Metzler Motivation for Everyone

Hermann Metzler is listed in the San Francisco Directory as a Bottler of Beer in the year 1887 only. His place of business is listed as 2110 Taylor Street, San Francisco, CA. This is a little pre-pomona national bottle show motivation for all of us to realize that the white whale is still out there. The amber is from my collection as well as the lime green coloration. The top left green photo is a more true respresentation of the actual color, the the lower right photo shows the embossing better. This piece was dug by Vince Sierras in Oakland, CA and he said it got his blood pumping so much he dug the backyard of the home throughly to see if he could find any othe pieces, but it was not to be. There was a Charles Metlzer listed as propreitor of the Golden Gate Brewery as early as 1862 at 713 Greenwich through 1881 at 717 Greenwich, which probably changed as a result of error or street renumbering. A great bottle with lots of character and appeal, to early beer collectors this says it all with the Eagle sitting on top of the Beer Barrel. I dug a small pit of these all broken in the early 1980's in Cow Hollow on Steiner off of Union Street, and never saved a piece, even though some were fairly whole. There are probably less than ten wholes specimens known of this bottle, I can count four that I know of which includes mine. Let me know if you have one so we can get an accurate representation of how many whole ones exist. Sorry, I have not been posting regularly, but work has been very busy lately, and alas this is a hobby.

Applied Lip Label-only Fredricksburg Bottle

Here is an applied-lip quart Freddie with a San Jose label. Some foil remains as well as part of the small label around the neck. I picked this up years ago at a monthly antique show in Sunnyvale, California.

Mini Freddie Sells for $985. on E-Bay

Four views of this nice sample fredericksburg beer which sold on E-Bay on July 12, 2009 for $985.00. The label is what made the difference on this piece which normally sells between $100-150. Probably bottled by Lange Bros. in San Francisco, it had written in pencil 1889 and the phone number of 4366. Someone went home with a pround new addition to the collection.

Mondial Liberty another photo

Here is a better photo.

Mondial Liberty Beer

Was able to land this phenominal piece from San Francisco. I have been told (thanks JOHN) that the bottlers of this beer were located on Lombard St. between 1914 and 1919. This sign obviously from an Italian family who migrated to the city in the 1870's. You can see how World War I is prominent in the artwork of this sign. I collect SF beer advertising but mostly 1930's and 1940's stuff. This sign came to me and I couldn't pass it up. Please email your posts If you have anything to add...This sign was found at an estate sale of a former doctor in San Diego a couple of months ago.

Wilmot Brewing Co.

Awhile ago I mentioned having a copy of the Wilmot Brewing Co. label, which I finally found in my files. Charles Willmott (yes, I believe that is the way he usually spelled his name) was born in England about 1823. By 1860 he was in San Francisco and proprietor of the Burton Ale Brewery in North Beach. As noted earlier he was instrumental in the formation of the Swan Brewery but left in 1876 and formed the Wilmot Brewery. I am not sure how long the Wilmot Brewery lasted but by at least 1892 Willmott was involved with the San Francisco Stock Brewery. He died June 12, 1911, in San Francisco at age 83.

Willmott married Mary Jones who was English born as well. They married either late 1860 or early 1861, likely in San Francisco, for their first born appeared in 1861. The couple eventually had 12 children, nine of whom were still alive in 1900. Mary Willmott died in San Francisco December 28, 1911.

Swan Brewery Trademarks for all Products

After Eric mentioned the Trademarks, I went to digging through my files and found my copy of the original trademarks for Swan Brewery for February 7, 1879. It lists not only the XXX Ale, but Pale Ale and Brownstout.....Heavy English style ales, that I doubt I personally would have enjoyed. Mr. George Hudson is listed as the President of the Company when the trademark was filed.