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Pabst Brewing Milwaukee, WI Pabst - The brewery that lived on survival Pabst Brewing Company, one of the oldest of the great brewing companies in America, is celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 1994 . Since its humble beginning in 1844, the Pabst Brewing Company has maintained a leading position in the brewing industry as a survivor. Jacob Best and his four sons would be amazed if they could see the progress of their brewery today. In 1842, Jacob and Charles Best established a vinegar factory in Milwaukee. (Remember when Wisconsin was still a United States territory?) Charles Best returned to Mettenheim, Germany and brought the rest of the Best family to Milwaukee in early 1844. Rather than starting new when moving to Milwaukee, Jacob Best essentially relocated his German brewery. He was immediately ahead of much of his competition. Upon returning to Milwaukee, Jacob made the first real estate purchase on Chestnut Street Hill, the present site of Pabst Brewing Company today. A small brewery was established in the fall of 1844, and Jacob’s original brew kettle had a capacity of only 18 barrels. On February 22, 1845, the first lager beer from Best and Company was available for sale in Milwaukee. In the first year, Best’s brewery produced 300 barrels. Best not only brewed lager but also ale, porter and rye whiskey. During Best’s first year of business, six months later Charles Best withdraw from Best and Company and went back to the vinegar business. Five years later, Lorenz Best left the Company and convinced Charles Best to get back into the brewing business, and later established the Plank Road Brewery (eventually became the Miller Brewing Company). On July 1, 1852, the first display advertisement for Best and Company was placed in the Wisconsin Banner. When Jacob Best, Sr. retired, Jacob Best Jr. and Phillip Best Best carried on the business of Best and Company under a partnership. Best and Company was then producing 2,500 barrels annually and was ranked fourth largest among Milwaukee breweries. In the mid 1850s, Phillip Best set his sights on Chicago, 90 miles to the south; and there he set up the Company’s first branch sales office and warehouse. Jacob Best, Sr. chose his son Phillip to take charge of the brewery when he retired in 1853. He was the one proudest of the reputation for quality the young brewery had already won and was the first to see chances for improving the techniques of brewing. His brothers were content with the brewery’s production of a few thousand barrels a year, but Phillip’s plans for the future of the business were on a much larger scale. Jacob Best Jr. and Phillip Best terminated their partnership, over major disagreement about the brewery’s expansion and future. Jacob Best Jr. sold out his interest and Phillip Best continued the business as sole proprietor. Soon after the dissolution, business began to decline steadily. By 1863, the brewery was producing little more than half its capacity. Phillip Best’s health was failing, and asked his family to continue the business. No one seemed interested and the brewery’s future looked grim. Survival was Phillip’s main priority for his failing company. During Phillip’s Lake Michigan boat trips to Chicago, he became acquainted with Frederick Pabst, a young steamship captain on the Great Lakes. Phillip found in the young captain with the same belief in the future of American industry that he had. Phillip was not the only one to take notice of Frederick Pabst, Phillip Best’s daughter Maria, married the Captain on March 25, 1859. Captain Frederick Pabst decided to sell out his shipping interests and take a partnership in the brewery in 1863 after a violent storm beached his ship, The Huron, on the sands of Whitefish Bay. When Captain Pabst bought a half interest in the Phillip Best Brewing Company in 1864, the plant’s production was at 5,000 barrels annually. Emil Schandein, another son-in-law of Phillip’s, became another partner with Phillip Best and Pabst. The partnership between Phillip Best and Captain Pabst was dissolved in 1864, and a new partnership agreement between Captain Pabst and Emil Schandein was drawn up for Best and Company. On July 17, 1869, Phillip Best died. Captain Pabst had three major ambitions: to constantly improve the quality of his beer; to continue to increase the capacity of the brewery; and to sell his product to an even broader market. To realize these goals, the Captain went out after the best brewmasters of his day, even traveling abroad to sell the virtues of living in America to the men he wanted to work at the Milwaukee brewery. He increased the capacity of his brewery by convincing the stockholders that profits should be put into bigger and better equipment. To broaden his market, Captain took to the road and to the high seas, establishing sales connections throughout the United States and Europe. November 11, 1870, The Melms brewery was purchased by Best and Company. At the time, Melms brewery was the largest brewery in Milwaukee. Even though Melms brewery sales were slipping, the brewery was still operational. After the purchase by Frederick Pabst, the Melms brewery became the South Side Brewery and the original Phillip Best brewery on the hill was known as the Empire Brewery. In 1886, operations at South Side Brewery were discontinued. In 1872 the output was 100,000 barrels and Captain Pabst was President of the Company. Best and Company became the second largest brewery in the United States. A year later, 1873, the Phillip Best Brewing Company was incorporated in Wisconsin. Two years later, the Phillip Best Brewing Company started bottling their beer, but turned the department over to Stamm and Meyer in Milwaukee. In 1879, a Boyle ice machine was purchased for the Empire Brewery and was installed by 1880. Before the installation of the ice machine, Phillip Brewing Company suffered its first loss after a fire destroyed the malthouse, grain elevators and office building on December 21, 1879. Between 1879 and 1893, Phillip Best Brewing Company operated two breweries and opened 40 beer offices around the country. On February 5, 1881, Phillip Best Brewing Company purchased the bottling business back from Stamm and Meyer and continued the bottling department under their own name. The famous "Blue Ribbon" label did not get started until 1882. Prior to 1882, Phillip Best Brewing Company had received awards for their beer. In 1876, Pabst won both the highest awards for bottled beer and a gold medal. In 1878 at a Paris World’s Fair, Pabst again won more medals. In 1882, bottling became significantly important to the brewing business. When bottles were first used, these were generally plain and were not appealing to the public. Pabst decided to add pieces of blue ribbons tied around the necks of Best "Select" beer bottles. It didn’t take long before the public continued to ask for "The beer with the blue ribbon." By 1892, this special packaging idea became so popular that the company was purchasing 300,000 yards of silk ribbons, which workers tied by hand around each bottle.
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