Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Swan Brewery

Here's a western beer that has always interested me. I did some research and found a few ads for the Swan Brewery but didn't find as much information that I wanted to present in this post. Anyone have anything to add.

Swan Brewery bottle with embossed picture of a swan
 
First ad I could find for the Swan March 1871.
Interesting they are selling the stock and fixtures of a company that may have just started in business
 
Reverse of the Swan bottle.
Take a look at the curved R's on this beauty
 
Swan ad from the February 1874 Los Angeles Herald
Looks like there might be some Swans down in So cal
 
Swan bottle in a yellow olive
 
Swan Brewery partnership in December of 1874
 
The Swan Brewery incorporates in August of 1875
 
Swan Trademark February 1879
 
Soda man Phil Caduc is selling the Swan product in  March of 1879
 
After spending some time looking at the Swan Brewery I am more confused than before I started. I guess ignorance is bliss.

3 comments:

  1. Great post! These have always been interesting bottles to me. They are relatively early for western beers, and come in nice colors...and the picture of the swan! They have a lot going for them. I believe that the majority of known examples came from one or two holes back in the 1970s. I have not heard of a new find since although I am sure someone must have dug some. The values have steadily increased on the Swan's now commanding four figures. DM

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  2. One was dug in S.F. in 2002

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  3. 100 dozen porter, hops bottles! would have liked to have been at that auction... So the upstart company failed and was then auctioned off only to be made successful by the highest bidder it sounds like?

    Matt L.

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