Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

Socialize

Historic Beer Birthday: John Frederick Oertel Jr.

By

Today is not the birthday of John Frederick Oertel Jr. since no one’s quite sure exactly when he was born, but we do not that he died today. (1899-April 2, 1961). He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and was, of course, the son of John Frederick Ortel, who founded the Oertel Brewing Co. there in 1892. After his father passed away in 1929, he became the president of the brewery and ran it until he passed away today in 1961.

This is his obituary, from the Louisville Courier-Journal on April 3, 1961:

John F. Oertel, Jr., president of Oertel Brewing Company, died about 9:30 last night after collapsing at his home, 4922 Brownsboro Road. He was 61. Oertel, a leading Catholic layman here, apparently died of a stroke, his family physician said. Although he had been under medical treatment for the past year, his death was unexpected, the doctor said.
Oertel, a Louisville native, had headed the brewing company for about 30 years. He took over the presidency after the death of his father,. who founded the company here in 1892.
SOLD IN SIX STATES
Under the son’s leadership, the company embarked on expansion programs after the repeal of Prohibition and the end of World War II. Its product is now sold in about six states. The company, Kentucky’s oldest continuously operating brewery, stayed open during the prohibition era by limiting its output to soft drinks and “near beer,” a nonintoxicating beverage.
HONORED BY POPE
Oertel was made a Knight of St. Gregory by the late Pope Pius XII in 1955 for his services to the Catholic Church. He was a co-chairman of the church’s education fund drive here in 1953. Oertel was a member of St. Joseph Church. He was a member of the boards of Bellarmine College, Boys’ Haven, and the Stock Yards Bank. Oertel was a graduate of St. Joseph School and St. Xavier High School here. Survivors include his wife, the former Marie Hirt, and a sister, Miss Mary Louise Oertel.

Here’s the same obituary, but the hard copy from the newspaper:

Historic Beer Birthday: Conrad Windisch

By

lion-brewery-ohio
Today is the birthday of Conrad Windisch (March 6, 1825-July 2, 1887) who was a co-founder, along with Gottlieb Muhlhauser of the Windisch-Muhlhauser Brewing Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, which was known as the “Lion Brewery.” He was originally a partner in the more famous Christian Moerlein Brewery, but in 1866 was bought out by Moerlein. During the same period, he also owned and ran the C. Windisch & Co. Brewery, located in the Covington, Kentucky, but it closed after just one year, in 1862. After leaving the Christian Moerlein Brewery, he partnered with Muhlhauser on the Lion Brewery, which remained open until prohibition.

conrad-windisch-litho

Here’s a short biography from Find-a-Grave:

Brewer. A native of Germany, he was born in the village of Eggloffstein in Bavaria. At the age of 13, after an education in the common schools, he began to work full time for his father, Ulrich Windisch, at the family’s brewery and farm. During the German Revolution of 1848, he left his homeland and emigrated to America. Windisch first settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and worked for a brewer for a brief period of time before moving west to work at breweries in Belleville, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri. He eventually came to Cincinnati in 1850 and found similar work. Windisch worked for Koehler at the Buckeye Street Brewery for three years until he became a partner with Christian Moerlein in 1853. He also started his own brewery in 1862 and sold his interest to Moerlein in 1866 to devote his time to his own interests. With his brother-in-law, Gottlieb Muhlhauser, as well as Muhlhauser’s brother, Henry, the Muhlhauser-Windisch & Company was established. It was more commonly known as the Lion Brewery because of two stone carved lions atop each of the two gables at the entrance. The business soon became one of Cincinnati’s foremost brewers. They were among the first to introduce ice machines and was the city’s second largest during the 1880’s. In 1854, Windisch married Sophia Wilhelmina Kobmann, who was also from his native village and lived on an estate in present day Fairfield in Butler County, Ohio. He died at his residence in 1887 when he was 62 years old. The brewery continued with his son, William A. Windisch and later with another son, Charles Windisch and remained in operation until 1920 when Prohibition caused the doors to close.

conrad-windisch-brewery-letterhead

Their brewery became known as the “Lion Brewery” because of the two lions that rested atop the brewery’s gables and many of their beer names used a lion in the name and on the labels.

Lion-Brewery1

The History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio has a short history of the Windisch-Muhlhauser Brewing Company:

Lion-brewery-history

Paired Creation also has a history of the brewery.

Lion-Brewery-1895-calendar

sign-windisch

Historic Beer Birthday: Joseph Metcalfe

By

indiana
Today is the birthday of Joseph Metcalfe (February 28, 1832-?). There’s very little information I could find about Joseph Metcalfe. He appears to have been born in Yorkshire, England and was a brewer who owned breweries in both Louisville, Kentucky and New Albany, Indiana, which is just across the Ohio River from Louisville.

He’s mentioned, curiously, in Germans in Louisville, in the prehistory of the town, from a German perspective.

matcalfe-germans-in-louisville

And again similarly in an Encyclopedia of Louisville:

matcalfe-encyclopedia-of-louisville
Here’s the story from IndianaBeer.com:

Colonel Joseph Metcalfe started a brewery in New Albany in 1847 which he sold to William Grainger in 1856 who sold it to Paul Reising in 1857. Reising sold it to Martin Kaelin in 1861 who renamed it Main Street Brewery. This was a two-story building of 40×60 feet with two lagering cellars. It employed five men who made 3,600 bbls by 1868.

metcalfe-brewery-ad
And this is how he’s mentioned in Hoosier Beer: Tapping Into Indiana Brewing History:

metcalfe-brewery-hoosier-beer
Tavern Trove has a slightly different timeline for the brewery, as do a number of sources.

Joseph Metcalfe Brewery 1847-1857
William Grainger 1857-aft 1857
Paul Reising Aft. 1857-1861
Martin Kaelin, Main Street Brewery 1861-1882
Louis Schmidt, Main Street Brewery 1882-1883
Hornung and Atkins, Main Street Brewery 1883-1886
Jacob Hornung, Main Street Brewery 1886-1889
Indiana Brewing Co. 1889-1895
Pank-Weinmann Brewing Company. 1895-1899
Merged with the Southern Indiana Ice and Beverage Co. of New Albany, Indiana in 1899

Ackermans-Old-Rip-Beer-Labels-Southern-Indiana-Ice-amp--Beverage_79976-1

This is Metcalfe’s brewery shortly after he had sold it to Paul Reising.

paul-reising-brewery

Reisling-brewers
The brewery crew when it was the Paul Riesing Brewery.

Reisings-Kaiser-Beer-Labels-Paul-Reising-Brewing-Co-Inc_31932-1

Historic Beer Birthday: Frank Senn

By

senn-&-ackermann
Today is the birthday of Frank Senn (February 2, 1838-November 8, 1913) who was born in Mechtersheim, Germany, which today is known as Römerberg, but settled in St. Louis, Missouri with his parents in 1853. In Louisville, Kentucky, he opened the Frank Seen Brewery in 1874, but later sold it to his two brothers. In 1877, he took with a partner, Philip Ackermann, he opened a new brewery, the Frank Senn & Philip Ackermann Brewery. In 1892, they shortened it to the Senn & Ackermann Brewing Co., which it remained until being closed by prohibition.

frank-senn

Here’s a short bio, from his obituary, printed in the Western Brewer and Journal for July to December 1913.

Frank-Senn-obit

Here’s a short history of the brewery, from the Encyclopedia of Louisville:

senn-ackermann-history

And another one from Germans in Louisville: A History:

senn-ackermann-history-2

After prohibition began, the building was abandoned, eventually becoming a scrapyard.

Ackerman-and-Senn-abandoned

Historic Beer Birthday: Philip Ackerman

By

senn-&-ackermann
Today is the birthday of Philip Ackerman (December 27, 1841-?). In Spring Field, Illinois, he founded the Ackerman Brewery in 1863. A few years later, in 1866, he must have taken on some partners because it was briefly the Ackerman & Biehl Brewery, from 1866-1869, and then the Ackerman & Nolte Brewery, from 1869-1875, before becoming the Philip Ackerman Brewery in 1876, until closing in 1880. Meanwhile, in 1877, with another partner, Frank Senn, he opened a new brewery in Louisville, Kentucky, the Frank Senn & Philip Ackermann Brewery. In 1892, they shortened it to the Senn & Ackermann Brewing Co., which it remained until being closed by prohibition. Unlike his partner, Frank Senn, there’s very little information I could find about him, not even a photograph.

Here’s a short history of the brewery, from the Encyclopedia of Louisville:

senn-ackermann-history
And another one from Germans in Louisville: A History:

senn-ackermann-history-2

After prohibition began, the building was abandoned, eventually becoming a scrapyard.

Ackerman-and-Senn-abandoned

Beer In Ads #2687: Serve Fehr’s With Ribs

By


Saturday’s ad is for the Frank Fehr Brewing Co., from 1950. The Louisville, Kentucky brewery is advertising their Fehr’s XL Beer as a pairing with ribs. The ribs are laid out on a red and white checkerboard tablecloth with bread and a bowl of sauce. I’m not sure about the horseshoe handles on the baskets, which make it look like a yee-haw sort of restaurant, but if the food is tasty, then why not.

Fehrs-1950-ribs

Beer In Ads #2686: Serve Fehr’s With Beans ‘N’ Bacon — Boston Style

By


Friday’s ad is for the Frank Fehr Brewing Co., from 1950. The Louisville, Kentucky brewery is advertising their Fehr’s XL Beer as a pairing with Boston baked beans and bacon. I think is well before the days when advertising agencies hired professional food stylists to make the food look perfect, and as appetizing as possible. And while they’re still using their tagline, “It’s Al-ways Fehr Weather,” I confess I don’t understand why there’s a hyphen in always.

Fehrs-1950-beans

Beer In Ads #2685: Fehr Weather With Fish

By


Thursday’s ad is for the Frank Fehr Brewing Co., from 1951. The Louisville, Kentucky brewery is advertising their Fehr’s XL Beer as a pairing with fish. I do love how they’ve cut the lemons on the fish so they look like flowers, that’s a nice touch. I’m not sure about the sides, though, which seem to include lima beans and what I think are some sad-looking French fries. They’re getting a lot of mileage out of their tagline. “It’s Always Fehr Weather.”

Fehrs-1950-fish

Beer In Ads #2684: Fehr Weather For Dinner

By


Wednesday’s ad is for the Frank Fehr Brewing Co., from 1951. The Louisville, Kentucky brewery is advertising their Fehr’s XL Beer as a pairing with food, although that is one seriously scary looking dish. What the hell is that thing? Is it a slap of meat in Jell-O. I see a bone, I think? And what’s on top, it may be rice but could just as easily be something far worse. Sheesh!

Fehrs-1951-casserole

Beer In Ads #1801: Fiddler On The Bock Barrel

By


Monday’s ad is another one for Frank Fehr Brewing Co.’s Bock Beer, probably from the 1890s. The brewery was located in Louisville, Kentucky, but started out as the Otto Brewery. Its name changed to Frank Fehr in 1890, and remained that name until it closed in 1964. In this one, Tevye the Goat fiddles on top of a barrel of bock beer. He may be a small goat, but he plays with heart.

Bock-Beer-Signs-Pre-Pro-Frank-Fehr-Brewing-Company