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The Claussen Brewing Association was established in Feburary of 1901, by Hans Johanne Claussen. As detailed in his biography, the German born, Claussen, came to Seattle in 1888, after working in the Fredericksburg Brewery in San Jose, CA and the National Brewery in San Francisco. Once in Seattle he took the position as brewmaster at E. F. Sweeney's Puget Sound Brewery which by now was known as the Sweeney Brewery. The following year Claussen became a principal in the firm which reorganized as the Claussen-Sweeney Brewing Company. The new firm was capitalized at $80,000 with Edward Sweeney as president, and Hans Claussen as secretary-treasurer. 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. This new "interest" may not have had anything to due with having become a newly wed, but the Brewery would have occupied most of his waking hours. Claussen's new endeavor was the formation of the Diamond Ice & Storage Company, along with Charles Crane and George Sackett. Hans assumed the position of vice-president of the new firm and remained as such into the 1920s. In February of 1901, nearly ten years later after leaving the Claussen-Sweeney Brewing Co., Hans formed a stock company for the purposes of opening a new brewing enterprise - the Claussen Brewing Association. The venture was capitalized at $50,000 - all the stock having been subscribed for by local retailers, i.e. saloons. Coincident with the formation of Claussen's new company, a weiss beer brewery had just been completed in Seattle by the Standard Brewing Co. In March of '01, the Claussen group purchased the new brewery. The location for this brewery was 3455 21st. Ave. W., in the Interbay¹ section of Seattle, and was now named the Interbay Brewery. However, the brewery was deemed too small, and within weeks, Claussen was in San Francisco buying additional brewing equipment for a planned enlargement. On the 24 April of '01, the Seattle Daily Times reported: "The Claussen Brewing Association is enlarging its plant, located at Interbay, by an additional structure four times as large as the original one. The new plant will be completed and in operation by July 1. It will have a capacity of 100 barrels a day and cellars will have storage room for 6000 barrels. H. J. Claussen, vice president of the Diamond Ice Company, is president of the associatioon and Wm. De Curtin is vice-president and secretary."  Tannhaeuser Brewery (logo added when print was published in 1905) Shortly after the release of their first beer on October 1, they chose to
re-name the brewery after their flagship beer, rather than for
its location at Interbay. The new Tannhaeuser Brewery now had a
capacity of 100 barrels per day and produced a number of brews,
including C.B.A., Salvator, Special, Standard Lager, Ye Olde English
Porter, a non-alcoholic Mother's Malt tonic, Seattle Extra Pale
Lager, and their flagship brand, Tannhaeuser (1st label below, 2nd version
further below). They also produced a darker, all malt Würzburger style Tannhaeuser Beer.
Their beer proved to be popular with the patrons of Seattle saloons,
and they soon made plans for expansion.
Claussen's first brewmaster was Ernest Bloch, who had been involved in a failed start-up of the Grays Harbor Brewing Co. However, in March of '02, Claussen replaced Bloch with Jacob Leufkens, who for six years had been a brewmaster at the St. Pauli Brewery in Bremen, Germany. Bloch then returned to Grays Harbor County to assume the position of manager at the Aberdeen Brewing Co. In April of '02, just seven
months after going into production, capital stock was increased to
$250,000 to underwrite their expansion plans. A brewing industry
trade publication reported: "Claussen
Brewing Association, Seattle, is making improvements in its
bottling plant that include an air ventilating system in the
storage room; the installation of a three-compartment Volz
soaker; automatic Eick washer; a Henes & Keller filler; an
improved World labeler, and a crowning machine of the Crown Cork
& Seal Co.
They did in fact establish a
downtown office and depot. It was located at 82-84 W. Marion St.
Their beer was widely distributed in the Puget Sound region by
agent/bottlers. In Everett Peter E. Misgen's Everett Bottling Works
handled their Tannhaeuser Beer.
The early, green label (below) was used by the
Brewery's agent/bottlers. It left a space for the agent's name after
"Bottled By."
In January 1906, Edward Sweeney’s holdings in Seattle
Brewing & Malting was purchased by the Hemrich brothers,
Andrew, Alvin, and Louis, who then followed with the acquisition of
controlling interest in the Claussen Brewing Assn., and the
Independent Brewing Co. While Alvin Hemrich
assumed the presidency of the firm,
Hans Claussen continued running the company as vice-president and
general manager. Albin Otto² was then the brewery's superintendent
and brewmaster. In late '07, their other Brewmaster, Leufkens, took
a position with the Angeles Brewing & Malting
Co.
The Alaska-Yukon Exposition of 1909, gave the
company an additional boost when the prizes were awarded to the many
competing Northwest breweries. The Claussen Brewing Assn. was
awarded the Grand Prize and a Gold Medal for its flagship, Tannhaeuser Beer. This seemed to confirm their slogan: "Seattle's
Best Beer." Also, their Mother's Malt and Ye Olde English Porter
both received Gold Medals.
In February of 1912, the brewery introduced their
new White & Gold Beer, but unfortunately it was to have a fairly
short run. In November of 1914, Washington voters adopted state-wide
prohibition. This was to take effect the beginning of 1916, giving
producers of alcoholic beverages all of 1915 to sell their stock and
close their plants. Plans were made to move the Brewery to California,
in the belief that the entire country would not be so foolish as to
adopt national Prohibition. The plans to relocate did not
materialize, which is just as well as they would have had only four
more years in business before the "foolishness" became the law of
the land.
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"Cavalier" 24 in. diameter charger, ca.1910
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"The Invitation" beer tray, pictured above, displays the Gold Medal awarded for their Tannhaeuser Beer in 1909, at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition held in Seattle - as does the charger, directly above. A gold medal was also given to the Seattle Brewing & Malting Co., and the Angeles Brewing & Malting Co. This same tray was
re-issued a year later with the addition of the White &
Gold logo of their new brand of beer. See glass below. |
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PROHIBITION
In November of 1914, voters
approved state-wide prohibition. The law was to take effect On 15 November, 1914, both the Claussen Brewing Assn. and Independent Brewing Co., along with their parent company, Seattle Brewing & Malting, announced that they were planning to move operations to San Francisco - believing that national prohibition would not be adopted. But Hans Claussen ultimately chose to close his brewery and concentrate his efforts on his Diamond Ice & Storage Company.
REPEAL With the repeal of Prohibition in April of 1933, there were many entrepreneurs hoping to establish new breweries, but they needed experienced brewery managers. However, the 72 year old Hans Claussen was now in retirement and couldn't be enticed to re-enter the brewing business, unlike his ex-brewmaster. Both Hans Claussen and Otto Albin died seven years later, in 1940.
Footnote:
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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