The Claussen-Sweeny Brewing Co.
(1883-1916)

In September of 1883, Edward Francis Sweeney and William J. Rule established their small brewery in Georgetown, a newly incorporated section south of Seattle. Sweeney had gained brewing experience in his home town of San Francisco at the Hibernia Brewery, owned by his father-in-law. He also apprenticed at the Fredericksburg Brewery of San Jose. (see Sweeney's biography).

Late that year an article appeared in Seattle Illustrated touting the newly formed "Clausen (sic) & Sweeney Brewing Co." and its product:

"About one year ago the above company was organized with Mr. Edward F. Sweeney president, and Mr. A.T. Clausen (sic) secretary and treasurer, both gentlemen in the time given evidenced to the people of Seattle their expertise and success in having now established a brewing company rivaling any in the east as far as excellence of its production is concerned.

Extensive improvements and enlargements are being made and the output will in short time be more than treble its present capacity. Corliss engines, ammonia refrigerators and the most complete brewing facilities are used. Over $140,000 have been invested in the the very short time that they have been established, and it will not be long when this favorite coast brewery will be as well know in the east as locally."

Since 1875, brewers could not bottle their product on site; so Sweeney and Claussen established a separate plant for retail ice sales and beer bottling. Their Washington Ice & Bottling Co. was located on the Grant St. Bridge, which was just south of the Bay View Brewery. This bottling restriction was rescinded in 1890. The close-up shown here (left) is of a slug-plate for a half-pint beer bottle from the Claussen-Sweeney Bottling works. The green, quart bottle (above) is believed to have been manufactured in Germany - as were matching bottles from both the Bay View Brewery and the Victoria Brewing Co.
 

In May of 1891 Hans Claussen decided to sell his interest in the brewing company to George F. Gund, in order to pursue other interests. Nearly ten years later, in March of 1901, Hans formed the Claussen Brewing Association. His Tannhaeuser Brewery was located at 3455 21st. Ave West, in Seattle. He chose the same style of label (at left) that he and Sweeney had adopted. (see his label for Tannhaeuser Beer)

In January of 1893 Sweeney's Brewery joined Albert Braun's Brewery and the Hemrich's Bay View Brewery to form a new association - the Seattle Brewing & Malting Company (SBMCo). Andrew Hemrich became president; Albert Braun, vice-president; and Edward Sweeny, secretary.

By the end of 1893, the Claussen-Sweeny plant (as it was still called) was brewing a million gallons of beer a year, and it was said to be some of the best beer brewed on the West Coast. This plant would became the core facility of a newly formed brewing association.

By the turn of the century the Temperance movement had gained strength, and the brewers attempted to distance themselves from hard liquor by touting beer as a beverage of moderation (as seen in the ad below). However, the ploy ultimately failed since beer was deemed equally responsible for anti-social behavior.

The following excerpt was taken from a Temperance newspaper published by the Anti-Saloon League:

"What the Brewers Brew....
They brew crime of every sort. Sweep away the breweries and the distilleries, and you will secure municipal reform, banish the most prolific causes of poverty, insanity and crime, and clean the cities of most of their moral rottenness."

This view that brewers were responsible for society's ills must have also resonated with Sweeney's wife. In January 1906, E. F. Sweeney bowed to the moral imperative of Temperance (and the urgings of his wife) selling his holdings in SBMCo to the Hemrich brothers. The company was then restructured, with Andrew Hemrich remaining as president, and Louis assuming Sweeney's position of vice president and general manager.

The company's main plant was now referred to as the Sweeney Brewery, or just the Georgetown plant by insiders. The company continued to enlarge the facility and to significantly increase its brewing capacity. However, with the imposition of Prohibition, all production ceased. The company relocated to San Francisco, dismantling and shipping much of the brewing equipment to their new Rainier Brewing Company.

There were plans to use the plant for commercial alcohol production, but  ultimately it was only utilized for ice and cold storage. The brewery that was the sixth largest in the world, and Washington's largest industrial complex would never be reopened.