|
BREWERY HISTORIES (FOR
A SIMPLE LIST - GO TO THE
SITE MAP)
The following western breweries are those that I am currently researching.
Some are essentially finished, but are frequently updated when additional
information is uncovered or images of collectibles are found. Others are still
in the early stages of research and composition. Your input is welcome.
When I began the history of 3-B I didn't know that it was
established
by Leopold F. Schmidt, founder of the Olympia Brewing Company of Tumwater.
Included is the local brewery that he absorbed upon completion of 3-B -
Whatcom Brewing & Malting. I then discovered that he had added three other breweries to his brewing
empire...
Leopold Schmidt's first brewery was the
Centennial Brewery in
Butte, Montana - which he established in 1876 [hence the name]. He then founded the
Capitol Brewery in Tumwater, WA, which became the Olympia Brewing Company in
1902. After erecting the Bellingham Bay Brewery he purchased an operating
plant in Oregon...
Along with the acquisition of the
Albany Brewing & Bottling Company, the purchase of the old Capital Brewery
became the primary plant in the newly formed Salem Brewery Association.
Taking advantage of every business opportunity, Schmidt next set his sights on
California...
In the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Schmidt
received a million dollar order for beer to be shipped to the City that had lost
a number of breweries. Schmidt filled the order and established the Acme Brewery
to provide a local supply of beer. To further this effort he merged with the
National Brewery and then formed the California Brewing Association by adding
the Union Brewing & Malting Company, the Broadway Brewing Company,
the Claus Wreden Company, and included the Weinhard Brewing Agency - the San
Francisco agent for the Henry Weinhard Brewery of Portland, OR.
Schmidt's final acquisition was back in his home state of Washington...
In 1909 the Leopold Schmidt purchased controlling interest in the brewery from
the local investors. He operated the brewery for six years when state wide
prohibition closed all his Washington plants. After prohibition a new brewery
was built on the site of the old Port Townsend Brewery - this was the
short-lived Peninsula Brewing Co.
While Schmidt was building his
brewing empire another family was likewise engaged. This brewing dynasty was
referred to as the "House of Hemrich". The family acquired and built a
number of breweries and at the onset of statewide prohibition in 1916, they
operated the largest brewing enterprise west of the Mississippi.
The largest company was the Seattle Brewing & Malting (SB&M), which was formed by the
merger of the:
Bay View Brewery,
Claussen-Sweeny Brewery,
and the
Albert
Braun Brewing Assn.
When state-wide prohibition shut them down, (SB&M) relocated to San Francisco.
But after only four years National Prohibition forced them into the soft-drink
business. However, with Repeal in 1933 the
Rainier
Brewing Co.
was back.
Prior to Prohibition Alvin Hemrich along with his brother, Louis, started the
Hemrich Bros. Brewing Co.
from the old North Pacific Brewery. In 1902, Alvin established the
Aberdeen Brewing Co., which became the
Pioneer Brewing Co.
in 1934.
When sold in 1944 the
Pioneer Brewing Co.
moved to
Walla Walla for eight more years.
After Prohibition Alvin Hemrich established the
Hemrich Brewing Co.
which became the
Apex Brewing Co.
Alvin's son, Elmer
resumed production at the
Columbia Brewing Co.
in Tacoma, and then started
Elmer E. Hemrich's Brewery, Inc.
The Columbia Brewing Company's largest competitor was
Pacific Brewing & Malting, and Columbia's successor
was the
Heidelberg
Brewing Co.
Heidelberg later purchased the Silver
Springs Brewery of Port Orchard and moved it into the old
Northwest Brewing Company's plant in Tacoma.
With the repel of Prohibition in 1933 another brewing dynasty entered the U.S.
market, and they would soon return Rainier Beer to Seattle. This dynasty was
built by the father and son team of
Fritz and Emil Sick, who's already brewing empire was referred to as
the "House of Lethbridge". The Sick family holdings included breweries in
Canada, Montana, and Washington.
One of the Seattle breweries later absorbed by the Sick's was the
Horluck Brewing Co.
The Salinas Brewing & Ice Co. was the post-prohibition
corporation that was formed by JP Rettenmayer, the pre-prohibition president of the Acme Brewing
Co. and the California Brewing Association. JP was assisted by the ex-president
of the Black Hills Brewery, Armin Neubert. SB&I began in 1874 as the Salinas
Brewery; then in 1891 - the Salinas Brewing Co.; in 1934 - the Salinas
Brg. & Ice Co.; and finally, in 1938 - the Monterey Brewing Co. This last
chapter of the Brewery was written solely by the Neubert family. Consequently,
I've done a short biography on Armin Neubert, plus a short history of the
Black Hills Brewing Co., of SD.
I'm currently working on a book about the Rainier brand and the two brewing
families that made Rainier Beer famous - the Hemrichs and the Sicks.
Consequently I won't be adding too much to those pages for awhile.
Gary@BreweryGems.com
BREWERIANA |
SITE MAP |
ABOUT ME |
CONTACT |
|
