Monday, November 23, 2015

Shakespeare Reference on Beer Packaging

Recently I was at the beverage store, picking up a specific drink for a party, when a nearby four-pack of beer caught my eye.  It was that famous picture of William Shakespeare that got my attention, and then once I saw it I couldn't very well leave the store without purchasing that beer, Samuel Smith's Winter Ale. I'm not one to believe in signs or anything, but it did cross my mind that perhaps the picture of the world's best writer was a signal that this was the world's best beer. Ordinarily I would not even consider spending $12.99 for four bottles of beer, but my love for Shakespeare and my curiosity overrode my need to save money.

It is, it turns out, a damn good beer. But it's the packaging I want to focus on here. In addition to the picture of Shakespeare, it bears a quotation from The Two Gentlemen Of Verona: "Blessing of your heart you brew good ale." This is from Act III Scene i, and the full line is:"And thereof comes the proverb, 'Blessing of your heart, you brew good ale.'"

1 comment:

  1. A friend of mine in california just texted me a photo of that same 4-pack. He says he drinks the beer often and loves it. which set me on the search to find out the origin. and here I am!

    ReplyDelete