Historic Beer Birthday: Peter Schreihart

December 21, 2024 By Jay Brooks

Today is the birthday of Peter Schreihart (December 21, 1825-<1916). This is an odd one, insofar as there are conflicting or accounts which are odds with one another, and I suspect there’s some truth somewhere, I just don’t know what that might be. Anyway, Peter Schreihart was probably born in Austria and may have founded the Schreihart Brewing Co., most likely along with his son John Schreihart, in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1879. The confusion begins with his being mentioned in “The Brewers’ Journal and Barley, Malt and Hop Trades’ Reporter, and American Brewers’ Gazette, consolidated, Volume 41,” published on November 1, 1916.

Part of this confusion stems from another mention in the “American Brewers’ Review, Volume 31,” from 1917, the year after the previous mention above.

Note that Peter Schreihart is referred to as a “pioneer brewer” and “founder” in that blurb, but most accounts state that Peter’s son John Schreihart founded the Schreihart Brewing Co. Here’s one such account from the “History of Northern Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development, and resources; an extensive sketch of its counties, cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories; biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; views of county seats, etc.,” published in 1881 by the Western Historical Co., of Chicago:

Pautz’s Brewery was built in 1849, by Mr. Hottleman, he being the first to brew beer in the county. G. Kuntz purchased the brewery of him in 1865. Messrs. Fred. Pautz and John Schreihart became the owners in 1875. In November, 1878, the former purchased the interest of the latter, and is now conducting the business alone. The capacity of the brewery is about 1,600 barrels of beer per annum.
Schreiharts’s Brewery. In 1879, John Schreihart established himself in business, and is now conducting a brewery on Washington street. He has been brought up in the business and understands it.

Schreihard-das-schmeckt-gut

From what I can piece together about the brewery itself, it appears to have been built in 1849, and went through several name changes from the William Fricke Brewery, the Christian Fricke Brewery, and then the Carl Fricke Brewery. It seems to have been called by the latter name when Frederick Pautz and John Schreihart bought it in 1875, but it didn’t become the John Schreihart Brewery until he bought out Pautz in 1879. A few years later, in 1884 until the following year, it was known as the John Schreihart & George Kunz Brewery, presumably because Schreihart took on George Kunz as a partner. Then there’s a gap in the record, but by 1891 it was known as the Schreihart Brewing Co. until it was closed by prohibition in 1920. The building apparently lay dormant after repeal in 1933, but from 1937-1942 housed the Bleser Brewing Co., which I assume was because they leased or bought the building where the Schreihart had brewed.

Beer In Ads #2975: Everyone’s Plush

April 25, 2019 By Jay Brooks

Thursday’s ad is for a German beer calendar, from 1953. From the late 1800s until the 1960s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. In addition to posters and other promotional materials, the German Brewers Association also produced calendars promoting their beer beginning in 1951. These are the monthly pages from the 1953 calendar, and each of the illustrations is by Austrian artist Rudolf Hermann. He was apparently a somewhat controversial figure, primarily because one of his best-known works was a poster for the Degenerate Art Exhibition that the Nazi’s put on to vilify modern art and artists, but he was also persecuted by the Nazis, too, so it’s unclear what his involvement might have been. This page is for December 1953, and at the top, it reads.

Jedem sein Pläsierchen,
mir mein Bierchen!

That translates roughly, very roughly I suspect, as “Everyone’s plush, me my beer!” This is definitely one of the odder captions, and I’m sure there must be some idiom that Google Translate is not picking up on. At the bottom of the calendar is printed “Das Richtige für richtigen Durst!” or “Bier, The right thing for real thirst!”

Beer In Ads #2974: A Fresh Beer In The Evening Time Creates Peace And Coziness!

April 24, 2019 By Jay Brooks

Wednesday’s ad is for a German beer calendar, from 1953. From the late 1800s until the 1960s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. In addition to posters and other promotional materials, the German Brewers Association also produced calendars promoting their beer beginning in 1951. These are the monthly pages from the 1953 calendar, and each of the illustrations is by Austrian artist Rudolf Hermann. He was apparently a somewhat controversial figure, primarily because one of his best-known works was a poster for the Degenerate Art Exhibition that the Nazi’s put on to vilify modern art and artists, but he was also persecuted by the Nazis, too, so it’s unclear what his involvement might have been. This page is for November 1953, and at the top, it reads.

Ein frisches Bier zur Abendzeit
schafft Frieden und Gemütlichkeit!

That translates roughly, very roughly I suspect, as “A fresh beer in the evening time creates peace and coziness!” At the bottom of the calendar is printed “Bier, Wer schafft, braucht Kraft!” or “Beer, Who creates, needs strength!”

Beer In Ads #2973: For My Thirst, I Appreciate A Fresh Beer From A Beautiful Hand!

April 23, 2019 By Jay Brooks

Tuesday’s ad is for a German beer calendar, from 1953. From the late 1800s until the 1960s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. In addition to posters and other promotional materials, the German Brewers Association also produced calendars promoting their beer beginning in 1951. These are the monthly pages from the 1953 calendar, and each of the illustrations is by Austrian artist Rudolf Hermann. He was apparently a somewhat controversial figure, primarily because one of his best-known works was a poster for the Degenerate Art Exhibition that the Nazi’s put on to vilify modern art and artists, but he was also persecuted by the Nazis, too, so it’s unclear what his involvement might have been. This page is for October 1953, and at the top, it reads.

Für meinen Durst
von schöner Hand —
ein frisches Bier
das lob’ ich mir!

That translates roughly, very roughly I suspect, as “For my thirst from a beautiful hand – a fresh beer I appreciate that!” At the bottom of the calendar is printed “Für richtigen Durst der richtige Trank!” or “Bier, For real thirst, the right potion!”

Beer In Ads #2972: North, South, East, West, Beer Tastes Best Everywhere!

April 22, 2019 By Jay Brooks

Monday’s ad is for a German beer calendar, from 1953. From the late 1800s until the 1960s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. In addition to posters and other promotional materials, the German Brewers Association also produced calendars promoting their beer beginning in 1951. These are the monthly pages from the 1953 calendar, and each of the illustrations is by Austrian artist Rudolf Hermann. He was apparently a somewhat controversial figure, primarily because one of his best-known works was a poster for the Degenerate Art Exhibition that the Nazi’s put on to vilify modern art and artists, but he was also persecuted by the Nazis, too, so it’s unclear what his involvement might have been. This page is for September 1953, and at the top, it reads.

Ob Norden, Süden, Osten, Westen,
ein Bier schmeckt überall am besten!

That translates roughly, very roughly I suspect, as “North, South, East, West,
a beer tastes the best everywhere!” At the bottom of the calendar is printed “Bier, Wer schafft, braucht Kraft!” or “Beer, Who creates, needs strength!”

Beer In Ads #2971: The Harvest Work Is Done, Now Drink The Noble Barley Juice!

April 21, 2019 By Jay Brooks

Sunday’s ad is for a German beer calendar, from 1953. From the late 1800s until the 1960s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. In addition to posters and other promotional materials, the German Brewers Association also produced calendars promoting their beer beginning in 1951. These are the monthly pages from the 1953 calendar, and each of the illustrations is by Austrian artist Rudolf Hermann. He was apparently a somewhat controversial figure, primarily because one of his best-known works was a poster for the Degenerate Art Exhibition that the Nazi’s put on to vilify modern art and artists, but he was also persecuted by the Nazis, too, so it’s unclear what his involvement might have been. This page is for August 1953, and at the top, it reads.

Die Erntearbeit ist geschafft,
nun trinkt den edlen Gerstensaft!

That translates roughly, very roughly I suspect, as “The harvest work is done, now drink the noble barley juice!” At the bottom of the calendar is printed “Bier, Wer schafft, braucht Kraft!” or “Beer, Who creates, needs strength!”

Beer In Ads #2970: Beer, The Right Thing For Real Thirst!

April 20, 2019 By Jay Brooks

Saturday’s ad is for a German beer calendar, from 1953. From the late 1800s until the 1960s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. In addition to posters and other promotional materials, the German Brewers Association also produced calendars promoting their beer beginning in 1951. These are the monthly pages from the 1953 calendar, and each of the illustrations is by Austrian artist Rudolf Hermann. He was apparently a somewhat controversial figure, primarily because one of his best-known works was a poster for the Degenerate Art Exhibition that the Nazi’s put on to vilify modern art and artists, but he was also persecuted by the Nazis, too, so it’s unclear what his involvement might have been. This page is for July 1953, and at the top, it reads.

Die Welltest schön,
die Sonne
scheint
ein Bier, mein bester
Ferienfreund!

That translates roughly, very roughly I suspect, as “The Welltest beautiful, the sun seems a beer, my best Holiday friend” At the bottom of the calendar is printed “Das Richtige für richtigen Durst!” or “Bier, The right thing for real thirst!”

Beer In Ads #2969: When Your Heavy Shift Is Done, Beer Gives You New Strength!

April 19, 2019 By Jay Brooks

Friday’s ad is for a German beer calendar, from 1953. From the late 1800s until the 1960s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. In addition to posters and other promotional materials, the German Brewers Association also produced calendars promoting their beer beginning in 1951. These are the monthly pages from the 1953 calendar, and each of the illustrations is by Austrian artist Rudolf Hermann. He was apparently a somewhat controversial figure, primarily because one of his best-known works was a poster for the Degenerate Art Exhibition that the Nazi’s put on to vilify modern art and artists, but he was also persecuted by the Nazis, too, so it’s unclear what his involvement might have been. This page is for June 1953, and at the top, it reads.

Ist die schwere Schicht geschafft,
gibt ein Bier Dir Neue Kraft…!

That translates roughly, very roughly I suspect, as “Is the heavy shift done,
a beer gives you new strength …!” At the bottom of the calendar is printed “Bier, Wer schafft, braucht Kraft!” or “Bier, Who creates, needs strength!”

Beer In Ads #2968: For Real Thirst, The Right Potion!

April 18, 2019 By Jay Brooks

Was man aus Malz und Hopfen bräut,
das hat noch keinen Mann gereut!

That translates roughly, very roughly I suspect, as “What you brew from malt and hops, that has not killed any man!” At the bottom of the calendar is printed “Für richtigen Durst, der richtige Trank!” or “For real thirst, the right potion!”

« Previous Page