Hank's Breweriana--Buffalo/Ontario Style

This is kind of a "teaser" post about my fetish for Breweriana.  I've had it all my life, but only in the last few years have I been able to start obtaining things that I've always wanted.

It started, like it did for many New Yorkers now in their 40's and 50's, with those famous Utica Club talking mugs; the German Schultz, and the smaller Irish Dooley.  Schultz and Dooley are still in my earliest memories, talking on the bar in Utica Club Beer Commericals. And they were joined by a whole cast of characters, Officer Suds being the most remembered. I have a 30 minute VCR tape of many of these commercials.

In 1982 Wanda bought me Schultz and Dooley for Christmas, her brother lives 20 miles from Utica and went to the brewery to buy them.

About 6 years ago, while my son WASN'T living in my basement, and before my diagnosis of Diabetes would severely limit my alcohol consumption, I was busy drawing up my plans to put in part of my basement an abbreviated version of the Riverside "workingmans" bars that I grew up in---shining shoes, and stocking coolers/hauling wings/cleaning up in the mornings.  Even then I was "(almost)Anything for a buck".

And I wanted to decorate it with the icons of those bars, most long gone. Simon Pure, Iroquois, Genesse, Molson, O'Keefe, Koch's, Carling,Utica Club, Matt's etc.  And I've bought a LOT of things to decorate down there. All I have to do is get my almost 28 year old son to move the hell out of the basement (for the 4th time) so I can get started.  Last time I got it cleaned and ready, here the PITA comes again.

So over the next couple of days I will be posting some pictures of my gear. When I'm done, someone should be able to come into my basement and feel like they just walked into a corner bar in Buffalo.  A refuge from the rednecks down here

They like music, Country and Western(both kinds), and if they're really out there they know 3 bands, Creedence, Skynyrd, and one that's not---and will drink any kind of beer, as long as it's BUDWEISER.  Nastiest tasting swill ever brewed IMO. 

I've got trays, old cans, bottles, pitchers, glasses, barmaid trays, mirrors, hanging lights, lite up counter signs, a collection of Tap pulls, all manner of stuff. And when my son is gone for good (Moving to Louisiana this summer once his breathalyzer ignition lock is off his car), I'll unveil the plans for the bar itself.  I also plan to put in a small pizza oven and a commercial fryer for wings.

More to come.......