"Old Missouri Brewery Sales" mandatory on Old Missouri Quart

[ronsmall]

Old Missouri Brewery Sales is listed in the mandatory for the Old Missouri quart, USBC 216-03. Which brewery was it really, Prima-Bismarck?

Is Old Missouri Brewery Sales listed in the mandatory of any other can? What's the story behind it?

[ronsmall]

Wow I thought I'd get a response...just crickets...

[Sea Monkey]

I wish I had an Old Missouri quart to look at for comparison sake. Ron, didn't you have an Old Missouri flat sheet?

[ronsmall]

I have the one with Old Missouri Brewery Sales as the mandatory. I'm just wondering which was the real brewery that produced it.
Something tells me Bob L or ozarkridgerunner would know the answer, but perhaps they haven't logged on recently.

[Bob L]

Ron, it's from one of the several incarnations of Manhattan Brewing in disguise (manhattan/prima/Westminster).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ozarkridgerunner]

Sorry took so long for me to post some info. I plowed through the records/files I have that came out of the Manhattan brewing co and came up with the following. Just as many questions as answers.

Background: Better Beverages Company were the "exclusive selling agents for the Westminster Brewing Company, who are affiliated with Manhattan." See the first pic of letter below dated Jan 31, 1938 with this info (paragraph 3). Despite BB CO close relations with Westminster, the second pic below of letter dated Aug 2, 1938 states "We have no previous knowledge of the fact that Westminster Brewing Company is no longer in existence" (last paragraph). This suggests the statement in the letter is feigned and/or the relationship between the two became more dubious over time. According to the History of Beer and Brewing in Chicago by Bob Skilnik, Westminster did cease operating in 1938 which seems to agree with the info in this letter and the date of cans with Westminster only Mandatory.

Evidently Manhattan liked affiliating the Westminster brands under the auspices of a different brewer since Prima Brewing Company was positioned as the Westminster "successor" given the "WESTMINSTER BREWING CO. PRIMA BREWING CO. SUCCESSORS" wording on English Lad and White Horse cans. Has anyone determined that Westminster and/or Prima had a Quart (and 12oz cone?) canning line and Manhattan did not? Certainly Manhattan had a bottling line, so was adding a Quart and 12oz cone line a big deal or was it just a marriage of convenience to let Westminster and Prima handle the cones? I think that assertion has been made before, but not aware of any proof. I'll keep any eye out for related info in my records along with a clear statement of Manhattan and Prima affiliation. The Manhattan Quart 214-17 says "BREWED AND FILLED BY PRIMA" ... "EXPRESSLY FOR MANHATTAN". The preponderance of quarts and 12oz cones with Westminster and Prima listed with no Manhattan mandatory suggest that Manhattan only canned the 12 flat tops including English Lad, White Horse, and Prima Gold Medal. I recently sold my Prima Ale 12oz that mentions Manhattan and Prima, not sure about the mandatory, but I believe it may have one similar to Manhattan Quart 214-17.

Old Missouri: Sorry not a lot of info on Old Missouri in the files/paperwork I have. I found nothing at all on "Old Missouri Brewery Sales". However, the Better Beverages letter to Manhattan in the third pic below dated Sep 27, 1937 discusses an order with Continental Can Company for "OLD MISSOURI beer", which does sound like USBC 216-03 since it does not mention "BRAND" like 216-04. This also suggests that Westminster used bigger/badder Manhattan to place their can orders with CCC, perhaps to get a better price given their scale?

Also, since this letter is dated 1937 when Westminster was in operation, it also suggests this info is regarding 216-03 since 216-04 only mentions "PRIMA BREWING CO" (unless there are variations out there I am not aware of). I have a rough version of 216-04, I am assuming it is from CCC, but not positive since those markings if they exist are obscured by rust on mine. If 216-04 is not CCC, then it is certain "Old Missouri" in this letter is referencing 216-03.

Not sure why 216-03 lists "OLD MISSOURI BREWERY SALES CO" instead of Westminster, my guess is Better Beverages thought "OLD MISSOURI SALES CO" sounded more compelling. Bob Skilnik's book also states Prima was AKA Old Missouri Sales Co., but I believe it is more accurate to associate with Westminster given these letters by BB CO, and I don't recall seeing Prima mentioned in the many files I have from BB CO.

Last letter dated Nov 13, 1937 shows how BB CO wanted Old Missouri priced (second to last paragraph).

I am sure there is more here than meets the eye but wanted to share what I know and am guessing. It definitely gets more interesting when you factor in the English Lad and White Horse brands, as well as Prima Gold Medal and Ale...

[ozarkridgerunner]

As if there was ever any doubt, regarding English Lad 12oz flat, "Westminster Brewing Company lithographed on the cans, even though the can are actually packed for Westminster by the Manhattan Brewing Company" (third paragraph last sentence).

[ronsmall]

Hi Paul,

Awesome info, thanks! It was fun reading through those letters. It would be a little alarming to find out the brewery you were expecting orders from (i.e. Westminster) no longer existed. It would be really neat to find a document that specifically addressed the Old Missouri Sales Co. name, in terms of why they went with it for just that one can. Many thanks, and +1 awarded.

Ron

[bobbyboy]

Amazing to see a slice of a time when people actually wrote letters. Gee, the world actually functioned just fine without legions of drones clacking away on computers and zombies walking out into traffic glued to their I(diot)Phone. A much gentler time albeit pre TV.

I am just not a fan of the rapid robotization that is (has) taken place. So much has been lost

[ozarkridgerunner]

Amen Bro

[Tom Hoefer]

Wow, that's awesome stuff Paul. Thanks for posting.

[keithker]

So I always wondered about how Westminster cans ended up in the oddest of locations across America and then saw the letters above. I noted this one on another page and is likely the reason why Rosalie's showed up in Texas of all places.

Here is the page I got it from: http://home.comcast.net/~beerlabel/chic ... age841.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Check out the address.......

[Tom Hoefer]

Great stuff, Keithker, thanks for posting. Odd that they were sending brews to Tyler, TX, which was in a dry county. I guess a distributorship could be legal there even though you couldn't legally buy their products at retail in Tyler.

[Longopener]

Wow! This is awesome documentation!!! Would be awesome if someone put a book about this sort of stuff together... (Sarcasm folks)