Odd Wisconsin Archive
Beer, Bier, and ... Schnitzeling on the Schnitzelbank?
More than a simple thirst-quenching, tongue-loosening, mind-altering drink, Milwaukee beer had unexpected virtues according to this colorful 1890s Miller advertising pamphlet:
The weak, the ill, the pale and wan
Will find their strength returning,
And Miller's pure BUDWEISER beer
Will satisfy their yearning
Made with the famous Salzer hops,
Proclaim it from the chimney tops,
It makes strong men of weakling fops,
And sets their souls a-burning.
…
We never show a selfish trait
Toward our foreign brothers,
And therefore send our EXPORT beer
To the birth-place of our mothers.
To England, France, the Netherlands,
To Prussia, Russia, Asia's Strands,
To Arctic and to Tropic lands
And very many others.
Brewing was a German tradition that came to Wisconsin in the mid-19th century, and you can learn all about it on the new “Brewing and Prohibition” page at Turning Points in Wisconsin History. See images of Wisconsin breweries, of the famous Schlitz Palm Garden, and even of the mysterious process of "schnitzeling on the schnitzelbank."
Of course, many non-German Wisconsin residents thought beer was much more than a sugar-free soft drink, that Sunday afternoons ought to be spent in pious reflection rather than convivial ingestion, and they tried to outlaw the pernicious fluid forever. But that's a story for another day.
:: Posted in Curiosities on May 24, 2005
Did You Know?
The Wisconsin Historical Museum is currently featuring Odd Wisconsin objects in the latest exhibit: Odd Wisconsin. And don't miss the Odd Wisconsin book by author Erika Janik published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
|
