Everett Brewing Co. letterhead

History of the Everett Brewing Company (1905-1915)

and its predecessor

The Washington Brewing Co. (1900-1905)


The first brewery in the Everett area predated the Washington Brewery by about 35 years. It was located at Mukilteo, and is located about five miles north of what would become the city of Everett in 1890. This small brewery was erected ca.1865, for the production of Steam Beer, and was known as the Mukilteo Brewery. In 1882 it was totally destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in Seattle instead of Mukilteo. The new brewery began selling its first batch of beer in Dec. of 1882, but on Oct. '83 it too was destroted by fire, and never rebuilt. 

It wasn't until about 1899 that plans were laid to erect a large brewery in Everett - and in 1900 the Washington Brewery was supplying beer to the new community.

 

Washington Brewing Co.

In October of 1899, Tacoma's Pacific Brewing & Malting Co. purchased property in the city of Everett for a proposed branch brewery there. However another group had beat them to it. By the Spring of 1900, the Washington Brewing Co. was in production with Anton Aabling as the plant's first manager. He was later replaced by Louis Sleidle.

Washington Brewing Company, c.1900 - image
Washington Brewing Co., ca.1900

As is the case with any large enterprise, a number of investors are required to raise the requisite capital. In the case of this venture, the major stockholder appears to have been the Northern Brewing Co. of Vancouver, WA. Washington Brewery's first president and manager was Adam Mueller, who was also president & mgr. of Northern Brewing Company's, Star Brewery.

The company produced a product they called "Three Sisters Beer" which is odd since the Three Sisters, are mountain peaks in Oregon. Since the backers were from Vancouver perhaps they sold this brand in the Portland market.

On 15 March, 1901, a trade publication reported:

"The Washington Brewery, of which A. Mueller, manager and Mr. Weigand, brewer has just put in new boilers and is rushing to completion a brick and wood addition of 56x46, also a new ice plant of 35 tons per day capacity. These improvements will cost in the neighborhood of $17,000 and bring the capacity of the plant up to 12,000 bbls."

Apparently, the Northern Brg. Co. sold its interest in the venture. By 1902 the Columbia Brewing Co. of Tacoma had its people managing the brewery. In the 1901-02 Everett City Directory, William C. Kiltz is named the proprietor and manager of the Washington Brewery. At this time he was also serving as secretary/treasurer of the Columbia Brewery. Kiltz was in fact an agent of Tacoma's Pacific Brewing & Malting (PB&M), which had an interest in the Columbia Brewery as well.

 
Three Sisters Beer label from Everett
Three Sisters Beer label, ca.1901

Washington Brewing Co. beer glass, c.1903 - image
etched beer glass, ca.1903

Wash. Brg. Co. Everett Beer glass
etched beer glass, ca.1904


Washington Brewing Co. Tray from Everett

Wash. Brg. Co. ad for Pure Malt Beer 1903 - image
 ad from 1903 Everett City Directory

However, the Washington Brewing Company was to have a relatively short run. In late 1904 another group of Tacoma investors, backed by PB&M, made a deal to purchase the company and operate the plant until their new, larger brewery was constructed.


Everett Brewing Company

Everett Brewing Co. eastern exposure - photo
Everett Brewery, west-southwest exposure

In October of 1904, Pacific Brewing & Malting went forward with their plans for the new brewery, but chose to remain in the background. They selected one of their salesman, Bernhard Hochstadter, to act as their agent and front the establishment of the enterprise. Consequently, their previous agent, William Kiltz, was replaced as manager of theWC Kiltz bus. card Mt. Hood Brg. Co. - image brewery.

Apparently the PB&M had another task for Klitz. By 1905 he is president of the Mt. Hood Brewery in Portland. See business card (at right).

On 22 Oct. 1905, a trade publication reported:

"Everett brewing Co., Everett, Wash. Capital stock $100,000. Incorporators, Bernard Hockstader (sic), of Tacoma; J.E. Horan and J.D. Eveland, of Everett. Capacity 35,000 barrels. The plans for the building have all been completed and the work will start immediately.
 
In the meantime Mr. Hockstader (sic) has purchased the plant of the Washington Brewing Company from William Kilz (sic) and will operate it until the new brewery is ready to put its product on the market, which will be about ten months."

1914 Sanborn map of the Everett Brewing Co.
The brewery equipment included an ice making and refrigerating plant, as well as, a complete bottling works. The plant occupied the 3300 block, between Smith & Paine. This 1914 Sanborn map shows the exact layout.

Everett Beer was a popular brand and had an enthusiastic local following. On 30 June, 1906, the Everett Herald published the following:Everett Beer ad ca.1906

"Everett's future as a manufacturing center is established beyond a doubt, for with the combined assistance of capital and brains we have in operation and in contemplation some of the largest and most complete plants in the Northwest.

Prominent among these is the Everett Brewery, our most recent acquisition, which as completed stands proudly as a monument to the man whose courage and confidence in Everett's future inspired the erection of this modern plant at a cost of over $100,000. This plant is strictly up-to-date. There is nothing newer, better or more substantial known to the brewing industry. The capacity exceeds over 30,000 barrels yearly of a product that received the unanimous approval of our public and the residents of our surrounding section.

The beer made by the Everett Brewing company is strictly and chemically pure. It could not be otherwise; its cleanliness is assured by successive filtering appliances, the use of steam for sweetening kegs after washing and the entire elimination of hand work from the process. Hops and malt (grown in Washington) are the chief constituents which guarantee a wholesome, delightful beverage.

Mr. Bernhard Hochstadter, the company's executive and manager, is a skillful brewer of the modern type. While a famous German formula is used in manufacturing his product, Mr. Hochstadter has adopted the approved methods that have won fame for him and his output."
 

The September 12, 1909, Tacoma's Daily Ledger reported:

"The Pacific Brewing and Malting Company of Tacoma has taken over the Everett Brewing Company for the sum of $200,000.
 
The deal was completed Saturday and the new owners take possession Sept. 20. Capacity of the local brewery is 30,000 barrels yearly, with trade in Alaska and South America."

From the following, it appears that Pacific Brewing & Malting (PB&M) was a major stockholder, but not the sole owners. Albert Burke was in the management position, placed there by the other cadre of investors. PB&M exerted control while remaining in the background, just as their main competitor, Seattle Brewing & Malting was doing with virtually all of the Seattle breweries. But after a few years PB&M chose to buy out their partners and assume full ownership.

The June, 1913 issue of American Brewer reported:

"On 1 May, the Pacific Brewing & Malting Company assumed management of the Everett Brewing Company's plant at Everett, Wash., having bought out the controlling interest of Albert Burke and Eastern stockholders. Edward H. Hatch is the new manager."

Edelrein Beer ad Oct 1913Four months later, October of 1913, the brewery introduced a German style pale lager they called "Edelrein" which means a gem, or a jewel. While the new brand was well received, their brewery would soon become a liability. In November of the following year voters approved state-wide prohibition. The law was to take effect 1 January, 1915. To ease the pain, the breweries were given a year to sell their inventory and shut their plants. Some chose to keep their plants running with the manufacture of "near-beer" and/or soft drinks.

Pacific Brewing & Malting chose to follow Seattle Brewing & Malting's lead and open a brewery in San Francisco - in the common belief that voters would never opt for national Prohibition. With the move to California a priority, the company chose to close the Everett plant rather than to undertake a new venture.

A trade publication reported in their November, 1914 edition that the Everett plant was to be leased to a wholesale grocery house.

 

Everett Breweriana

Everett Beer label, c.1905
Everett Beer label, ca.1909

Muenchener style beer label, c.1905
Muenchener style beer label, ca.1905

Everett Beer etched glass ca.1906
etched beer glass, ca.1906

Everett Beer tray - image
Everett Brewing Co. - Everett Beer tray

Drink Everett Beer, etched glass - image
etched beer glass, ca.1910

Everett Brg. Co. folding knife

reverse of Everett Brg. Co. folding knife

reverse of  pocket knife and cork screw, c.1913 - shown at left

 

 

Everett Brewery mug by Mettlach - image
Everett Brewery,
¼
liter beer stein by Mettlach


 Edelrein Pale Beer Label on bottle

Edelrein Beer label, Everett Brg. Co. - image
Edelrein Pale Beer label, c.1913

Everett Brewing Co. half-liter stein - image
"Compliments Everett
Brewing Co."
half-liter beer stein


Everett Beer sign, Good for Brain & Body

Everett beer tray - 12 O'Clock Everett Beer tray - Night watchman
Everett Beer tray, ca.1909 by Meek,
stock image titled "12 O' CLOCK"
Everett Beer tray, ca.1907 by Shonk,
stock image titled "Nachwachter"
 

With the repeal of Prohibition in April of 1933, there were many entrepreneurs hoping to establish new breweries. However, the Great Depression still had its grip on the national economy and venture capital was not always easy to acquire.

Lack of funding was probably what killed the plans of a group intent on opening a brewery in Everett. The new venture was to be called the Monte Cristo Brewing Company.  


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • Special thanks to the Northwest Room of the Everett Public Library for providing history, images of the Brewery, and its ephemera.

  • To Rick Miller for the image of his Washington Brewing Co. beer glass.

  • To Dale Sleeman for the image of the folding knife and cork screw.

  • And thanks to Dan Haarstad for the image of his Everett Beer tray - "12 O' Clock."

 

WARNING - I've seen phony match safes from seven different WA breweries - all with graphics taken from my history pages. The fakes I'm aware of are supposedly from: Hemrich Bros. Brewing Co.;  Seattle Brewing & Malting;  Bellingham Bay Brewery;  Aberdeen Brewing Co.;  Albert Braun Brewing Assn.;  Columbia Brewing Co.;  and the Washington Brewing Co. of Everett.

Fake Everett match safe
Fake Everett match safe

 

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