National Brewing Company facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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National Brewing Company
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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National Brewing Company building, May 2012
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 Location in Baltimore
Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3601-3901 Dillon St., Baltimore, Maryland |
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| Area | 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) |
| Built | 1885-1966 |
| Architect | Wolf, Otto; Backhus, Paul W. |
| Architectural style | Romanesque, Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001579 |
| Added to NRHP | December 30, 2002 |
The National Brewing Company was a famous company that made beer in Baltimore, Maryland. It started way back in 1885. Its main building was in a part of Baltimore called Highlandtown.
After World War II, it became the biggest beer maker in Baltimore. The company was known for its fun advertising. This included a special one-eyed cartoon character named "Mr. Boh." Its slogan, "From the Land of Pleasant Living," became very popular in the Baltimore area.
In 1975, another company called Carling O'Keefe bought National Brewing Company. They changed the name to Carling National Breweries, Inc. The original Baltimore brewery closed in 1978. The beer making then moved to a different factory nearby. National Brewing Company's popular brands, like National Bohemian Beer and Colt 45, were made there until 1996.
Since 2001, these well-known brands have been made for Pabst Brewing Company by other breweries. The old National Brewing Company building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. This means it's an important historical site. It is part of the Brewers Hill Historic District.
Contents
The Story of National Brewing
The land where the National Brewing Company stood was used for making beer even before the company started. In the 1850s, a brewer named John Baier rented the land. He dug cellars there to store beer.
After John Baier passed away in 1866, his wife, Anna Maria Baier, kept his brewery going. Later, Anna married Frederick Wunder. By 1872, they had built a new brewery on the site. It was known as Wunder's Brewery.
In 1885, the Wunder Brewery was sold. Members of the Straus family bought it. They officially started the National Brewing Company. In that same year, the company began making its main beer, National Bohemian. At first, it was one of the smaller breweries in the city. The brewery needed a lot of updates.
Prohibition Era
In 1920, a time called Prohibition began in the United States. During this time, it was against the law to make or sell alcohol. Because of this, National Brewing Company had to close down. Some bigger breweries managed to stay open. They did this by making "near beer," which had very little alcohol. Prohibition lasted for 13 years.
A New Beginning
Prohibition ended on April 7, 1933. Soon after, a man named Samuel Hoffberger bought the company. He updated it and brought the National Brewing Company back to life.
When his son, Jerold Hoffberger, came home from World War II in 1945, he joined the company. Jerold was only 26. A year later, he became the President of National Brewing Company. He held this important job for 28 years. At that time, the company was making about 230,000 barrels of beer each year.
Growing the Business
Around this time, the famous "Mr. Boh" character was created. He was a one-eyed mascot with a mustache. He was designed by Donald Fenahgen, who worked in public relations. Mr. Boh helped advertise National Bohemian beer. The slogan was "From the Land of Pleasant Living."
The company's jingle also said that National beer was "brewed on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay." The brewery quickly became well-known. In the late 1940s, National was the first company to sell beer in six-packs of cans.
Sponsoring the Orioles
National Bohemian became even more famous in 1954. That year, Jerold Hoffberger helped create the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. He started selling "Natty Boh" (a nickname for National Bohemian) at Memorial Stadium.
National Bohemian eventually became the official sponsor of the Baltimore Orioles. It was also known as the official beer of Baltimore.
Introducing Colt 45
In 1963, National Brewing Company started making Colt 45. Many people think it was named after a gun. But it was actually named after a football player! It was named after Jerry Hill, a running back for the 1963 Colts team, who wore jersey number 45.
Before Colt 45, there was only one other major brand of malt liquor. To show that Colt 45 had an "extra kick," its label showed a kicking horse and a horseshoe.
By the end of the 1960s, National Brewing Company faced tough times. Prices were high, and there was a lot of competition. The company found it hard to stay independent.
Company Changes
In 1975, National Brewing Company joined with the Carling Brewing Company. They hoped this merger would help both companies. The Hoffberger family sold their beer business for over $16 million. Jerold Hoffberger stayed on as the head of the new Carling-National Breweries.
At that time, National had two breweries, and Carling had seven. Together, they could make a lot of beer. This made them the 9th largest brewery in the country. However, sales for Carling-National quickly dropped. They then suggested joining with Pabst Brewing Company.
But a court said no to this merger. The court worried that joining the two companies would create a monopoly. This means one company would have too much control. Just three years later, Carling-National was sold to G. Heileman Brewing Company. The old brewery in Brewer's Hill was then closed.
In 1996, Stroh Brewery Company bought the rights from Heileman. National Bohemian beer has not been made in Baltimore since then.
National Brewing Today
Today, the old brewery building has been changed. It is now used for businesses and offices. This is part of a project to redevelop the Brewers Hill area.
National Bohemian beer is now only "National" in name. It is brewed in North Carolina by Miller Brewing. This is done under an agreement with Pabst Brewing Company.
In late 2011, it was announced that another old brand, National Premium, would be brought back. An entrepreneur from Easton, Maryland, now owns it. This new National Premium Beer uses the same recipe as the original. It is brewed by Coastal Brewing in Delaware. The National Premium brand is separate. It has no connection to the National Bohemian beer that Pabst owns today.
- The National Brewing Company, Baltimore City, including photo from 2002, at Maryland Historical Trust
