Metz Brewery
{{Infobox company
|name = Metz Brothers Brewing Company
|logo =
|type = Private
|foundation = 1856
|defunct = 1936
|location = Omaha, Nebraska, United States
|key_people = Frederick Metz
|industry = Beverages
|products = Beers, lagers, malt beverages
|revenue =
|num_employees=
|homepage =
}}
The Metz Brothers Brewing Company was among the first brewers in the U.S. state of Nebraska, having been established in the city of Omaha in 1859.{{citation | last = Schlüter | first = H. | date = 1910 | title = The Brewing Industry and the Brewery Workers' Movement in America | publisher = International Union of United Brewery Workmen of America | page = 58}} It was among the earliest manufacturers in the city. After originally opening as the McCumbe Brewery, the facility was sold several times until brothers Frederick and Philip Metz purchased it in 1861.{{cite book | chapter-url = http://www.rootsweb.com/~neresour/andreas/douglas/douglas-p23.html | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050511180351/http://www.rootsweb.com/~neresour/andreas/douglas/douglas-p23.html | archive-date = May 11, 2005 | date = 1886 | title = HISTORY of the State of Nebraska | publisher = The Western Historical Company | location = Chicago, Illinois | chapter = Douglas County | access-date = July 1, 2007}} Metz was one of the "Big 4" brewers located in Omaha, which also included the Krug, Willow Springs and Storz breweries.{{cite book | last1 = Larsen | first1 = Laurence H. | last2 = Cotrell | first2 = Barbara J. | year = 1997 | title = The Gate City: A History of Omaha | edition = Enlarged | isbn = 978-0803279674 | publisher = University of Nebraska Press | page = 144}}
History
In 1880 the Metz Brewery was located at 1717 South 3rd Street, and was producing 12,400 barrels (390,600 gallons) per year. Later the facility moved to 209 Hickory Street into the former Willow Springs Distilling Company facility. Considered to be modern for the time, the facilities sat on an entire city block. Early brewing equipment included three cooling vaults, two of which were 20 feet wide by 75 feet long; and one smaller vault, being 20 feet wide by 30 feet long. The ice rooms immediately above were of the same dimensions. The mash tun and brewing kettle each had a capacity for holding one hundred 31.5-gallon barrels. Barns for the delivery horses were also located on site. The brewery was said to have "no equal in the country."
The Metz brothers also ran the Metz Brothers Beer Hall, located on 510 South Tenth Street. Beer was supplied in barrels transported by horse-drawn cart from the main brewery.(nd) [http://www.omahapubliclibrary.org/earlyomaha/buildings/metz.html Metz Brothers Brewery] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070802103354/http://www.omahapubliclibrary.org/earlyomaha/buildings/metz.html |date=2007-08-02 }}. Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 7/1/07.
The Metz Brewery closed because of the Prohibition.{{cite web | url = http://www.nebraskahistory.org/sites/mnh/neb-made/brewery.htm | url-status = usurped | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930154905/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/sites/mnh/neb-made/brewery.htm | archive-date = September 30, 2007 | title = Breweries: The recent growth of microbreweries continues Nebraska's long brewing tradition | date = 28 April 2003 | work = Made in Nebraska | publisher = Nebraska State Historical Society | access-date = July 1, 2007}} The facility was sold to an agriculture company in 1920. The label was brewed until 1961{{cite web | url = http://trayman.net/Brewery/Metz.htm | title = Metz Brewing Co., Omaha, NE (1896 - 1961) | access-date = June 24, 2008}} by the Walter Brewing Company of Pueblo, Colorado.
See also
References
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External links
- [http://digital.omahapubliclibrary.org/earlyomaha/buildings/metz.html Historic Photo of the Metz Brewery]
- [http://www.memoriallibrary.com/NE/Douglas/Police/Images/PaxtonHotel.htm 1909 Metz Brewery advertisement]
- [http://memories.nebraska.gov/cdm/ref/collection/dwhm/id/69 Interior of Metz Beer bottling plant]
{{Omaha Breweries}}
Category:Beer brewing companies based in Omaha, Nebraska
Category:History of South Omaha, Nebraska
Category:Former buildings and structures in Omaha, Nebraska
Category:Food and drink companies established in 1856
Category:1936 disestablishments in Nebraska
Category:Defunct companies based in Omaha, Nebraska
Category:Defunct brewery companies of the United States
Category:German-American culture in Omaha, Nebraska
Category:1856 establishments in Nebraska Territory
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