Valentin Blatz Brewing Company facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Blatz Brewery Complex
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Building detail from the brewery complex
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| Location | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1891 |
| Architect | August Gunzmann, Louis Lehle |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000793 |
| Added to NRHP | April 15, 1986 |
The Valentin Blatz Brewing Company was an American company that made beer. It was located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company made Blatz Beer from 1851 until 1959. After that, the Blatz brand was sold to the Pabst Brewing Company.
Today, Blatz beer is still made by the Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee. They make it for the Pabst Brewing Company.
Contents
History of Blatz Beer
A man named Johann Braun started a beer-making business called City Brewery in 1846. Valentin Blatz opened his own beer-making business right next door in 1850. When Mr. Braun passed away in 1852, Valentin Blatz combined both businesses.
In 1852, Valentin's company made 350 barrels of a type of beer called lager. Back then, beer didn't last long, so it was only sold nearby. By 1868, Blatz's company was much bigger, making 16,000 barrels of beer.
A big fire damaged the original brewery in 1872. But Valentin Blatz used this chance to make his factory bigger and add new, modern equipment for making beer. In 1875, Blatz was the first beer company in Milwaukee to have a special section for bottling beer. This meant they could package their beer and send it all over the country!
The company officially became the Valentin Blatz Brewing Company in 1889. In 1891, part of the company was sold to a group of investors from England. By the early 1900s, Blatz was the third-largest beer maker in Milwaukee.
Blatz During Prohibition
During a time called Prohibition (from 1920 to 1933), it was against the law to make or sell alcoholic drinks. During this time, Blatz made other things like non-alcoholic drinks, malt soap, and "near beer," which had very little alcohol. In 1933, when Prohibition ended, Blatz was one of the first companies to get permission to start making beer again.
Changes in Ownership
In 1958, the Pabst Brewing Company bought Blatz. At that time, Pabst was the tenth largest beer company in the country, and Blatz was the eighteenth largest. However, the government said this sale was against the law because it would reduce competition. So, the sale was canceled in 1959, and Blatz closed its doors that same year. In 1960, Pabst bought the Blatz brand and its other valuable items.
Over the years, the Blatz brand was sold to different companies. In 1969, the G. Heileman Brewing Company bought Blatz from Pabst. Then, in 1996, the Stroh Brewery Company bought Heileman. Finally, in 1999, before it closed down, Stroh sold its brands, including Blatz, back to the Pabst Brewing Company and the Miller Brewing Company. By 2007, Blatz was once again part of Pabst.
Blatz Today
The "Blatz" beer brand is currently made by the Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee. They make it under a special agreement for the Pabst Brewing Company.
The old Blatz Brewery buildings in downtown Milwaukee are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites. The company's former office building has been turned into apartments. The old Blatz bottling factory is now a building for the Milwaukee School of Engineering. The original office building is now the school's Alumni Partnership Center.
The Blatz Brewery Complex has three important historical buildings. They are built in a German Renaissance Revival style. This means they have round arches and light-colored trim against dark bricks. Stockhouse number 3 is the oldest, built in 1891. It is a six-story building that set the style for the other buildings. Stockhouse number 2 was built in 1904 and looks similar, but it has a two-story square tower. Stockhouse number 1 was built in 1906 and continued the same design.
Marketing and Slogans
Blatz beer had some famous marketing slogans. Two well-known ones were "Blatz—Milwaukee's Finest Beer" and "Blatz—Milwaukee's Favorite Premium Beer." Later, they described their product as "Draft Brewed Blatz."
In the 1950s and 1960s, Blatz had popular jingles. One jingle said, "Kegs, Cans, or Bottles, all taste the same. The three best is one beer—Blatz is the name." This jingle highlighted that Blatz beer tasted the same no matter how it was packaged. Another jingle went, "We're from Milwaukee and we oughta know, it's good old Blatz Beer wherever you go. Kegs, Cans and Bottles, all taste the same. The three best is one beer. Blatz is the name."
In 2005, a group of Blatz beer fans created something called the "Blatzitution." This was a fun guide with rules and suggestions on how to enjoy Blatz beer. People who didn't follow the rules were called "Blatzphemers." The Pabst Brewery, which owns Blatz, even gave it a positive, unofficial thumbs-up. A representative said they were happy that new generations were enjoying the tradition of Blatz Beer.
Images for kids
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Building detail from the brewery complex
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An advertisement for Blatz beer from 1879.
