drink your way through the holidays with the new yorker, 1976

Leaf through any mid-20th century general interest magazine and you'll fine tons of booze ads. For example, many 1950s American publications provide an education in just how many varieties of bourbon were available, targeted to every class and taste preference.  

This edition of the New Yorker is chock full of booze ads, many of them with a holiday theme. 

Ready to wander through a 1970s ad executive's cabinet as you open the Christmas cards slipped through your mail slot? Let's go!

(DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible if you decide to sample each of these fine liquids while browsing this collection of ads. This post only contains ads related to the holidays or nearly related to the holidays. Trust me, there were plenty of non-Christmas booze ads in this issue.)

O Tanqueray Gin tree!
O Tanqueray Gin tree!
How lovely are thy bottles!

Then as now, you might choose to give a nice bottle of scotch in a fancy gift box. Some brands, like J&B, went for historical illustrations (which I imagine were popular during the American bicentennial)...

...some went for nostalgia (and stories about adults hogging gifts from the kids)...

...while other brands went for simpler packaging. 

Speaking of the American bicentennial, this cognac tied itself to Revolutionary War-era history and a New York City historical landmark. 

Today on Johnnie Walker Romance Theatre: can two lovers, spending their first Christmas together, find common ground on gifts to give their respective families? And how will they handle her mother, who doesn't like the smoky finish of scotch?

Never fear, there is a solution!

Is Harveys Bristol Cream still considered a romantic drink, or a beverage saved for enjoying with close friends? Between 1970s ads that were frequently parodied to my exclusive use of sherry/apera as a cooking ingredient, it's a style of alcohol that I've never considered pulling a bottle out for a special occasion.

Growing up, I thought Crown Royal bags were produced as a special accessory for holding Scrabble tiles. We still use one whenever we haul out the board at my Mom's. 

Speaking of home, some of Windsor's most famous booze gets the holiday gift box treatment. 

Not exactly a Christmas ad, but it is wintry! While sipping this cherry-chocolate sensation during a holiday celebration, you can dream of spending a day on the slopes in Switzerland. 

At this point my life, any skiing location would feel exotic, partly due to the pandemic, partly because I haven't skied since, depending on when my Grade 8 trip to Alpine Valley in suburban Detroit was, either the end of the Reagan administration or the beginning of George H.W. Bush's presidency.

Now that the liquor cabinet has been restocked, time to grab some mixers to go with them. 

Not sure about the Pink Squirrel, which resembles Pepto Bismol. Seems fitting that the tackiest looking drink is being downed by an insurance agent who shared the same tailor as WKRP in Cincinnati sales manager Herb Tarlek. 

Barbara Hart's comparison to NBC may have been more of an insult than the ad writer intended. The Peacock Network performed poorly in the ratings during this era - during the 1976/77 season, only two non-movie/non-special series rabked among Nielsen's top 30 rated shows (Little House on the Prairie was #15, Sanford and Son #27). Like Barbara's choice of drink, NBC's lineup had too little zap, and would have even less as the decade wore on. 

Click on image for larger version.

Bacardi's drink spread doesn't feel too outdated, though you might choose juices other than Hawaiian Punch for the main fruity concoction.

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Articles in this issue of the New Yorker include John Updike's short story Domestic Life in America; a long "Reporter at Large" piece on microwaves by Paul Brodeur (part 1 of 2); a long unsigned piece on Christmas gifts for children; a short Calvin Trillin piece on racial discrimination at Whimsey's discotheque in Boston; and Pauline Kael's review of the Woody Guthrie biopic Bound For Glory.