History of the Independent Brewing Company
of Seattle (1902-1915)

Samuel Loeb served as president, and his brother-in-law, Albert Weinberg, was vice-president, with Benjamin Moyses serving as sec./treas. Their millionaire partner, Herman Klaper - "the Hop King" - left the company prematurely when he went down with the Titanic on her ill-fated, maiden voyage.

The brewery was located at 4202 8th Ave. So., what is now Airport Way, and south of Seattle Brewing & Malting's Sweeney plant in Georgetown.
 

The brewery's first product was a Pilsner style lager beer, as can be seen by the label above. This same label was also used by the Grace Bros. Brewing Co. of Santa Rosa. I've yet to establish who was copying who.

In January 1906, Edward Sweeney’s holdings in Seattle Brewing & Malting was purchased by the Hemrich brothers, Andrew, Alvin, and Louis. They followed this with the acquisition of controlling interest in the nearby Independent Brewing Co., as well as the Claussen Brewing Assn. While Alvin Hemrich assumed the presidency of the firm, Samuel Loeb continued running his brewery as vice-president and general manager.
 

ad from 1906

The beer tray (below) was a stock tray, that had a center area free for a brewery's text and/or logo. This would have been more economical than commissioning a tray with original artwork designed specifically for their brewery.

The tray depicted further below, showing a bottle of beer with the "brown label" is also a stock tray. All that was required by the tray manufacturer was to change the label graphics. They also used a stock tray, "Bertha" which was copyright in 1908. The Bellingham Bay Brewery also used this tray prior to 1910. An example of "Bertha" is shown on that history site. So, only four different trays are currently known that were issued by the Independent Brewery - including "A Helping Hand," shown further below.
 

stock beer tray, no. 69

The brewery flourished in spite of the major competition of Seattle Brewing & Malting's "Rainier Beer." Their flagship beer was now "Old German Lager" with the slogan: "Prosit! Es Giebt Kein Kopeweh," which means - "Good Health! It won't give you a headache." This was no doubt inspired by Pacific Brewing & Malting's use of the "anti-katzenjammer" beer tray depicting two cats, one of which has a headache and the other - who drank Pacific Beer - without a headache.

Headaches or not, "Old German Lager" was well received in Seattle and the surrounding areas, and even found favor with the beer drinkers of San Francisco. By 1912 "Old German Lager" was being bottled and distributed by the Chas. F. Wagner Co. in the Bay City, and in Portland by Rose City Importing Company. It's curious that the Portland glass (above) doesn't mention the Independent Brewing Co.

The earlier label below is similar to the design on the etched glasses (above). Both of these labels measure 4¾" tall by 7½" wide and wrapped three-quarters around a 22 ounce bottle.

It appears that the 1908 label was superceded in 1912 by the label below (right) with different graphics, but identical verbiage. That label also suggests that bottles greater than 22 ounces may have been used. During this period approximately 70% of the output of breweries was given over to draft beer, which was dispensed in taverns. The remaining 30% was bottled for home consumption.