EL RANCHO was produced by the Maier Brewing Co. which operated in the Los Angeles city limits from 1907-1972.  It had modest beginnings  but grew to be one of two premiere brewing operations in the city. Purchased by two German immigrants, Joseph Maier and  George Zobelein, the entrepreneurs brought their knowledge and style of brewing […]

The oldest, continuously operating brewery in the United States is Pennsylvania’s famous Yuenglling. Second place honors belong to Denver’s famous Tivoli Brewing which produced the beautiful label on Denver Beer. This brewery operated at the same location from 1864 until 1969. It was re-opened in 2015, but we will get to that later… The original […]

Tacoma, Washington 1900 ~ 1979 Columbia Brewing company was one of the longest running breweries in America, surviving a lengthy prohibition in Washington state (four years longer than National prohibition). Despite being renamed twice – as Columbia Breweries Inc. and Heidelberg Brewing Company, as well as being sold countless times (reportedly for $3.5 million in […]

George Jacob Renner Jr. purchased the Youngstown, Ohio brewery in 1885 for $4800.  The property had been sitting idle for two years before Renner breathed life back into it. However, four years after opening, an exploding boiler and ensuing fire closed the brewery again.  Valued at $75,000 with an insurance policy that covered only $18,000, […]

As we prepare our April shirt, Americans are beginning their second week of “Social Distancing”, a catchphrase which will undoubtedly top Webster’s 2020 list. During the last week we have all had a lot of time to ponder the situation, and if you are like us, wonder what strategies we can take forward to insure […]

Bull Dog Ale “A Pip of a Nip in Every Sip” was one of the last brews produced by the Acme Brewing company before its sale to Liebmann Breweries of NY in 1954. Acme began operation in San Francisco in 1907, but its owner Leopold Schmidt made his entrance into the California beer market four […]

Golden West Brewing Co. was Oakland’s longest running and biggest brewery.  Located in West Oakland on 5th Street and later moved to 7th Street, the physical building was home to many different labels and brews throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries. Beginning as Washington Brewery in 1891 and ending as Pacific Brewing in 1959, Golden […]

Contrary to what you might think, Buffalo brand beer was not named after the animal on its label. Nor was it named after the city in which it originated. Founded in 1888 by Henry Grau, the ambitious beer maker headquartered his brewery in Sacramento, CA and bestowed the Buffalo name, reportedly because he became fond […]

The bottling and canning of beer (as opposed to selling it in saloons as draught) resulted in industry growth. People were able to purchase individual bottles/cans, 6-packs or cases for in home drinking and no longer had to frequent their local drinking establishments. Enter Safeway to the beer market in the mid 1930s. The grocery […]

This beer is no dark horse! Black Horse Ale was a highly rated and highly sought-after brand, both in Canada and the United States. The early labels date to 1826 in a small town outside of Montreal, and the first American labels started showing up in 1933. Brewed and marketed initially by Dow’s Brewery in […]

During the late 1800s, Mackinac Island in Michigan’s upper peninsula became a summer destination for vacationers. There were two limitations to visiting, however: a shortage of accommodations on the island and the lack of a way to get there. In 1887 Grand Hotel opened as a destination retreat for travelers who could arrive by steamer […]

Beverwyck Brewing Company of Albany, NY opened its doors in 1878 and continued production of beer and ale until prohibition struck in 1920. Like many other breweries of the era, Beverwyck survived prohibition by acquiring a license to produce non-alcoholic beverages. Reopening in 1933, Beverwyck produced six brews (including this Irish Cream Ale) until the […]