History of the
Horluck Brewing Company (1933-1939)
and
the Century Brewery (1939-1957)
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On the 16th of December 1900, George F. Horluck was born in Chapman, Nebraska to Hans Jorgen Horluck and Hannah Kristine Fansbol, both of Denmark. The couple immigrated by way of Germany in 1898, accompanied by their two year old daughter, Louise Augusta, who was born there. The family arrived in Seattle prior to 1910, and on the 21st of Feburary, 1911, the family gained a second daughter, Marguerita. George proved to be an able
entrepreneur. By 1927, he had amassed a number of ice cream parlors, and
on January 4th 1928, his chain became Horluck's Malted Milk Shops,
Inc. with a starting capital of $5,000. He soon added $10,000 additional
capital, and on April 24th of that same year he shortened the firm's
name to Horluck's, Inc. The name change was the result of a suit brought
by the Horlick's Malted Milk Corp. for trademark infringement. On the 23rd of December 1930,
George and his father formed their Horluck Investment Company with a
starting capital of $99,000. Meanwhile, George's malt shops were doing
With the end of Prohibition in
1933, new business opportunities were realized, and the George F. Horluck
Brewery was opened at the corner of Westlake and Mercer Avenues. The
following year, on 8 June, the business was incorporated as the Horluck Brewing
Company. The brewery produced a number of
brands, including "White and Gold", a pre-prohibition brand from the
Claussen Brewing Assn. They also had "Bock Beer", "Horluck's Seattle
Beer", and a "Belfast type - Imperial Ale".
The Horluck Brewery didn't produce many point of sale items - at least not that have survived. The two glasses and tap knob (below) are all for their flagship brand, "Horluck's Vienna style Beer", c. 1934-1939.
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Sick's Century Brewery (1939-1957)After Prohibition the Sick family of Canada was intent on entering the U.S. market. They began by acquiring control of breweries in both Great Falls and Missoula, Montana. Next they gained control of the Galland-Burke Brewery in Spokane, but they were drawn to Seattle were more lucrative opportunities awaited. In 1933 they made a deal with the Hemrich family to lease the old Bay View Brewery. On June 7th of that year the Century Brewing Assn. was incorporated and the plant renamed the Century Brewery, and in 1934 they purchased the plant. In May 1938, when the Apex Brewing Company folded, they purchased the company's real assets. The Apex plant, conveniently located on adjacent property, and for a short while was known as the Rheinlander Brewing Co. The Pilsner Brg. Co. had already closed, which left the Horluck Brewing Company as the only other operating brewery in Seattle - and on May 1st 1939, that too was under the Sick's control. They renamed the Horluck plant the Century Brewery, as they had acquired the rights to the Rainier brand and the Seattle Brewing & Malting name. Below is a photo of the Horluck plant with it's new signage in October of '39.
The new Century Brewery became the home of "Rheinlander Beer" and "Brew 66" until 1957, when the plant was closed.
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well and the Investment company backed a new venture. They would produce
the ice cream for the chain of shops in their own creamery. On August
20, 1932 Horluck's, Inc. became Horluck Creameries, Inc. The new corporation was
capitalized at $190,000, with the plant located at 1101 Airport Way. Horluck's Ice Cream became a well known, regional product.
