Schmidt Brewery sign, gone for decades, will return

As far back as 2008 or so, there had been early talk of possibly incorporating the rathskeller into a new food and beverage concept. This was at the time when the first set of developers (the Cohen family) had still been talking-up the potential for the various parcels and buildings on the entire site.

Frankly, I'm happy enough to see a reproduction over there. I'm happy that something is being done with the site as well -- even though I almost definitely couldn't afford to live in those swanky new apartments!

P.S. Germanfest will be held there in a couple of week!

 

Yep, this was originally true for the Tilsner building in lowertown and also for the Carleton Artist's Lofts across the Avenue from the old Summit location. I was never sure how they expected 'starving artists' to be able to afford $1200/month studios, but heck, I'm not a real estate* developer, either.

*And just some historical trivia, but Johnson Brothers still owns a nice chunk of real estate over that way.

 

I recall reading an article, purportedly reprinted from a local TC newspaper, in a breweriana mag back in the '70s, claiming that vandals once sabotaged the sign, turning off the power to every other letter, so that the night sky was lit up:

SCHMIDT​

...which, as much as I supported local and regional breweries (even those eventually owned by Heileman ) is kinda clever, in a juvenile way. But I've never been able to find that article again, or confirm that it actually happened.

Of course, if it was today, there'd be 1,000s of cellphone photos of it, and numerous YouTube videos, including a "Making of..." one by the vandals themselves.​

 

It's true! I've seen the Polaroids!

 

I'm so psyched about this! I've been complaining for years about that ugly plywood "Landmark" sign. It will be great to see the (new) old sign back again.

 

The people who own the Amsterdam Bar and 331club will be presenting a proposal to the Rathskeller owners (Fort Road Federation) for a "Music Venue/Bar and Biergarten concept for the Rathskeller and Schmidt Office Building".
It would be great to see beer served there again. A few years ago, Dominium (the developer behind the Schmidt Artist Lofts) held a public info event in the Rathskeller, to talk about their proposed lofts. I went, but not because I cared about the lofts. I just wanted to see the Rathskeller again. It's definitely a place worth preserving.

 

A bit of the old rathskeller bar (photo 2011) ...

 

I mean, the sign is great and all, but the real question is, when is Schmidt's gay being released?

 

Ah yes. Schmidt, the "every other letter beer."