Pilsener Brewing Company of Seattle (1933-1934)

and its satellite breweries:

Pilsener Brewing Co. of Alaska (1934-1943)

Pilsener Brewing Co. of Idaho Falls (1935-1937)

On 4 April, 1933, three days prior to the repeal of Prohibition, this article appeared in the Seattle Times:

"Konrad Lux, 47-year-old Westphalian braumeister, arrived from Germany today with a certificate from the Muencher Brewing School, a trim goatee, and his family.

The family is staying at the Roosevelt Hotel while Herr Lux superintends installation of brewing machinery in a part of the Central Cold Storage plant at 548-554 First Ave. S. It was leased by the Pilsner Brewing Company of Seattle, which filed articles of incorporation yesterday through Attorney Lewis B. Schwellenbach.

The incorporators are Joseph E. Fischnaller, former Akron, Ohio, brewer¹; his son, H.R. Fischnaller, who will be general manager; and F. H. Furey.

The younger Mr. Fischnaller announced the enterprise starts this week with an $80,000 investment and no stock will be sold.

The first batch of beer will be started a week from Saturday and the plant will have an original capacity of 40,000 barrels, to be enlarged to 100,000 barrels.

The first batch of "Old Broadway Lager" will be ready for market in late May. It will produced to be sold to a householder at $1 a dozen pints."

No label has yet to be found for their Old Broadway Lager brand from Seattle, but they have been found from other of the Fischnaller breweries. They did produce Golden Rhine, Pilsener Pale Beer (label below), and Snowcap Pilsner Beer (also below) before April of '34, when the company was placed in receivership. The plant subsequently closed and re-located to Alaska the following November.

Pilsener Pale Beer label, ca.1933
"Pilsener Pale Beer" label, ca.1933

As can be seen on the label (below), the Pilsener Brewing Co. also had a presence in Oregon. They announced plans for construction of a brewery in Portland, and did buy a major interest in the Southern Oregon Brewing Co. of Medford.

The Medford venture nearly succeeded, but it was shut down before any beer made it to market there. However, they did truck in product to Portland from their Seattle plant while waiting for their brew to mature for bottling.

Snowcap Pilsener Beer label, ca.1933

While the Seattle was shuttered in 1934, the distinctive painted frontage remained intact for a number of years. It identified the building as its Seattle Division. This photo was taken in 1937, and was provided by the current owner of the building.

Pilsener Brewery frontage in Seattle

Pilsener Brewing Company of Alaska
(1934-1943)

Alaska Lager Beer label, c.1935

Alaska Lager Beer sign by Gillco
Alaska Lager Beer back bar sign by Gillco.

Golden Rhine Lager Beer label, ca.1936

Golden Rhine lighted sign
Golden Rhine lighted Beer sign, ca.1936

Pilsener Brewing Company of Idaho Falls
(1935-1937)

FOOTNOTES:

¹ While I'm sure their present and future investors were secure in the knowledge that the senior Fischnaller was a "former Akron brewer," that may not have been entirely accurate.
In the 1900 census for Akron he was listed as a "recording clerk," and a "truant officer" for the 1910 census. By 1917 the family was in Seattle, and for the 1920 census he gave his occupation as "none." But, in a 1922 interview, he described himself as a "newspaper man" and his 1945 obituary echoed that characterization.

Article by Gary Flynn

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A special thank you to Jeff Henry for the use of the Pilsener Brewing Co. letterhead.

To Tom McQuaid of Nordic Cold Storage for the 1937 photo of the Seattle plant.

And to Pat Franco for the image of the Alaska Lager Gillco light.

For any comments, additions, or corrections -
or for brewery collectibles you wish to sell - please contact me:

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Pilsener Brewing Company of Seattle (1933-1934)

Pilsener Brewing Company of Alaska (1934-1943)

Pilsener Brewing Company of Idaho Falls (1935-1937)

Pilsener Brewing Company of Alaska
(1934-1943)

Pilsener Brewing Company of Idaho Falls
(1935-1937)