Anybody own some beer "artifacts"?

A full bottle of the original Pete's Wicked Ale. Pete doesn't even have one! I also have a separate cap in my collection. I love this thread, by the way...I could do this all day!

 

Those are awesome. And I never knew that GB had another brewery. Evidently they were very prominent, as there are many things named Grace here in town.

 

I've never seen any reference source citation for a Grace Bros. brewery in San Jose. Besides their main location in Santa Rosa, they did own breweries in Fresno (ex-Fresno Brewing), Sacramento (ex-Buffalo) and L.A. (ex-Southern) in the 40's and 50's. Grace Bros. wound up being owned by Maier, which in turn became part of the large General/Lucky Lager portfolio of former CA beers, but it doesn't seem like General continued the brand.

Falstaff owned the former Pacific/Wieland brewery in San Jose, but that brewery was closed before Falstaff also came under the S&P/General umbrella.

 

Nice collection! I like all the Minnesota cans, especially the Schell's.

 

That's awesome information, I always thought or assumed that they were independent forever. The brewery here in Santa Rosa closed around 1965 or so (according to my dad) and was where the Vineyard Creek hotel now stands. There was a huge steam whistle that was blown to signal the end of a shift and could be heard thruout town. So much that other industry used it to mark their shifts as well.

 

Around here that was known as the dinner whistle (5:00) and God help you if you weren't home within 5 minutes of it blowing.

 

I inherited the Falstaff chalk statue that was in my grandfather's basement bar. Once my own home bar is finished, it will be displayed in a place of honor.

 

"1969" according to the brewing industry reference sources. Official address was 118 2nd St., at Wilson - so, yeah, that looks like the site of that hotel.

Interesting tidbit - seems Grace Bros. was bought and operated by Maier Brewing Co. during the period 1967-69. Maier at the time was owned by the (in)famous "Mr. Paul" Kalmanovitz, who's S&P Corporation went on to buy General (Lucky Lager), Falstaff, Pearl and finally Pabst. S&P morphed into the "Kalmanovitz Charitable Trust" after his death, and went on to buy most of the Stroh/Heileman portfolio of brands in the late 1990s. That probably over 100 different brands controlled at one time or another by his companies.

Another notable fact about Grace Bros. was they were among a very few brewers who owned their own hop ranch - theirs was in Ukiah, along the Russian River. They were also doing their own malting into the post-Repeal era (again, not very common at the time).

 

Yikes! It could only be better now, I'd imagine. Anything on the cap?

 

THANK YOU!

 

ISO!

 

Great thread. Needs more pictures.

 

Just an old wooden box...

 

This might be the neat-o-est thing on this thread yet!

 

I will have to take some pictures but I have a few things from Burkhardt Brewery, the Akron Ohio one and Boston MA one. Thats my last name so its kind of cool to have things from these breweries. I have two chalk made signs, a few bottles, a bottle opener and an old wooden delivery box!

 

I got this mug at an antique store last week for $3. I have no idea how old it is (I'm guessing '70s?), but there are many for sale on ebay that are described as "vintage", but anything made before now qualifies as vintage on ebay.

 

you can say that again!!

 

Holy churchkeys, Batman.