Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Poth's Rice Beer

        Back in the late 19th Century American breweries started using adjuncts, such as corn and rice, to make beer. Corn and rice gave beer a clear, amber look that appealed to beer drinkers because, at the time, city drinking water was apparently a bit murky and they wanted a beverage they could drink with trust. The breweries didn't see eye to eye on this. Some breweries used adjuncts and some didn't. The ones that didn't always advertised their beer as Pure Beer. there was plenty of back and forth between the breweries. It's interesting to note that all the big breweries in Philadelphia had wells dug so they had access to excellent water and didn't need to use river or city drinking water to make their beers.

      In newspaper advertisements the F.A. Poth & Sons brewery explained what ingredients they used in their beer and what they did for the beer. No expense was spared, of course. In this ad they use their Otto the waiter character to give the info to a customer who is asking question.

The ad from 1907:

 

The Dialogue translater:

        "What is the difference between light and dark beer, Otto?"

       “The malt makes the difference. Dark beer is only brewed from malt, light beer is not. "

       "How is the light beer brewed, Otto?"

       “By mixing the rice with the malt, sir. A third of rice with two thirds of malt makes the beer clear and amber as well as lighter in content. "

        "Do you use ordinary rice, as it is served for breakfast?"

        “Not in the Poth brewery, where the beer you drink is brewed. The rice used in the local brewery comes from India and is much finer than our native rice from Texas and Louisiana. My brother, who works in the Poth brewery, showed me whole mountains of sacks of rice from India, which is imported via Hamburg, Germany. "

       "That must cost dearly, Otto"

       “It costs more than local rice, but it makes a better beer. Our American rice is too oily and gets a little rancid in warm weather. "

       "Well, Otto, after I know what light beer is brewed from, you can bring me another bottle of Poth’s Extra, Otto."

       "Immediately, sir."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Monday, March 8, 2021

Gambrinus Saengerkranz

 



       Singing Societies in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries were a large part of German-American life. Regular local Saengerfests (singing competitions) were organized around the city and national competitions were also held around the Northeast region of the United States. The Gambrinus Saengerkranz was one of many of these organizations in Philadelphia. It was organized on January 11, 1874 and named after the mythical King Gambrinus, the patron saint of beer. Quarters were secured at 32nd & Thompson Streets in the Brewerytown section of the city. The first president was Mr. Birkenstock who continued in that position until 1878 when he was succeeded by Albert Hoch. The society got off to a very difficult start and almost collapsed but hard work from a few energetic and dedicated members saved the organization and afterward it began to grow. Joseph Geiger (President of George Keller Brewing Co.) eventually succeeded Albert Hoch to become its third President. The society experienced rapid growth through the 1880s and by 1890 had outgrown its headquarters so there was a need for a larger place. In November of 1890 a lot was purchased on the southwest corner of Thirtieth & Master Streets next to George F. Rothacker Brewing Co. and the Philip Spaeter Cooperage. A building committee was set up and entrusted to take the necessary steps to have their new building built. The architect Thomas P. Lonsdale was contracted to provide the building plans and the building contract was awarded to Charles Auchter. From October 2 until October 24, 1891 a big fair was held by the society at the Northwestern Market Hall during which $3,000 was raised and contributed to the building fund. The cornerstone was finally laid with appropriate ceremonies on Easter Monday, April 18, 1892. The total cost of the building, not including the land, was $37,400. On Thirtieth Street the new hall had a front of 59 feet, on Master Street 147 feet and the garden measured 32 by 60 feet. It was one of the largest buildings owned by any of the singing societies in Philadelphia.

       Besides the men’s choir, The Gambrinus founded a Turner (gymnastics) Department on April 2, 1890 and in October 1891 a Saturday and Sunday school was organized to give classes in German language and drawing. There was also the ladies’ society whose activities supported and contributed to the prosperity of the whole society. The Turners also had a brass band.

       For many years the music director was A.C. Hartmann and under his direction The Gambrinus won a prize at the New York Saengerfest in 1894. In that year the membership included:

       FIRST TENORS – Valentine Koch, William Bauroth, Charles Moser, John Muth, Charles Hebsecker, Charles Dieskert, Louis Leinhauser, C. Kenneck, F.J. Wittkomp, William Weir, Louis Berghoff.

       SECOND TENORS – J. Schmidt, Jr., Charles Peterman, Albert Buryer, H. Eisasser, W. Reiderbeck, Joseph Leyner, E. Gerner, F. Ebert, J. Schirmer, P. Birkenmaier, L. Mair, Otto Fuch, H. Vogel, H. Marshall, H. Schumann.

       FIRST BASSES – A.J. Bell, J. Zaengerlein, Henry Kurtz, Paul Gross, Charles Winter, Joseph Heun, W. Riess, Louis Fritz, X. Patent, J. Neidinger, O. Scholl, L. Brenneiser, H.A.C. Popenhusen, F. Huder, C.B. Kretschman.

       SECOND BASSES – O. Hoesterey, M. Ost, G. Dangel, F. Schmidt, J. Mais, W. Maher, Moritz Stoize, Louis Horp, A. Debrunner, J. Konig, A. Spengler, H. Meinobressa.

       Besides these choir members, Joseph Geiger was President, A. Bell was Vice President, William Scharff was second Vice President, Jacob Naschold was the secretary, the Financial Secretary was Harry Ackenhausen, and Jacob Henris was serving as Treasurer.

       The Turner department also had some success by winning a prize at the Brooklyn Turnerfest, which was held July 18-21, 1891, and winning four prizes at the Trenton Turnerfest held July 30-August 2, 1892. 

       During the summer months the singers gave concerts in the society’s garden. Emil F. Ulrich took over as the musical director in 1896. Ulrich was born in 1873 in Swabia Germany and studied music at the Conservatory in Stuttgart. He emigrated to Philadelphia in 1892 and soon after started his own amateur orchestra which gained much respect.

       In 1897, the President was Otto Hoesterei, the Vice President was Valentin Koch, Bernhard Nikel was the Secretary, Joseph Geiger the Treasurer, and the Trustees were Georg Arnholt (of Arnholt and Schaefer Brewing Co.), Felix Geiger (the brewmaster at Bergner & Engel Brewing Co., a director at the Northwestern Market Co., and father of Joseph), and William Wenkenbach.

       Besides their own uses for their hall, The Gambrinus also rented it out for other events and purposes. One such event was held on February 15, 1896 when Gustavus A. Müller (President of Bergner & Engel Brewing Co.) hosted a meeting for Democratic Candidate A. Raymond Raff, who was running for Select Council, and others who were running for Common Council and School Director. Another event held was a basketball game between All-Philadelphia and All-Scholastic which occurred on November 11, 1897 with All-Philadelphia winning 16 to 0.

       It’s unclear what happened to the Gambrinus but the property was sold to Acme Markets in 1922 and the building was demolished to make way for a warehouse, which still stands today, for their operations.

-bat29, 2016



 

Saturday, March 6, 2021

The beginnings of the brewing trade in Philadelphia

 


       Because it is in general an approved fact that the first lager beer in the United States of America was brewed in the city of Philadelphia, thus, so to speak, there stands today the cradle of this magnificent industry, it will be of interest, to learn, what circumstances therefore linked the men who played the leading role.

       I, who have had both friendly and business relationships with many of our brewers for a generation, have been given the honorable mandate by some of them to tell the story of the development of their trade, and I look forward to doing this task as best I can.

       My source is none other than Mr. Charles Wolf, himself one of the first brewers and a former partner in the Engel & Wolf company.

       If the wanderer in the city of brotherly love along Girard Avenue turns his steps westward, past the institution of the noble donor of the same name, he will in a short time reach Brewerstown. A little more than forty years ago, nature shone here in all its opulence: moorland and marshland bordered gently sloping hills and the trees of the high forest proudly stretched their tops upwards. Today there is a place of industry there which, although still in its infancy, is looking for its equal in the world.

       It was then when a few simple men undertook to practice their trade, which they had learned in the old fatherland, because they brewed the first Bavarian beer; They also wanted to found their own, independent home for themselves and their families. At any rate, they recognized even then, apart from the desire to feast on a good drink, the beneficial influence that a healthy drink must have on the inhabitants of this country.

       How small their beginnings were and what tools they had to use, some of them still have a story to tell. After all, one of those brave pioneers cooked his first beer in a sugar pan; one sugar barrel served as a mash tun and the cut off heads of another served as reefer vessels. He was all in all, master and servant, coachman and a noble steed himself.

       It would not correspond to our present purpose and we would have to indulge ourselves in repetitions if we wanted to climb the stages of development of this wonderful brewing beer; one thing is certain, however, that even the highest expectations of the first brewers were not in the slightest proportion to the gigantic successes of their company; those small, inconspicuous brewer's huts have grown into palaces, and where once one represented everything in everything, now hundreds of industrious hands are moving.

       I take the following information from the mouth of Mr. Charles Wolf:

       At the beginning of the forties (1841 or '42), John Wagner, who lived on St. John near Poplar Street, had returned from a trip to Germany, brought the first bottom-fermenting yeast with him from his homeland, dissolved it and brewed the first lager Beer in the kettle of the brandy distiller Jacob Mersinger, a neighbor. George Manger, himself a German brewer who was currently working at the Haas & Wolf sugar house, * and was a friend of Wagner, with whom he had worked in various breweries in the old fatherland, received a small part of the yeast from the latter as a gift. The importance of this yeast for German brewers at that time can be seen from the fact that a young German brewer tried to acquire a small part of the yeast by breaking into Wagner’s cellar, but was caught and sentenced to two years in prison. He is said to have been pardoned before his time was served, by being able to distinguish between a real criminal and a young man who acted only out of brashness.

       Charles Engel, also a brewer, who had just arrived from Germany, stayed with Wolf as a guest. Together with Manger, he made a brew in the sugar pan at Haas & Wolf, and lager was obtained. The winning beer, of excellent quality, was drank among friends. Encouraged by the success, they were given the air to go into the brewing business using the bottom-fermenting method known in Germany. However, Charles Engel soon left again to travel further around the country.

       George Manger remained with brewing and took a job with a brewer of Dünnbier, named Bossinger, who had his shop at Front above Brown Street. He used the yeast from the sample made in the sugar house, and was successful. A short time later he entered into business with Charles Psotta, on New, above Second Street, on a small scale. In order to take account of the rapid growth of their business, they had to increase their labor and as a result sold all their old equipment after two years of use to Charles Engel, who had meanwhile returned. He set up his little shop on Dillwyn, below Callowhill Street (still known today as “Die Wolfschlucht”) and later connected with his friend, the aforementioned Charles Wolf, under the firm name Engel & Wolf. They got fresh yeast from Hofmann (brewery of “Alten Sonne”) in Mannheim, which was brought over by a young brewer named Louis Mayer, who emigrated to America.

       The taste and demand for the Philadelphian lager spread more and more, especially in the city of New York, so that Hermann Wolf, brother of Mr. Charles Wolf, under the direction of Mr. Charles Engel, intended to build a brewery on Staten Island. The rock cellar for this was already built and ready to hold beer; but that undertaking stopped due to the sudden death of Hermann Wolf, which was caused by an accident.

       Mr. Engel & Wolf built the first lager cellar in America on Fountain Green, near the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, on the Schuylkill River, below the Columbia Bridge. For twenty-eight years they ran the business jointly; Mr. Charles Engel later got in touch with Gustav Bergner, from which today's Bergner & Engel’s Brewing Co. emerged.

       The beginnings of this industry, which today is so big and huge, were small. The overwhelming influence it exerted in the economic as well as in the social sphere is plain to see; it is also irresistibly pushed over into the realm of politics, by the courage to persecute blind zealots of glorious hypocrites. The time is not far off when the club, the United States Brewer no longer stands alone in his struggle against those dark powers; He will form the nucleus of a party which, with “common sense” on its banner, will force itself to recognize its most sacred inalienable rights; Man is strengthened in the constant tenacious struggle for his right and the endangered domestic hearth, and in advance the courageous fighter is certain of his victory.

       Involuntarily I strayed from the goals I had set before me, and taking up the broken thread again, I still have to mention in the end:

       Of these brewing pioneers, John Wagner, George Manger and Charles Psotta are already resting in the earth; the gentlemen Engel and Wolf enjoy a happy, sprightly existence.

*) The Old Sugarhouse was on the south-east corner of Nicholson and Race Streets; it was torn down two years ago to make way for the machine factory of Js. O. Colladay. Nicholson Street is between 6th and 7th and Race and Cherry streets.

 -Ernst Dercum c.1885