This is the Hills Brothers Coffee Drinker. He is located at 2 Harrison Street in the plaza of the original Hills Brothers Coffee Building. This sculpture was created by a dear friend of mine Spero Anargyros. (1915- 2004) Spero finished this sculpture in 1992. It is a 9′ tall bronze beauty.
The “drinking man” or “Taster” was designed by a San Francisco artist named Briggs, in celebration of vacuum packing. It is said that the original was a tribute to the Ethiopian roots of the coffee itself. After gracing the first vacuum packed can, the Taster remained the company logo for many years. Folgers, an original San Francisco company is now part of the Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA brand of companies.
2 Harrison is on the National Register of Historic Places.
I always understood that my grandfather Frank Spreyer another San Francisco artist designed and illustrated the Taster. Not Briggs. Can we get some clarification? My mother said that she remembered various paintings around his studio.