2023 is just about finished, so let’s celebrate with a couple of remarkable specimens, shall we?
Commodore Portable based on the Erika 30
Ah, Commodore, how I have an irrational appreciation for you! I speak to this in a previous blog entry (see it here) and I won’t repeat myself here. But I will note that Commodore didn’t manufacture typewriters, so much as assemble them and re-badge them. Most of the Commodore typewriters I have seen were made by Consul, so when I saw this unusual case with the Commodore brand I had to try it out! It turns out this is an Erika typewriter. In my typecast I describe it as a model 33, however I believe it is actually an Erika model 30.
The typecast was done some months ago, and I can confirm that this one has become one of my regular go-to typewriters. I really like the feel of this segment-shifting machine. It’s taken the place of my Hermes 3000 as a mid-sized portable “daily driver” machine. Now, I can understand why many might prefer the Hermes to this machine – it has more features, the type feel is a little more refined. This one just resonates with me. Maybe it is the Commodore brain-washing of my youth? The only really odd thing about it is how it is mounted to the base of its case, and this lid comes right off. It reminds me of some of the older portable record players I’ve seen.
The Erika typewriters that seem to have been written about seem to be older machines. I guess this is common for most typewriters, the historical value tends to be placed on pre-1965 machines, and later machines are seen as being part of that period where cost-reduction was the primary focus of design changes. Erika machines are, in appears to me, pretty rare where I live, in Ontario, Canada. I suspect that they just didn’t get the distribution here that they did elsewhere. Among the current/modern typewriter community, I have noticed that Erikas are a common favorite among collectors who do a lot of typing. In 2016 Richard Polt in his blog asked is the Erika 20 the perfect typewriter?
It is a shame, to me, that the Commodore typewriters are so poorly documented, not even including model names or numbers. So examples of this machine in the Typewriter Database can be under Commodore Portables and Commodore Other. I assume they are the same based on their similar body styling. It seems to have appeared in different variations elsewhere, too. Erika not only branded it as the Model 30, but it also shows up as the CBM 30 again in a similar body shell.
I think this will be staying in my collection for a while. And I’m still keeping a lookout for other Erika and Commodore machines, too.
Barncat Artisan Ales’ Double Barrel Rat Queen
As we come to the end of 2023 it seems appropriate to celebrate one of the great Canadian breweries that closed its doors a few months ago.
Started by two highly-skilled homebrewers eight years ago in Cambridge, Ontario, Barncat was a truly exceptional brewer. They grew a strong fanbase of afficionados interested in bold and exciting beers. The changing landscape of the market were tough to deal with after the pandemic, and the increasing costs for to maintain their lease forced them into a decision: Start over at a new location, or close.
Barncat’s distribution was not very far or wide, so even for me (maybe 100km away) getting to sample their beer was a rare treat. The example I have included here was one of my favorites. Rat Queen was Barncat’s imperial stout. For this release, they aged that beer in a cognac puncheon for 15 months, then transfered it to a bouron barrel for another 9 months.
What results is a very strong (over 16% alcohol!), very complexly-flavoured beer. It was thick and unctuous. The base-stout being complimented so well by the barrel aging, it was simply one of the most delicious beers I have ever tasted. But it was not the faint of heart – a beer as strong as this is meant to be sipped and shared. Sadly, while I would recommend this to just about any adventurous beer drinker, it is no longer available. I am jealous of those who stocked-up, as this is the kind of beer that will age well in a cellar for a few years to come.
Thank you for reading (…and typing, and sipping) along with me this year, and I wish you all the very best in the year to come! I am already looking forward to discovering new Typewriters and Beer!
Typewriters and Beer 