Storz Brewing Company
Encyclopedia
The Storz Brewing Company was located at 1807 North 16th Street in North Omaha
, Nebraska
. Established from a company started in 1863, Storz Brewing began in 1876 by Gottlieb Storz
and was owned by the Storz family until 1966; the brewery ceased operations in 1972. Their beer
s won several prizes in international competitions, and was the top selling brand in Nebraska starting in World War II
. Storz was one of the "Big 4" brewers located in Omaha, which also included the Krug
, Willow Springs
and Metz
breweries.
to become his foreman. Baumann died that year and his widow, Wilhemina, ran the brewery, naming Storz foreman. In 1884 Storz and a partner named J.D. Iler purchased the brewery. They immediately improved the buildings and machinery, and increased production. In 1891 Storz founded a company called the Omaha Brewing Association to make beer and named himself as president.
According to the Omaha World-Herald
, "The Storz brewery pumped out 43 million gallons of beer a year and produced one-third of all the beer sold in Nebraska in 1960. Arthur C. Storz Sr. sold the company in 1966. It went out of business in 1972."
The Storz Brewery included a hospitality room patterned after a brew house called "The Frontier Room" and a hunting lodge-style room adorned with the stuffed heads of big game called "The Trophy Room."
s from Germany, where he himself had learned how to brew
beer
.
Storz faced ongoing political and social pressures against alcohol consumption by religious and moral organizations across Nebraska, and throughout the Midwest. Storz fought statewide legislation calling for the prohibition of alcohol by working closely with the Omaha Brewing Association, the National German-American Alliance
and several other organizations. After a number of legislative battles in the 1890s, in 1916 Nebraska voters approved a statewide prohibition amendment. When the law went into effect in 1917, no more alcoholic beverages were allowed to be sold in Nebraska. Nebraska became the 36th state to ratify the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
on January 16, 1919.
The Storz Brewery started to suffer in 1920, forcing the company to lay off much of its work force. By manufacturing near beer, ginger ale
, soft drink
s and ice
, Storz continued operations. Despite the failure other breweries had with near beer in the 1920s, Storz found success. Early in the 1920s Fred Astaire
was a salesman for Storz in Omaha.
Storz went back to business making beer in 1934, and was making up to 150,000 barrels a year by 1935. After avoiding an industry-wide strike that year, Storz's business took off. Gottlieb Storz died in 1939 of a heart attack and his son Adolph became brewery president. Just before World War II
Storz became Nebraska's highest seller.
s, can
s and draft
. Starting in the 1940s the company's brewing slogan was "light, dry and smooth. In the first part of the 20th century the brewer manufactured Storz Blue Ribbon. In the 1950s the company manufactured "Storz-ette" beer, which came in a 8-ounce can that had an orchid on the label and a tagline that read "calorie controlled"; they were sold as four-can packages called "Princess Packs."
in Omaha in 1898, at the Lewis & Clark Exposition in Portland in 1905, and in Paris in 1912.
concerns from the federal government for the interest in selling the label to a national brewer, the Storz family sold the brewery and brand name rights to a small investment firm in Storm Lake, Iowa
in 1966. Soon after the rights were sold again to the Grain Belt Breweries
of Minneapolis, who in 1972 closed the brewery permanently.
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. Established from a company started in 1863, Storz Brewing began in 1876 by Gottlieb Storz
Gottlieb Storz
Gottlieb Storz was a pioneer entrepreneur in Omaha, Nebraska. Born in Benningen, Wurttemberg, Germany, Storz was the founder of the Storz Brewery. He was an important member of Omaha's German immigrant community, and an important businessman in Omaha history...
and was owned by the Storz family until 1966; the brewery ceased operations in 1972. Their beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
s won several prizes in international competitions, and was the top selling brand in Nebraska starting in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Storz was one of the "Big 4" brewers located in Omaha, which also included the Krug
Krug Brewery
The Fred Krug Brewery was located at 2435 Deer Park Boulevard in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1859, Krug Brewery was the first brewery in the city. Krug was one of the "Big 4" brewers located in Omaha, which also included the Storz, Willow Springs and Metz breweries...
, Willow Springs
Willow Springs Distilling Company
Willow Springs Distilling Company was a brewery located in south Omaha, Nebraska. Part of a national conglomerate, Willow Springs was Nebraska's first distillery, and grew to become the nation’s third largest distillery before the Great Depression...
and Metz
Metz Brewery
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. It was among the earliest manufacturers in the city. After originally opening as the McCumbe Brewery, the facility was sold several times until brothers...
breweries.
History
Richard Siemon founded an ale brewery called Saratoga Brewery in the town of Saratoga, Nebraska in the early 1860s. It was located at the present-day junction of North 16th Street and Commercial Avenue. By 1863 the company was sold to Ebenezer Dallow, who in turn sold it to Joseph Baumann in 1865. Baumann renamed it the Columbia Brewery. In 1876 Baumann hired a young German immigrant named Gottlieb StorzGottlieb Storz
Gottlieb Storz was a pioneer entrepreneur in Omaha, Nebraska. Born in Benningen, Wurttemberg, Germany, Storz was the founder of the Storz Brewery. He was an important member of Omaha's German immigrant community, and an important businessman in Omaha history...
to become his foreman. Baumann died that year and his widow, Wilhemina, ran the brewery, naming Storz foreman. In 1884 Storz and a partner named J.D. Iler purchased the brewery. They immediately improved the buildings and machinery, and increased production. In 1891 Storz founded a company called the Omaha Brewing Association to make beer and named himself as president.
According to the Omaha World-Herald
Omaha World-Herald
The Omaha World-Herald, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is the primary daily newspaper of Nebraska, as well as portions of southwest Iowa. For decades it circulated daily throughout Nebraska, and in parts of Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado and Wyoming. In 2008, distribution was reduced to the...
, "The Storz brewery pumped out 43 million gallons of beer a year and produced one-third of all the beer sold in Nebraska in 1960. Arthur C. Storz Sr. sold the company in 1966. It went out of business in 1972."
Building
The Storz Brewery building is located at 1807 North 16th Street on the corner of 16th and Clark Streets. Built for $500,000, it was a six-story building constructed from brick, stone and cement that was over 200 feet long. It had with red tiled floors and walls with burnished stainless steel and copper fixtures. Storz installed new equipment throughout the building, as well as an ice plant, cold storage, a bottling shop, machine shop and a restaurant. Eventually, the entire facility occupied more than 15 buildings.The Storz Brewery included a hospitality room patterned after a brew house called "The Frontier Room" and a hunting lodge-style room adorned with the stuffed heads of big game called "The Trophy Room."
Operations
Storz and later, his son Adolph, were precise and efficient brew masters and managers. The new plant was capable of producing 150,000 barrels annually. Storz himself consistently hired new brewerBrewer
Brewer may refer to:*Brewer, someone who makes beer by brewing*Brewer , a disambiguation page that lists people with the surname Brewer*Brewer, Maine, a city in southern Penobscot County, Maine, United States, near the city of Bangor...
s from Germany, where he himself had learned how to brew
Brew
Brew may refer to:* Brew , a Melbourne Cup winner in 2000* Brew House Association, an artistic collective on the south side of Pittsburgh* Brew Records, a record label producing UK-based band Hawk Eyes* Drip brew, a method for brewing coffee...
beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
.
Storz faced ongoing political and social pressures against alcohol consumption by religious and moral organizations across Nebraska, and throughout the Midwest. Storz fought statewide legislation calling for the prohibition of alcohol by working closely with the Omaha Brewing Association, the National German-American Alliance
National German-American Alliance
The National German-American Alliance, also called the NGAA or Deutschamerikanische Nationalbund, was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 6, 1901 by Charles J. Hexamer, who also served as its president until 1917. Operating as a federation of ethnic German associations, by 1914 the...
and several other organizations. After a number of legislative battles in the 1890s, in 1916 Nebraska voters approved a statewide prohibition amendment. When the law went into effect in 1917, no more alcoholic beverages were allowed to be sold in Nebraska. Nebraska became the 36th state to ratify the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Eighteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution established Prohibition in the United States. The separate Volstead Act set down methods of enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment, and defined which "intoxicating liquors" were prohibited, and which were excluded from prohibition...
on January 16, 1919.
The Storz Brewery started to suffer in 1920, forcing the company to lay off much of its work force. By manufacturing near beer, ginger ale
Ginger ale
Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavored with ginger. Dr. Thomas Cantrell, an American apothecary and surgeon, claimed to have invented ginger ale and marketed it with beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company. Grattan embossed the slogan "The Original Makers of Ginger Ale" on its bottles...
, soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
s and ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
, Storz continued operations. Despite the failure other breweries had with near beer in the 1920s, Storz found success. Early in the 1920s Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
was a salesman for Storz in Omaha.
Storz went back to business making beer in 1934, and was making up to 150,000 barrels a year by 1935. After avoiding an industry-wide strike that year, Storz's business took off. Gottlieb Storz died in 1939 of a heart attack and his son Adolph became brewery president. Just before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Storz became Nebraska's highest seller.
Labels
The main brands of Storz Brewing Company were Storz Beer, Storz Gold Label, Storz Premium, Storz All Grain and Storz Tap Beer, and were sold in bottleBeer bottle
A beer bottle is a bottle made to contain beer, usually made of glass.Bottled beer has been in use since as early as the 16th century. Beer bottles come in various sizes, shapes and colours....
s, can
Beverage can
A beverage can is a tin can designed to hold a specific portion of a beverage. Beverage cans are made of tin-plated steel or aluminium.- History :...
s and draft
Draught beer
Draught beer is beer served from a cask or a pressurised keg.-History of draught:Until Joseph Bramah patented the beer engine in 1785, beer was served directly from the barrel and carried to the customer. The Old English word for carry was dragen which developed into a series of related words,...
. Starting in the 1940s the company's brewing slogan was "light, dry and smooth. In the first part of the 20th century the brewer manufactured Storz Blue Ribbon. In the 1950s the company manufactured "Storz-ette" beer, which came in a 8-ounce can that had an orchid on the label and a tagline that read "calorie controlled"; they were sold as four-can packages called "Princess Packs."
Awards
The Storz Brewery won medals in international competition at the Trans-Mississippi ExpositionTrans-Mississippi Exposition
The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. The Indian Congress was held concurrently...
in Omaha in 1898, at the Lewis & Clark Exposition in Portland in 1905, and in Paris in 1912.
Closure
Robert Storz was president of the company in the 1950s and 60s. During that period all small- and medium-sized breweries in the U.S. were under pressure as the big national breweries were trying to expand their market share. After facing antitrustAntitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
concerns from the federal government for the interest in selling the label to a national brewer, the Storz family sold the brewery and brand name rights to a small investment firm in Storm Lake, Iowa
Storm Lake, Iowa
Storm Lake is a city in Buena Vista County, Iowa, United States. The population was 10,600 in the 2010 census, an increase from 10,076 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buena Vista County. Storm Lake is home to Buena Vista University, originally Buena Vista College...
in 1966. Soon after the rights were sold again to the Grain Belt Breweries
Grain Belt (beer)
Grain Belt is a brand of beer brewed in the American state of Minnesota, by the August Schell Brewing Company. The beer has been produced in Three varieties: Grain Belt Golden, the original style introduced in 1893, and Grain Belt Premium, first introduced in 1947, and the brand new Grain Belt...
of Minneapolis, who in 1972 closed the brewery permanently.
| Legal owners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Location | Era |
| Ebenezer Dallow (Saratoga Brewery) | Omaha Omaha Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas... |
1863–1865 |
| Joseph Baumann (Columbia Brewery) | Omaha | 1865–1876 |
| Mrs. W. Baumann (Columbia) | Omaha | 1876–1884 |
| Storz & Iler (Columbia) | Omaha | 1884–1891 |
| Omaha Brewing Association | Omaha | 1891–1901 |
| Storz Brewing Company | Omaha | 1901–1917 |
| Storz Beverage & Ice Company | Omaha | 1917–1933 |
| Storz Brewing Company | Omaha | 1933–1967 |
| Grain Belt Breweries, Inc. | Omaha | 1967–1972 |
External links
- Period postcard of the Storz Brewery.
- 1909 advertisement
