I have tried both in my day. Rheingold was still popular in the seventies, when I was first eligable to drink legally. One more thing, you may be too young to remember the Rheingold girls contests. A lot of good looking girls but then I’m dating myself….
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Brian Joura
On November 27, 2011 at 11:49 am
Thanks Rob! And here I was thinking it was the AOL email address dating you…
You’re right – I don’t remember those contests. Doing some quick research, here’s what I found:
“As early as 1965, Rheingold Beer, for example, was airing TV spots featuring African American, Puerto Rican, and Asian actors. The venerable Miss Rheingold contests–an annual institution in New York since 1939–had been discontinued the previous year, due largely to the realization that a single Miss Rheingold could not accurately reflect the brewery’s racially diverse customer base.”
Bob Murphy was awesome. He managed to make smaller cans of beer sold for the same price sound like an upgrade.
We could really use his happy recaps this upcoming season. Mets broadcasters are the best. I can watch 9 innings of crap if GKR (and Ralph) are calling it.
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Brian Joura
On November 28, 2011 at 7:30 am
Thanks Bus!
My favorite was calling them “cubs” – I’ve never heard anyone refer to the smaller size can/bottle that way. We used to call that size the extremely non-PC “nips”
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AJ
On November 28, 2011 at 8:10 pm
You know, it’s really no small blessing that the Metsies have the best announcers in baseball. Can you imagine how much more painful the past couple of seasons would have been without Gary, Keith and Ron? (and Howie on the radio – can’t say much in favor of Wayne Hagan, except that he rides the 7 train to the ballpark.
Murph was great at his job, too. It takes a great announcer to make poor baseball worth listening to. The Mets would be down something like 9 to 3, and Murph would be saying “Fasten your seatbelts – we’re heading to the bottom of the ninth!” My favorite part of the Rheigngold commercial is Bob’s suggestion that an 8-pack of “cub cans” was just the right amount to get you through a ball game. That would be 64 ounces of beer in 9 innings. Fasten your seatbelt, indeed.
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NormE
On November 28, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Great post. If I’m not mistaken, the “kid” in the Schaefer commercial was Larry Kert, who was the original Tony in West Side Story.
Back in the old days, before your time, Brian, Schaefer was the chief sponsor for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Ballantine had the Yankees and
Rheingold had the NY Giants. Each team had two sponsors, a beer sponsor and a tobacco sponsor (Dodgers-Lucky Strike, Yankees-Muriel Cigars, Giants-Chesterfield). In the Giants last few years in NYC they switched beer sponsors to Knickerbocker Beer (“Knock, knock for Knick”).
The Miss Rheingold posters brought back memories of those days–even the subway system had a “Miss Subways” which was similar to the Miss Rheingold ads.
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Brian Joura
On November 28, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Wow NormE – lots of information in that comment, thanks. I should have had you write this post!
I went to Kert’s Wikipedia page and it did not mention the commercial. It gave his date of birth as 1930, so if it was him he would have been in his early 40s.
One of the fun things about that Schaefer commercial is one of the guys in it is the actor who later went on to play Mr. Bentley in “The Jefferson’s.”
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NormE
On November 28, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Brian,
As an aside, which might not interest many Mets fans, a number of the Miss Rheingold contestants, went on fame. Elyse Knox (1942) starred in the old Joe Palooka movies, married football great Tom Harmon and is the mother of Mark Harmon. Tippi Hedren (1953) starred in the Hitchcock movie “The Birds” and is the mother of actress Melanie Griffith. Hope Lange (1954) had a very successful career as an actress. Madelyn Darrow (the winner in 1958) married tennis great Pancho Gonzalez and gave up her career to raise their children.
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Doug
On November 30, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Man, I could just listen to Murph say “Rheingold” all day long…
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Mets Card of the Week: Mets Rheingold coaster | Mets360
On March 14, 2012 at 9:08 am
[…] collection, I think it’s greatest value might be as an excuse to link back to Brian’s Rheingold post from last […]
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miki
On June 8, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Hi Brian,
Yes, notwithstanding the fact that ‘the kid’ was over 40, it was indeed Larry Kert, the original Tony in West Side Story!
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Gina W
On December 11, 2023 at 9:11 pm
Nothing looked more refreshing and appealing to this NYC-area kid growing up in the ’60s pre-air conditioning on a hot summer afternoon than the sight of a Rheingold or Schaefer beer being poured into a frosty cold glass on a ballgame beer commercial. It made that frothy sound, and that little rivulet of condensation running down the side — oh man! It just made beer look like the best drink in the world … which made it all the more disappointing to experience it in reality: watery and sour, at least to my palate that had been formed by years of sugary soft drinks. I especially remember the Schaefer ones that showed some sweaty athlete or musician or someone working hard in the sun: “This man is working up a thirst. Not just any thirst. And not just one, not even two beers will do …” We would pour our ginger ale pretending it was beer and see if we could achieve the Rheingold “10 minute head.”
Editor’s Note – Please do not capitalize words in your post, as that is a violation of our Comment Policy.
Rob
On November 27, 2011 at 11:18 am
I have tried both in my day. Rheingold was still popular in the seventies, when I was first eligable to drink legally. One more thing, you may be too young to remember the Rheingold girls contests. A lot of good looking girls but then I’m dating myself….
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Reply
Edit
Brian Joura
On November 27, 2011 at 11:49 am
Thanks Rob! And here I was thinking it was the AOL email address dating you…
You’re right – I don’t remember those contests. Doing some quick research, here’s what I found:
“As early as 1965, Rheingold Beer, for example, was airing TV spots featuring African American, Puerto Rican, and Asian actors. The venerable Miss Rheingold contests–an annual institution in New York since 1939–had been discontinued the previous year, due largely to the realization that a single Miss Rheingold could not accurately reflect the brewery’s racially diverse customer base.”
http://www.beerhistory.com/library/holdings/beer_commercials.shtml
And for those of you demanding pictures…
http://www.rheingoldbrewingcompany.com/miss_rheingold.html
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Bus
On November 28, 2011 at 2:53 am
Bob Murphy was awesome. He managed to make smaller cans of beer sold for the same price sound like an upgrade.
We could really use his happy recaps this upcoming season. Mets broadcasters are the best. I can watch 9 innings of crap if GKR (and Ralph) are calling it.
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Reply
Edit
Brian Joura
On November 28, 2011 at 7:30 am
Thanks Bus!
My favorite was calling them “cubs” – I’ve never heard anyone refer to the smaller size can/bottle that way. We used to call that size the extremely non-PC “nips”
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Reply
Edit
AJ
On November 28, 2011 at 8:10 pm
You know, it’s really no small blessing that the Metsies have the best announcers in baseball. Can you imagine how much more painful the past couple of seasons would have been without Gary, Keith and Ron? (and Howie on the radio – can’t say much in favor of Wayne Hagan, except that he rides the 7 train to the ballpark.
Murph was great at his job, too. It takes a great announcer to make poor baseball worth listening to. The Mets would be down something like 9 to 3, and Murph would be saying “Fasten your seatbelts – we’re heading to the bottom of the ninth!” My favorite part of the Rheigngold commercial is Bob’s suggestion that an 8-pack of “cub cans” was just the right amount to get you through a ball game. That would be 64 ounces of beer in 9 innings. Fasten your seatbelt, indeed.
0
Reply
Edit
NormE
On November 28, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Great post. If I’m not mistaken, the “kid” in the Schaefer commercial was Larry Kert, who was the original Tony in West Side Story.
Back in the old days, before your time, Brian, Schaefer was the chief sponsor for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Ballantine had the Yankees and
Rheingold had the NY Giants. Each team had two sponsors, a beer sponsor and a tobacco sponsor (Dodgers-Lucky Strike, Yankees-Muriel Cigars, Giants-Chesterfield). In the Giants last few years in NYC they switched beer sponsors to Knickerbocker Beer (“Knock, knock for Knick”).
The Miss Rheingold posters brought back memories of those days–even the subway system had a “Miss Subways” which was similar to the Miss Rheingold ads.
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Reply
Edit
Brian Joura
On November 28, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Wow NormE – lots of information in that comment, thanks. I should have had you write this post!
I went to Kert’s Wikipedia page and it did not mention the commercial. It gave his date of birth as 1930, so if it was him he would have been in his early 40s.
One of the fun things about that Schaefer commercial is one of the guys in it is the actor who later went on to play Mr. Bentley in “The Jefferson’s.”
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Reply
Edit
NormE
On November 28, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Brian,
As an aside, which might not interest many Mets fans, a number of the Miss Rheingold contestants, went on fame. Elyse Knox (1942) starred in the old Joe Palooka movies, married football great Tom Harmon and is the mother of Mark Harmon. Tippi Hedren (1953) starred in the Hitchcock movie “The Birds” and is the mother of actress Melanie Griffith. Hope Lange (1954) had a very successful career as an actress. Madelyn Darrow (the winner in 1958) married tennis great Pancho Gonzalez and gave up her career to raise their children.
0
Reply
Edit
Doug
On November 30, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Man, I could just listen to Murph say “Rheingold” all day long…
0
Reply
Edit
Mets Card of the Week: Mets Rheingold coaster | Mets360
On March 14, 2012 at 9:08 am
[…] collection, I think it’s greatest value might be as an excuse to link back to Brian’s Rheingold post from last […]
0
Reply
Edit
miki
On June 8, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Hi Brian,
Yes, notwithstanding the fact that ‘the kid’ was over 40, it was indeed Larry Kert, the original Tony in West Side Story!
0
Reply
Edit
Gina W
On December 11, 2023 at 9:11 pm
Nothing looked more refreshing and appealing to this NYC-area kid growing up in the ’60s pre-air conditioning on a hot summer afternoon than the sight of a Rheingold or Schaefer beer being poured into a frosty cold glass on a ballgame beer commercial. It made that frothy sound, and that little rivulet of condensation running down the side — oh man! It just made beer look like the best drink in the world … which made it all the more disappointing to experience it in reality: watery and sour, at least to my palate that had been formed by years of sugary soft drinks. I especially remember the Schaefer ones that showed some sweaty athlete or musician or someone working hard in the sun: “This man is working up a thirst. Not just any thirst. And not just one, not even two beers will do …” We would pour our ginger ale pretending it was beer and see if we could achieve the Rheingold “10 minute head.”
Editor’s Note – Please do not capitalize words in your post, as that is a violation of our Comment Policy.