The Power's Short Story Prize, 1988

Here's a fun beer mat or coaster, it's by Power's Whiskey and it advertises a short story writing contest. 1988 was the year of Dublin's Millennium, so that's part of the contest too! One side of the coaster explains the contest and the other is a nice street scene of Dublin. 

Guinness Coaster 1987-8 No Beer Comes Near

"No beer comes near" was a great slogan because I still think of it when I think or hear the name "Guinness." This was part of a whole set of coasters that had the iconic Guinness Harp Logo on one side and a little factoid about one of their advertising campaigns on the other. This one is about a plane called the Hawker Hunter Mk51s, a plane that had been used in a commercial.

The Irish Derby June 27, 1987

This is a "beer mat" or coaster advertising The Irish Derby, held June 27, 1987 at Curragh and brought to you by that famous Irish beer, Budweiser!

When I lived in Ireland in the late 1980s Budweiser was making a huge push to become a thing in Ireland. I don't know why they thought they could crack that market, but I suppose that those same great minds are responsible for the fact that Bud is no longer brewed by an American company.

I went back to Ireland in 2006, not a lot of Budweiser being consumed in the pubs.

Hofbrau House Coaster and some Digits

I have two coasters from the legendary Hofbräuhaus in Munich. Here is one in its entirety, and the other is just one side. They would be identical, except that a girl I met wrote her contact info on the coaster. (I've blurred it, hopefully well enough that you internet weirdos never find her). Of course, this was in 1988 or so, so I'm sure she's gone on to great things and no longer uses her parents house as her place of residence.

To be honest, when I found this coaster I had (and still have) no recollection of this girl. A few weeks after raging at the Hofbrau, however, I met the girl that is today my wife of 27 years, so maybe that's why I never followed up with the coaster girl. Either way, it's fun to haul this stuff out of mothballs and see it again for the first time in decades!

Better Budweiser Can at the University College Bar Galway

The other day I posted pictures of a beer coaster from the University College Galway. Looking at the coaster with the naked eye it looks great. The picture revealed some spots and stains. Here's a better coaster, same Budweiser Can ad, same bar, just slightly more pristine shape!

Budweiser Beer Coaster at the University College, Galway

In the late 1980s I lived in Ireland and attended the University College in Galway. It has since been renamed the National University of Ireland (NUI Galway). They have a beautiful old building (pictured on the coaster) and in that beautiful old building was the college bar.

I don't know if the bar is still there. I spent many hours there and discovered my love of Colman's Mustardwhile eating the sandwiches they served at the college bar.

Anyhow. Budweiser was really pushing to get into the Irish Market- they had Budweiser swag all over the place in Ireland then. I LOVE Guinness and wouldn't be caught dead drinking a Bud in Galway, but it was cute of them to try and get me to!