"Blatz was one of the premier Milwaukee breweries. It was founded by Johann Braun in 1846, shortly before Wisconsin achieved statehood, and was originally called the City Brewery. Braun's fledgling business produced about 150 barrels of beer annually – until 1851 when Valentine Blatz, a former employee, established a brewery of his own next door to the City Brewery. Braun died later that year and Blatz soon married his widow, thereby uniting the City Brewery and his own operation.
At the time of the marriage, the combined breweries produced only 350 barrels per year. However, by 1880 total annual production reached 125,000 barrels. The brewery's growth continued, and in 1884 Blatz ranked as the third-largest beer producer in Milwaukee.
Blatz was the first Milwaukee brewer to market beer nationally. He set up distribution centers in Chicago, New York, Boston, New Orleans, Memphis, Charleston, and Savannah. He was also the first of the Milwaukee brewers to include a bottling plant within his brewery. In addition, Blatz operated his own carpenter shop, railroad cars, cooper shop, machine shop and coal yard.
In 1890 Blatz sold his brewery to a group of London investors, who continued to operate the plant until Prohibition. Following the repeal of the eighteenth amendment, the Blatz brewery again flourished, producing over a million barrels annually during the 1940s and 1950s. Its labels included Blatz, Pilsener, Old Heidelberg, Private Stock, Milwaukee Dark, Culmbacher, Continental Special, Tempo, and English Style Ale.
By 1955 only six Milwaukee breweries remained open. Of these six, Miller, Pabst and Schlitz were the biggest and most successful. Blatz was big, too, but stiff competition and skyrocketing production costs prevented it from growing further. In 1958 the brewery was finally sold to Pabst; however a federal court order at the time prevented Pabst from Brewing at the Blatz facilities. In 1959 this giant, Blatz, ceased all operations. Shortly there after, Pabst purchased the Blatz brands, and relaunched the brand as a craft-style beer, true to the high-quality style that Valetine Blatz espoused." from their website.
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Liam ODonoghue
AJCalhoun
Chicago Guy
Michelle Coulter
Wren Dancer
gremadcha
Salon.com
Comments
HUGGGGGGGGG
Linda: I am glad it brought back happy beer memories. It is still a great town for brew. Thanks for reading!
Thoth: Yes, that is right, a church, then a bar! It is so true. Thanks for visiting!!!
":)
RATED!!!
Chicago Guy: Yes, when I read about this it really intrigued me!
Miguela: I thought the commercials really told a story too! Thanks for reading.
tg: Ha, more history where that hic up came from...nach einmal bier bitte!
Brassawe: Yes, I had this to do a piece back at Halloween and never got to it, then found out those marriage tidbits and it kind of got me...
Steel: Ha,thanks for reading. The thing about what gets read, you just never know what it going to strike the cord as they say... I am sure your work is stellar, I will go over and check it out.