Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SPARKLING STRAWBERRY

Date Range From

1915

Date Range To

1920

Materials

GLASS, PAPER

No. Pieces

2

Height

23.6

Diameter

6.7

Description

LONG NECK BEER TYPE AMBER BOTTLES (2) WITH SINGLE LABEL: "SPARKLING STRAWBERRY EXTRA QUALITY THE LETHBRIDGE BREWING AND MALTING CO. LIMITED LETHBRIDGE ALTA." BOTH BOTTLES EMPTY. 1 BOTTLE HAS FLAWED NECK & END FOR CROWN CAP. LABELS ARE SLIGHTLY TORN. SEE CONSERVATION REPORT. BOTTLE WITH FLAWED NECK HAS "3" EMBOSSED ON BOTTOM. OTHER BOTTLE HAS "6" EMBOSSED ON BOTTOM.

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

MERCHANDISING T&E

Historical Association

INDUSTRY

History

THE LETHBRIDGE BREWERY BEGAN THEIR SOFT DRINK LINE IN THE EARLY 1900S AND PRODUCED UNDER THE ORANGE CRUSH FRANCHISE AND THEIR OWN LETHBRIDGE LABEL. THE LINE HELPED SUSTAIN THE BREWERY THROUGH PERIODS OF PROHIBITION AND BANS ON ADVERTISING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. LAST SOFTDRINKS MADE IN FEB. 1966. FRITZ SICK, FOUNDER OF THE LETHBRIDGE BREWERY IN 1901, STARTED WITH $8,000 IN CAPITAL & COOPERING STORAGE TANKS HIMSELF ( HE WAS A COOPER BY TRAINING). NEEDING ADDITIONAL CAPITAL TO FINANCE A NEW MALT HOUSE & EXPANSION A FEW YEARS LATER, SICK ESTABLISHED THE ALBERTA BREWING CO. ISSUED STOCK SELLING FOR $100 SHARE. IN 1912 FOR THE COST OF $200,000 A NEW BREWERY WAS BUILT & REMAINED THE NUCLEUS OF THE PLANT UNTIL IT'S CLOSURE IN 1990. IN 1914 HE WAS JOINED IN THE BUSINESS BY HIS SON EMIL, WHO IN 1923 EXPANDED THE OPERATION TO PRINCE ALBERT & SOON AFTER TO REGINA SASK. THE SLOGANS: "ALBERTA'S PRIDE" & "QUALITY FIRST" ON EVERY LABEL BECAME WELL KNOWN ACROSS THE 2 PROVINCES. IN 1926 THE CO. TOOK CONTROL OF THE EDMONTON BREWERY & MALTING CO. & IN 1928 FORMED A HOLDING CO. "THE ASSOCIATED BREWERIES OF CANADA LTD." FOLLOWING FRITZ SICK'S MOVE TO VANCOUVER TO RETIRE HE OBTAINED A LICENSE & IN 1935 THE CAPILANO BREWING CO. WAS FOUNDED. HE WAS 76 WHEN CAPILANO BEGAN BREWING. EMIL IN 1933 ACQUIRED CONTROL OF AMERICAN BREWERIES IN GREAT FALLS & MISSOULA MONTANA & ANOTHER BREWERY IN SPOKANE. ALSO BAYVIEW PLANT PURCHASED & REBUILT. IN 1935 HE ACQUIRED THE RIGHTS TO SELL RAINIER BEER, LATER IN 1940 THE RAINIER PLANT WAS PURCHASED & IN 1953 SICKS' SEATTLE BREWING & MALTING CO. PURCHASED THE ENTIRE RAINIER BREWING CO. OF SAN FRANCISCO. BETWEEN 1935 & 1953 THE SICKS PAID CLOSE TO $2 MILLION IN ROYALTY & ACQUISITIONS COSTS TO ACQUIRE THE RAINIER NAME. THE CO. ALSO PURCHASED HEMRICH BREWING CO. IN 1935 & SOON AFTER BOTH APEX BREWING CO. & HORLUCKS BREWERS ALL OF SEATTLE. IN 1943 A SALEM OREGON BREWERY WAS ACQUIRED. A TOTALOF 11 BREWERIES IN SASKATCHEWAN, ALBERTA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, MONTANA, OREGON, WASHINGTON, A HOP FARM & DISTRIBUTION NETWORK FORMED THE SICK EMPIRE WHEN FRITZ SICK DIED IN 1945 AT THE AGE OF 86. THE COMPANY'S HEAD OFFICE WAS IN CALGARY, AMERICAN OPERATIONS WERE CONTROLLED BY EMIL SICK FROM SEATTLE. IN 1957 MOLSON'S BREWERIES OF MONTREAL DECIDED TO EXPAND NATIONALLY & IN 1958-59 EMIL AGREED TO A PURCHASE PRICE OF $27 MILLION INCLUDING $9 MILLION IN PREFERRED SHARES REDEEMED IN 1963. THE MAIN ASSETS AS ACQUIRED IN 1959 WERE BREWERIES IN VANCOUVER, EDMONTON, LETHBRIDGE, PRINCE ALBERT, REGINA, SEATTLE, & SPOKANE. EMIL SICK DIED IN 1964 AT THE AGE OF 70 IN SEATTLE. LETHBRIDGE BREWERY WAS CLOSED BY OWNER, MOLSONS IN 1990 & SUBSEQUENTLY DEMOLISHED.

Catalogue Number

P19900020001

Acquisition Date

1990-05

Collection

Museum

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