Establishment of the Port Townsend Brewing Company

The original Port Townsend Brewing Company was built by local investors Hartman, Watkins, and O'Rear. They established the company on 5 September 1905 after raising $25,000 for the venture. The brewery was to be built on site of the old Eisenbeis brewery, which had been closed since 1888.

On 5 June 1905 the local newspaper discussed the building plans for the new venture: "The Old Brewery site has an old frame building on it that will have to be torn down, but the basement is of stone and is in good shape and in all probability be utilized to advantage in the construction of the new plant."

The location was on the west side of Monroe St. between Water and Washington St. Construction began in January 1906, and the following April brewing commenced. Two month later, on the 9th of June, the inaugural brew was released. The local newspaper, the Daily Leader announced: "Port Townsend beer drinkers will be given an opportunity today to test the product of the new Port Townsend Company's product the brew that might make the city famous."

The following day, on 10 June 1906, the Daily Leader had glowing words for the new enterprise: "Home-Made Beverage Finds Favor With the Public -- SPARKLING, PURE AND HEALTHFUL -- In a good cause, if such is ever permissible, citizens of Port Townsend drank beer yesterday. It was good beer, too. The extenuating feature of the occasion was the right to properly dedicate to public favor a home product - Port Townsend beer. ...The beverage sold yesterday over every bar in the city is of a character meeting the ideas of the epicure on liquid sociability. There is purity, depth and body to drink that should bring success to the makers in their efforts to claim the patronage of the public throughout this section."

The article went on to report that while only draught beer is available, it's the company's intention to install bottling equipment in the near future. The principals, Michael Hartman and George Watkins, took an active role in the company, with Hartman as president, and Watkins serving as secretary/manager.

New Owners - Olympia Brewing Company

In late 1909 the Olympia Brewing Company purchased controlling interest in the brewery from the local investors. The acquisition fit nicely with Leopold F. Schmidt's multiple brewery concept. (see Bio. of L. F. Schmidt)
Jacob Duttenhoefer and Ernest Studerus then replaced Hartman and Watkins, with Duttenhoefer assuming the position of president/manager, and Studerus as secretary and brewmaster. However Hartmann retained an interest in the venture. Also, H. H. Morrison held the position of vice-pres./treas. for a short time, and may have been another stockholder.

On 3 February 1910 the brewery announced plans for the construction of a 100' X 30' ice plant. It will have a concrete foundation, and the two story building will be of brick. The capacity of the plant will be 30 to 40 tons per day, which will allow the capacity of the brewery to increase to double its current output. With its product now supplying only the Olympic Peninsula, this expansion will allow the company to make their beer available to the whole Puget Sound area, and into Alaska. And they announced: "The company will also commence putting up a building for its bottling works on a lot across Monroe Street, opposite the brewery, and when this building is completed a specialty will be made of its bottled product."

This new Olympia branch never produced it's flagship brand, "Olympia Pale Export", but continued to brew the popular "Townsend Beer" and "Key City Beer".

Two Townsend Lager Beer labels - image
This label comes in a metallic green, and a non-metallic yellow (left), and a light metallic gold (as shown below and at right). The colors may have been to signify different brews, with the neck label identifying which one - such as a Pale Lager, or an Export Lager, etc.

Note - the green label is for sale on BreweryGems

Townsend Lager Beer gold label - image

In June of 1910 they introduced a new label for their "Key City Beer". The label (below) depicts Fort Worden's gun emplacement up on the bluff with a steaming war ship in the distance. These guns were part of the "Devil's Triangle" - one of three emplacements that guarded the entrance to the Puget Sound.

Key City Beer label, c.1912 - image

The perforations in the center of the label read: "PTBCo 12·20·12" which signifies the Port Townsend Brewing Co., December 20, 1912.

Artillerymen enjoying a Towsend Beer - image

These three young "cannoneers" are enjoying a glass of Townsend beer in this early cabinet photo.

The close-up below gives a better glimpse of the label, and it appears that they are drinking from etched glasses.

Close-up of artillerymen - image

The "Key City"

Founded in 1851, Port Townsend is geographically isolated at the tip of a peninsula of the Olympic Peninsula, and is surrounded on three sides by bodies of water. In the days of sailing ships, her strategic location at the entrance to Puget Sound provided an edge over other contenders further into the Sound. By the early 1880s, this small outpost was on the verge of becoming a great city.

At a time when the transportation of nearly all people and goods in the Pacific Northwest depended upon sea travel, Port Townsend, was at the hub. Maritime-related enterprises fueled a flourishing economy, providing ready wealth and shaped the character of this ambitious town.

Just three years after the town was founded, the Puget Sound Customs Collection District was moved to Port Townsend. This provided the town with an exceptional opportunity for prominence and prosperity. Every vessel entering Puget Sound from any foreign port had to make its first stop at Port Townsend. At this juncture, the "Key City" was born.

By the 1880's construction of a grand downtown infrastructure was well underway. The downtown and uptown were connected by several staircases up the bluff, and both were served by the city's street cars. Many of its beautiful Victorian buildings were built and its population reached a peak of 7,000. Planning for the city to become a major railroad terminus, investors laid track as far south as Quilcene, but money ran out before tracks could connect to the Northern Pacific railroad.

Port Townsend may have been perfectly situated for sailing ships, but steamships could proceed into Puget Sound without concern for losing the wind in the inland waterway. The loss of the Customs Office to Seattle in 1913 was a final blow to the Key City's grand ambitions.

Key City Beer Bottle - Port Townsend - image

The Key City Beer label (above) would have been on the reverse side of this embossed bottle.

Collapsible Port Townsend Brewery cup - image

Collapsible drinking cup.

Prohibition

In January of 1916 the brewery was closed thanks to Washington voters who passed a statewide Prohibition initiative. The initiative went into effect in January of 1915, allowing brewers one year to sell their stock and shut down their plants. The Port Townsend Brewing Co. continued with a line of non-alcoholic beverages, but closed a short time later. On 26 February 1918 the Daily Leader announced:

"Brewery Dismantled - All that remains in this city of the Port Townsend Brewing company's plant is the buildings and a few pieces of discarded machinery, the remainder to be shipped up-Sound. The ice making plant will be sent north to Petersburg (south of Juneau, AK) where it will be used by the cannery at that place for cold storage purposes, while the remainder of the machinery will be utilized for other purposes than making beer.
The plant was one of the best equipped small plants in the Northwest. It was built and equipped under the personal supervision of Jacob Duttenhoefer, who has had considerable experience in that line of work. The dismantling of the plant recalls many pleasant memories to those who in days gone by quaffed the cool and refreshing beverage which it turned out, but will now have to content themselves with imbuing in the substitutes which look like beer, taste like beer, but do not produce the invigorating qualities of Beer."

1933 - The Peninsula Brewery

After Repeal in 1933, a new brewery was erected on the original site and operated as the Peninsula Brewery, but not as a holding of the Olympia Brewing Co. The new corporation did not issue a public stock offering. The $15,000 capital expenditure was initially financed by a two officials of the Brewery Engineering Corp. of Seattle which designs and manufactures "Germania Process" equipment for such plants. The newly formed company purchased the old brewery from William J. Buhler and John J. Lafferty. On 19 April '33 the old frame brew house was razed and construction of a three story, brick, brew house commenced under the supervision of the new brewmaster, Albin Otto, formerly with the Claussen Brewing interests in Seattle. The new firm was incorporated on 20 July 1933. On the 1st of December 1933 the first batch of Peninsula Beer was ready for consumption, having been delayed due to a nation wide shortage of stainless steel kegs. At that time corporate officials E. J. Dailey and B. W. Porter stated: "The entire storage capacity of the brewery, 1800 barrels, is now practically ready for delivery, and the arrival of the entire stock of kegs will see much activity in the local plant. More than the present output has been spoken for in local and export sources." In spite of this optimistic outlook, and additional capital stock being issued, the brewery shut down in early 1935.

The label (right) for Old German Lager was made for the J.G. Fox & Company of Seattle. Fox was a distributor, and bottler of soda and beer. Before Prohibition he had been secretary of the Seattle Brewing and Malting Co., and now was a stockholder in the Peninsula Brewing Company.
The label bears a permit number that identifies the Peninsula Brewing Company as the manufacturer of this beer. These numbers were issued to brewers by the U.S. Government following prohibition as a method of licensing. The numbers were required to be on all product labels from 1933 until September of 1935. The Brewery was assigned "WASH-U-1213" and this number would have been on all of their labels, including kegs. The addition of a bottling department was planned, however draught beer was all that they ever produced at the plant. It is not yet know if the brewery ever contracted with the Fox & Co. to bottle their beer with Peninsula Beer labels.

Old German Lager label, c.1935 - image
Label, c.1934

The Buhler family still owns the old Peninsula Brewery building, which is now home to the Port Townsend Athletic Club.

Peninsula Brg. Co. growler- image
Peninsula growler from authors collection

Growler fittings
(click for larger image)

MYSTERY ITEM (shown left) - With the help of ABA members I've discovered how this piece of Peninsula Brewery equipment was used. The front is embossed: "PENINSULA BREWERY / PORT TOWNSEND WASHINGTON / PERMIT NO. WASH - U - 1213. It's only 16" high, and is stamped on the reverse: Serv-O-Draft / Manufactured by / Serv-O-Draft Corp. / Detroit, Mich. / 3⅞ gal. - 1934." This capacity equals ⅛ barrel.
The filling and dispensing fittings are under the red bell housing (see below). This is a portable draft beer dispenser (called a Growler - at least by the Leisy Brg. Co.) intended for use by the public, which would also explain the presence of the Wash. U-permit number. It was found in 1986 by the new owners of Aldrich's Grocery Store in Port Townsend. This makes perfect sense in that Ben Aldrich was a Peninsula Brewery stockholder and no doubt offered beer off-sale from his premises.

The Serv-O-Draft Corp. also manufactured these dispensers in a 7¾ gal. (¼ Barrel) capacity. Most of these devices seem to be from breweries in the Detroit, or nearby areas. The ones I have been made aware of are the Tivoli, and Pfeiffer Brewing Companies of Detroit, and the Gipps Brewing Corp. of Peoria.
The Peninsula is the only one I have yet to discover from the West Coast - and the only one with a U-permit number (which may have been a State requirement). There are variations reported as to color schemes, but most are the same red and black as the Peninsula.
The most significant variation that I learned of was of two devices identified as Acme Containers, also of 3⅞ gal. capacity, produced by Miller-Shelby Products of Detroit. These may have been early prototypes, and Miller-Shelby became the Serv-O-Draft Corp., or else there were two Detroit firms making Growlers.
One of the Miller-Shelby units, made for the American Brg. Co. of Detroit, is unique in that it has a copper plated body (image). The other, made for the Leisy Brewing Co. of Cleveland, has the brewery's name embossed on one side of the silver painted, steel body. In addition, this device has LEISY'S painted on the shoulder and GROWLER / "The life of the Party" - painted on the side. This pretty much kills any speculation that these devices were used for purposes other than Party Kegs. (See Leisy Growler ad right - click for larger image)

The image (above) identifies the Serv-O-Draft fittings under the protective red bell housing. The key, shown in its stowed position, protected the valve stem through which the unit was pressurized. This same key had a square cut out, which allowed it to also be used to open the dispensing valve. A separate view of the key's base is shown in the lower right corner of the image. The spigot is shown in the dispensing position, but when stowed it would rotating 180° to allow the bell housing to be screwed in place.
The Miller-Shelby had the body and fittings that served the same functions, but was stylistically different. The body looked like a stubby milk can (handles on the shoulder), and the top plate and fittings appeared to be bronze. Also there was no threaded filling cap, but rather a flared opening which would have required a bung.

The new Port Townsend Brewing Company

The Port Townsend Brewing Company is again operating in its namesake city - now as a brew-pub. This current venture has no connection to the pre-Prohibition brewery other than its name. The new Port Townsend opened its doors in 1997 with only two beers, and by 2003 this craft brewery had expanded into bottling as many as ten different styles of beer.

Acknowledgements:

Special thanks to Bryan Anderson for sharing the Key City labels and the image of the Brewery.

And to John Cartwright for images of the embossed bottle and the collapsible cup.

Also thanks to George Zurava for the advertisement, and information on the Leisy Growler.

Thanks also to labelogolist Bob Kay for the Old German label.

Cabinet photo of the gunners courtesy of John Boertlein.

For any comments, additions, or corrections - or if you have Port Townsend items for sale -
please contact me:

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(Gary@BreweryGems.com)

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