana offers a wide variety of collectibles for beer fans the world over.

One item that no home bar should be without is a clever old beer sign. Many of the slogans used to sell beer are quite catchy. Steel or tin signs reading "Beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder", and even "Best Head in Town… Get it at Luckey’s Bar" can be found as originals or reproductions to spruce up your home bar in a comic fashion.

The advent of reproduction beer signs certainly has brought down the market for the antiques, at least for those that have been re-made. For those home bar owners who have yet to invest in an antique beer sign, this is good news! Now you can get great vintage-seeming beer signs at low prices. But for antique collectors, do not fret. If you are the one who has a great old beer sign that hasn’t yet been reproduced, you may find a buyer or have some reproductions made yourself.

One of the flashiest types of beer sign made is, of course, the neon beer sign. Almost every brand currently in large-scale production has neon beer signs made to advertise their product. Even some micro brews have these neon beer signs. Although the theories leading up to the invention of neon date back to 1675, the first neon lamp on public display occurred in Paris, France on December 11, 1910. The inventor, Georges Claude, patented his invention is 1915 in the U.S. and sold the first commercially produced neon signs to a Packard car dealership in 1924 for a whopping $2400 (for two). It was not long after that neon signs started springing up everywhere, including bars and the Vegas Strip.

Vintage neon beer signs are rare items. Neon is notorious for its short lifespan. One of the oldest neon signs still glowing belongs to "Luckey’s" bar in Eugene, Oregon. The sign currently resides indoors, due to a law banning large signs in the town which was passed in the 1970’s. The Air Devil Inn of Louisville, Kentucky claims their sign is also from 1934. This would seem to be the logical date for any of the oldest remaining, intact neon beer-related signs. 1934 was a good year, after all, the year that prohibition ended in the United States!

Of all the forms that beer collectibles take, the beer sign is one that most effectively lends the flavor of the era in which it was made. Anywhere a vintage beer sign is hung lends an aura of authenticity to the room. You will find many bars collect and line the walls of their establishments with these old signs, beer posters, and other vintage breweriana. Why not your home bar?

Breweriana: Collectible Pint Glasses

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Collecting takes many forms, and in the world of beer collectibles, or breweriana, one of the most popular collectibles are the vessel by which beer is imbibed. From the early days of earthenware steins to crystal goblets, beer has been enjoyed in a variety of vessels. In recent times, the glass that most accurately symbolizes good beer is the pint glass, and many brew pubs and breweries have released their own logo-ed pint glasses, which are treasured collectibles for fans of their brand.

Pint Glasses

The number and variety of collectable items related to beer is staggering.  From beer signs dating back to prohibition days, to antique steins from Europe, to painted bar mirrors, to modern day pint glasses, breweriana is seen from coast to coast.  Of the many forms breweriana has taken, it is the pint glass which has now come to the fore of the modern collector’s shelf.

A look at the collector’s market for antique beer collectables will show you just how much beer vessels can fetch.  Some go for as little as $5, but the older items can fetch hundreds or even a thousand dollars!  Of course, you may not be around by the time your pint glasses are worth that much, but collecting is best when it is about enjoying what you have, not selling it!

These days, most commercial beer makers have produced pint glasses with their logo emblazoned upon them.  These are sold to the public at many breweries, and also to commercial bars, restaurants, and suppliers in the food and beverage industry.  The most collectable of these is the limited edition pint glass.  Usually minted in order to celebrate a special seasonal beer, these are sold at the brewery and at beer garden festivals as well. 

Commemorative pint glasses like these are great reminders of good times and good beer.  But not all commemorative pint glasses are produced for beer.  Many events are now making their own commemorative pint glasses as part of a lucrative merchandising strategy.  Events like Phoenix’s World Invitational Joust, Sports clubs, and even bands are producing pint glasses to commemorate shows, parties, and seasons.  In this way, pint glasses are beginning to move past the realm of breweriana into larger scopes of collectables. 

It is nice to have some different pint glasses around for social events as well.  A glass like the Phoenix’s World Invitational Joust commemorative pint glass can be a great conversation starter!  Glasses from local brewpubs can also remind people of good times they had there.  “Remember when…”

Often, a set of pint glasses will have a matching beer tap handle.  For those breweriana fans that own their own home draft beer system, these tap handles can add a nice touch to your serving.  There are many places on-line that sell different beer tap handles, and on ebay you can even find sets of matching pint glasses that come with the beer tap handle.

Collecting pint glasses is a common practice among home brewers and home bar owners.  Keeping an eye out for unique and interesting pint glasses can enhance your home bar experience and that of you guests – so keep an eye out for ‘em!

Extreme Kegerators

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There’s a new trend taking place amongst kegerator builders that is taking some of their designs to the extreme. Bigger, faster, stronger is the American way and so why not apply that to the modern kegerator? Well here is a few of the extreme kegerators we have been seeing lately that are likely to spawn a whole new way of thinking when it comes to drinking draft beer from a kegerator.

Kegerator Cabinet

Garage Tool Cabinet Kegerators
If you were out shopping for a new tool cabinet for your garage you would expect to find features like durable chrome plating or rolling casters, but would a kegerator be an upgrade you would be interested in? Garage Fabricators from Central California thinks it should be. They’ve created the Diamond Plate Kegerator Cabinet that comes fully loaded including powdercoated steel plating and welded 6" phenolic casters. The kegerator cabinet is 23.5” deep x 47.5” wide x 64” tall and has the option of a Flatscreen TV mount. For only $1,678.57 you can call one of these kegerator cabinets your own.

Arcade Kegerator

Arcade Machine Kegerators
Whether its Pac-Man or Mario Brothers, imagine having access to fresh draft beer while playing your favorite arcade games. Well, two companies we’ve found seem to have the same idea. The Custom Bar Guys in Roanoke, VA have created THE GAMERATOR. The Gamerator offers access to over 1,000 classic and current arcade games and a refrigerated interior capable of holding a pony keg of draft beer. A device this unique is surely worth the $3,995.00 price tag, so order yours today, as they are handmade upon order and take up to 4 weeks to build.

Racing Arcade Kegerator

Another company integrating a beer experience for gamers is Dream Arcades out of Folsom, CA. They have created a racing arcade kegerator entitled the Octane 120 Beer Arcade. The Octane 120 is a home arcade gaming system that combines three things every adult gamer wants: classic arcade games, arcade-style racing, and a full sized kegerator with in-dash beer tap to get your favorite beverage without having to get out of the seat. Only $6995 (S+H) and it’s all yours!

Hitch Mount Kegerator

Hitch Mount Kegerator
California companies seem to be all over the extreme kegerator setups and Party-A-CarGo out of Concord, CA is no exception. They have put together a hitch mounted kegerator / entertainment system. Tailgaters, campers, or weekend warriors can pour up to 160 ice cold beers, play 12 hours of music and watch the early games on TV without having to recharge their battery, refill their cooler with ice or clean up empty beer cans. Check out Party-A-CarGo to get all the details on this extreme kegerator.

Breweriana: Specialty Beer Glasses

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Specialty Beer Glasses

Specialty glasses have existed throughout the ages, whether they are for wine, champagne, or different types of beers. From crystal goblets to stoneware steins, and, more recently, Belgian glass goblets, glass, ceramic, wood, and metal crafters have produced their visions of the perfect vessel for the perfect drink. The ratio of slope to surface area, breathing area, and volume contained within, are all tailored to the liquid viscosity and temperament of the beverage in question.

Having a unique specialty beer glass for each of your alcoholic beverages has always helped to make the moment special. Who ever heard of sitting around the local pub, drinking mugs of ale? That may be true for mid-evil re-creationists, but most beer fans prefer pint glasses. That way you can see what you’re drinking. In mid-evil times, you didn’t always WANT to see what you were drinking.

Having a nice rack of differing specialty beer glasses is good for when company comes over. It can encourage your friends to bring some fine ale if you have some Chimay glasses around. These glasses are called chalices, and feature a wide, flat bottom and straight sides to allow the many aromas of the monk-style Belgian ales to be smelled.

Having a set of German bier Steins up on the shelf may also lend clues to guests as to what you’d like at the next potluck (better Heineken than Budweiser, at least). The stein and the mug are best suited for ales of the inimitably quaffable kind. Beer that is guzzled easily. Beer that you want to drink a lot of because you want to become intoxicated.

European specialty beers often fall into the category of beers that should be served in specialty beer glasses. If you walk into a bar that serves a selection of Belgian ales, this is a good place to learn more about the difference between specialty beer glasses, but until then take my word for it: Weiss biers and hefeweisens have a glass which is curvy and top heavy. This gives a little lip at the bottom to catch any yeast sediment, which may result from drinking the bottle-conditioned variety of theses ales.

Pilsner glasses are the more straightforward, simple and elegant tall glasses with only the slightest of curves. The relatively narrow top channels the bitter aromas into the nose, facilitating an aromatic blast with each swig.

Lambics, being specialty ales from a nation of specialty ales, are best indulged in what is known as a flute glass. This resembles a champagne glass, but with more curves. This keeps the bubbles moving around, for like champagne, lambics are highly carbonated. The narrow top keeps the aromas from floating about too much.

Barley wine glasses usually hold less beer – barley wines being much stronger in alcohol and flavor than regular beers (around 7%-12% alcohol). In order to prevent patrons from stumbling over each other drunk or passing out in the bar, the volume of the glass is decreased. The glasses usually have a fairly open top to allow the rich and malty bouquet of the barley wine to waft above the specialty glass. Go to a good barley wine tasting and you will see what it is all about.

The Samuel Adams brewery of Boston, Mass., just this last year released a glass, which their brewers claim, serves beer as brewers intended. The Samuel Adams Boston Lager Pint Glass shares many traits with the flute, but it is bigger and has a much wider mouth.

"We wanted to create a glass that offers beer lovers a full sensory experience by fully showcasing Samuel Adams Boston Lager’s complex balance of malt and hop flavors.", said Jim Koch, founder of Samuel Adams.

And last, but not least, one good reason for having different specialty beer glasses, for different kinds of beers, is to help bar patrons to remember which glass is theirs. A night of drinking can sometimes muddle ones perceptions. In any case, is not a finely crafted beer worthy of its own glass?

Mini Kegerators

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When discussing mini kegerators, it is important to make the distinction between which type you are talking about. There is the kegerator that is made from a mini refrigerator, and then there is the mini kegerator gadget. The mini kegerator that is made from a mini fridge is a compact, but still largely immobile device that is usually home made, using half sized or even smaller fridges. The mini kegerator that is a gadget is a new appliance on the market. It is quite portable, and a good way to enjoy draft beer while on the go – that is what we are talking about here.

Mini Kegerators"Gadget" Mini kegerators are a new retail item that helps you to enjoy cold beer without the expense of owning a full-on kegerator. Mini kegerators are becoming a more and more affordable way to ensure that you have draft beer on the go. Most brands come with a variety of options, such as DC power, cleaning kits, and temperature control. Mini kegerators that dispense 5 liter mini kegs are made by Krups, Heineken, Avanti, EdgeStar, Vinotemp, and other companies as well, so there are a variety of models to choose from.

These gadgets are currently priced right around $200 – $300. For all practical purposes, the less expensive units do just as good a job as the more expensive ones. For example, the Avanti Mini-Pub Kegerator retails for about $230, and the Vinotemp Mini Keg Beer Dispenser retails for about $100 more – $330. The Avanti has the benefit of being more compact, and the Vinotemp has a better temperature regulator. So, unless you have really exacting temperature requirements for your beer, you might as well get the more inexpensive brand – it is more likely to fit in the trunk or boat, or whatever you are traveling in. General compact-ability is a feature of most mini kegerator gadgets – at least, compared to the mini fridge kegerator or a full-blown kegerator. For this reason, these compact mini kegerators have enjoyed popularity among the draft beer fan crowd.

One of the great advantages of the mini kegerator is that they come with AC and DC power supplies. This allows you to run the mini kegerator off of your car, RV, or boat battery, even solar systems can power these mini kegerators. This makes it easy to take a small amount of beer (standard mini kegs hold 5 liters) out for a picnic, boating, or car camping trip. Mini kegerators can also be easily installed into your RV or boat as a semi-permanent appliance.

New advances in refrigeration technology may see a whole revolution in the way we cool all manner of things, including beer. Researchers at Penn. State have made headway in electromagnetic cooling devices. These devices operate without the use of a compressor or of Freon, and, if commercially viable, will produce machines that are much more compact than the bulky fridges we are used to. On top of this, Ben and Jerry’s, the famous ice cream men, have developed a way to cool their dessert via sound waves. By using a machine that employs pressurized helium gas and ethyl alcohol as a cooling medium, they keep their ice creams at a delightfully cold level.

The increased popularity and availability of kegerators is likely to create an industry that is capable of harnessing these new technologies and putting them to good use. It seems clear that, with this latest invention of the mini kegerator, the kegerator industry is willing and capable of incorporating new, inventive ideas into its arsenal of products. In short, we are sure to see more and more interesting forms of kegerators in the coming years.

The new options that these mini kegerators provide give fans of draft beer an excellent opportunity to enjoy draft beer in a variety of settings. While in the past, draft beer fans have gone to great lengths to install kegerator systems in their R.V.s, now it as simple as shopping around for a convenient new appliance. Some day, we may see mini kegerators replacing coffee makers in the office (certain offices, anyways), or at least be seen side-by-side with them. As it is, we will see them on the beach, the mountain retreat campsite, at sea, and at the omnipresent tailgate party. Draft beer to-go has become a reality at last.

A New Addition to the Home Bar: Margarators

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If you have ever wanted to enjoy the cool refreshing taste of margaritas in your own home bar, the time has come. The Margarator is a new appliance that is light and portable, runs on AC or DC, and allows you to make your own margaritas just about anywhere. Camping trips? No problem. Home bar? Fits under the bar. R.V.? Just plug it in. So the only question is, do you like margaritas enough to justify buying this new appliance?

Margaritas have a long history going back to as early as 1934. The first machine-made frozen margarita mix was invented by chemist John Hogan in 1971 in the Dallas, Texas region. Mr. Hogan is widely recognized as the inventor of the frozen margarita machine. His secret was the application of pure cane sugar to sweeten up the drink for mass consumption. The IBA Official list of Cocktails standard recipe for a margarita is 7:4:3 (7 parts tequila, 4 parts Triple Sec, 3 parts fresh lime or lemon juice). This drink is usually served over ice or mixed in with shaved ice, which is more common.

Priced from $60 to $130, home appliance margarators come in many variations on the same theme. Makers include many little known names (as far as kitchen appliances go): Helman Group, Empire Engineering, Blendtec, Breville, Cecilware, Daiquiri Whacker, Hamilton Beach, On The Edge Marketing, Saniserv, Sensio, Tailgator, and Waring. Some better known brands also have margarators on the market: like Kitchen-Aid, Cuisinart, Margaritaville, Nostalgia Electrics, Oster, and Viking. Restaurant grade machines are likely to cost upwards of $400, so this new appliance brings a new availability to the realm of margarita machines.

Nostalgia Electronics is the maker of such wonderful machines as the cotton candy machine, popcorn machine, milkshake machine, and many more. From them, we see in the realm of home margarita machines the MOS-400 Margarita Oasis™ Frozen Drink Machine ($109), the MMA-600 Margarita Mania Margarita, Smoothie, Daiquiri & Frozen Drink Maker ($112.00), and the HSM-590 Margarator Machine ($99.99, the original margarator). Nostalgia Electrics also makes kegerators, both full size and mini-kegerators. Nostalgia Electrics even provides us with recipes for their device:

Basic Margarita
2 to 2 ½ C tequila
An entire 1 ¾ liter bottle margarita mix

Strawberry Margarita 1 ½ C tequila
1 L margarita mix
16 oz quartered strawberries (fresh or frozen)
Salt

Strawberry Mango Margarita
1 ½ C tequila
2 C margarita mix
3 C mango juice
16 oz quartered strawberries (fresh or frozen)

While margarators of all brands are available through many outlets, the new website margarators.com is a great site to see all that margarators have to offer. From small home or travel appliances to machines industrial restaurant applications, margarators.com has it all. One nice aspect of the site is the article section, providing different viewpoints on the margarator phenomenon.

If you are a margarita fan, it is sure that you will want a margarator. The question is, which one will be the best for you? For travel purposes, Nostalgia Electrics Margarators are the clear choice. These units are relatively compact and easy to power from car or home. If you are looking for a more serious margarator, you may want to take a look at Margaritaville’s Tahiti Frozen Concoction Maker DM3000. This unit is pricey (about $600), and takes up some counter space, but for a big party, its all you’ll really need. This unit blends and ices 3 gallons of margaritas at a time, in three different pitchers. This unit allows the most flexibility for serving different types of drinks that I have seen.

This Fall’s Ultimate Kegerator Guide

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Make Space This Fall For These Kool Kegerators …

EdgeStar Kegerator

EDGESTAR HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED

EdgeStar Kegerator 
Under $400.00
This kegerator from EdgeStar is the most affordable full-sized kegerator on the market today. The kegerator stores up to a full sized half shell Sankey standard keg and is perfect addition to your home for fall entertaining. See Kegerator Details

 

Haier BrewMaster KegeratorHaier BrewMaster Kegerator
$529.99
This is the Honda Civic of kegerators. Durable, dependable and you will get a lot of mileage out of this machine. The kegerator will hold a full sized keg or multiple homebrew style kegs when modified with a dual or triple tap tower. The auto defrost, temperature control and cooling plate are nice features too.  See Kegerator Details

 

Beverage Air KegeratorBeverage Air Kegerator
$1,399.00
With this heavy-duty kegerator you can keep your keg cold with precision. Perfect for the serious draft beer aficionado, this kegerator comes with a stainless steel worktop and high quality refrigeration components. This kegerator would probably last a lifetime, so if you need a workhorse this is your kegerator. See Kegerator Details

 

Mini Keg DispenserMini Keg Dispenser
$159.99
Ever seen the 5 liter mini-kegs at the supermarket? Well here is a 5-liter dispenser/cooler that will keep your favorite beer or soda ready-to-serve cold. Features include an easy flow design, drip tray cover, brushed aluminum door panel and indicator light. HelmanGroup.com

 

Kenmore KegeratorKenmore Kegerator
$594.99
This kegerator is a nice full sized unit with all the bells and whistles of the Haier BrewMaster kegerator. This unit stores a half-barrel keg, so your favorite beer is always on tap. You can also store quarter-barrel kegs and mini kegs. Store pickup at Sears is a nice option for those looking to save a few bucks on shipping costs.  See Kegerator Details

 

SudsBuddy KegeratorSudsbuddy Kegerator 
$1,399.98
A truly stylish kegerator that definitely is thinking outside of the box. Made of polyethylene plastic, this kegerator is dent-resistant and weighs less than 60 lbs making it easy for portability. It even has a cigarette-lighter adapter. How cool is that?. See Kegerator Details

 

Viking KegeratorViking Kegerator 
$2,899.00
If you are an appliance snoot that only lives for the finer things in life, then I would like to introduce you to the Viking kegerator. This is the Lamborghini of kegerators. Stick this beauty next to your outdoor Sub-Zero and Wolf range to wow your guest and serve delicious draft beer. See Kegerator Details

 

Perlick KegeratorPerlick Kegerator 
$2,889.00
This ultra-slim kegerator defines luxury. It is designed with fully integrated depth to allow flush fit with surrounding cabinetry. If you are thinking of installing a kegerator into your cabinetry or you are a contractor designing a  home bar, you can’t go wrong with this ultra modern kegerator design. See Kegerator Details

 

Fridgidaire KegeratorFridgidaire Kegerator 
$1149.00
This is for all you old school beer lovers that built a kegerator when you were in college out of an old refrigerator. Well, here is a beautiful replica made by Fridgidaire. It features a freezer on the top to store cold mugs and accommodates Up To a 16-Gallon Keg.  See Kegerator Details

$3,000 Dollar Kegerator Added to Kegerators.com

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Viking Kegerator

Who better than Viking to create a weather-resistant stainless steel kegerator for elegant outdoor kitchens and charge over $3,000 bucks for it! I think it is funny that they charge so much for these units when you can get a no name brand with all the same features for a fraction of the cost.

None-the-less the Viking brand line of kegerators made it into the catalog on Kegerators.com. I wouldn’t want to keep anything from you guys :). My advice is to compare them to some of the other stainless steel outdoor kegerators and decide if the name "Viking" is worth an extra $2k.

I understand if you are the kind of person that likes to name drop expensive brands like Viking, Sub-Zero or Wolf, so I won’t judge you if you do decide to shill out the big buckaroos. Whatever you choose, have a blast and enjoy the most important thing of all… The cold draft beer!

Kegerator Sale

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Kegerator SaleI just noticed Micro Matic has thrown out a sale on their Tap & Serve Kegerator for $445.50. If you ever were looking for a good deal on a kegerator, here is a great deal for you. This unit is slim and won’t take up a lot of space. It packs all the features of most of the expensive kegerators and has a stainless steel finish which is nice for fitting in with most of today’s kitchen decor.

Some of the features of this kegerator are:

•  Complete tapping & cleaning kit included.
•  Designed for home use: quiet and energy efficient.
•  Stainless steel door panel.
•  Easy clean molded worktop with glass guard rails.
•  Removable drip tray for easy cleaning.
•  CO2 cylinder mounts on back of unit (holder included) for maximum interior space

A glass of draft beer served from the Tap & Serve Kegerator is about ½ the cost of cans or bottles of your favorite brew and with that kind of savings, it doesn’t take long to pay for a new Kegerator. Order one today and take advantage of this kegerator sale. Start enjoying; cold, delicious draft beer at home.