By now they were also offering draught lager beer in 32 oz. "Jumbo" versions. Coronet was also available in either quart or half-gallon size bottles. No Hemrich beers were ever offered in cans.

By early '37, sales of Happy Peppy had declined to the point that Samet knew he had to scrap the brand he had created. This was a hard call since he was emotionally attached to his creation. He had even published a song¹ (see Footnote) to promote the brand!

I can't imagine what possessed Samet to market a beer called Happy Peppy. Perhaps he felt that the housewife would go to the store and decide she would like to make her man happy & peppy! But the majority of beer sales were still in the taverns.

I can just see a longshoreman or a steel worker getting off work and stopping off at the local tavern and saying to the barkeep: "Gimme a Happy Peppy" - I don't think so!

To replace Happy Peppy beer, they announced their new creation - Jockey Club Lager Beer (label below). The roll-out was scheduled for the 4th of July, 1937. The new lager would be available on draught, in stubbies or steines, and in 32 & 64 oz. bottles. Oddly, the first labels contained "Permit No. WN U-1211" for the Hemrich Investment Corp., but U-Permits were not required after 1935. The new Jockey Club brand did improve sales, but only marginally.

Then in May of 1939, they announced the release of a new Hemrich's Select with a new label similar to the parchment scroll look of their Coronet brand, and with the slogan: "The Light Beer in the Dark Bottle." The new Hemrich's was offered in steinies and exports (long necks), or jumbo quarts and half-gallons - which had a different label (see below). Their brewmaster, Hugo Bodie, formulated this beer that was purported to have the qualities of both eastern and western beers. Whether they accomplished that or not was moot, as it was too little, too late.

Emil Sick commented further:

"The business continued to decline, and I think they made certain bad policy decisions, too. The result was that their sales dropped at an alarming rate, and the Vancouver owners were in no position, nor had they any desire, to put up further money. Some of the local Seattle shareholders, one of which at least was very substantial, took a dim view of all these happenings; and Lester McCash was particularly displeased when they put a new manager over him."

In spite of the early restructuring, changes in brand promotion, and gambling games (see below) with the labels, nothing did enough to save the company. With sales dwindling and losses mounting, the Canadian backers had finally had enough and decided to sell the company.

Emil Sick recalled:

"By this time Rudi Samet was not so active and a new man was supposed to be managing the concern. The Hemrich Brewery No. 2 got into desperate condition, and I should tell how. One morning, when I had Just returned from a business trip to Calgary, Rudi Samet came into my office and said, "The Vancouver people are sick of their operation here and have instructed me to liquidate the company." I said, "My dear Rudi, I am not buying any more breweries. What good would your set-up be to us? and besides, I have a hundred letters to answer, and I am terribly busy this morning."

Rudi then said, "But you cannot turn me down. I will give you such a good price, for, if I liquidate over a long period, not only do we get nothing, we lose money in doing so. Come on, you must make a deal with me." I said, "Show me your balance sheet," which he did. I said, "Well, I know you have several hundred thousand dollars invested, but it is already lost, and I see you have $60,000 on the balance sheet for beer kegs, and we need some. I will, therefore, offer you $20,000 in cash for everything you have, except the lease." Rudi said, "You cannot do this to me." I said, "I do not want to do anything to you, and I do not want to make any deal with you, and I have these letters to answer. However, if you will promise to leave, so that I can answer the letters, I will make you one more offer: If with the kegs we get everything, except the lease, and when I say everything, I mean the office equipment, including the typewriters, because I want a typewriter for my daughter, Dinny, and if you will take no more of my time, I will give you $ 30,000 cash and this includes your trade names as well.

With that, Rudi said, "It's a deal," and we shook hands. Soon after--I think it was 1939--Lester McCash came over to us to save all of the Hemrich business possible, and, in various capacities, he has remained with us over these many years."

McCash did leave the Hemrich Brewing Co. in 1939. He was an agent for Emil Sick in the purchase of the Horluck Brewing Co. in April of '39, which he then converted and managed as the new Century Brewery.

In January of 1940, brewing ceased at the Hemrich plant, and remaining stock was bottled and sold by June. The corporation was totally dissolved by December 31st, 1942. Sick never used any of the Hemrich trade names from the purchase.


Perhaps another factor that added to the Brewery's failure was the adoption of a new style bottle sealer. The July 1939 ad (left) states: "Innovation! Surprise awaits you at beverage dealers! A beer in a bottle which needs no opener! A beer bottle cap which can be removed by the most delicate fingers..."
 
This ill fated design must not have held a seal, or removing it proved problematic - even for delicate fingers!

FOOTNOTES:

¹ On Oct. 15, 1934, Rudolph received a copyright for his song "Happy-Peppy." The lyrics were his, and the music was by Mischa Guterson. In 1912, while manager of the Seattle Brewing Malting plant in Georgetown, he had also written lyrics for a song to promote Rainier Beer. The song was "Everybody's Drinkin' It Now" set to the tune, "Everybody's Doin' It" by Irving Berlin.