Hamm's Brewery

Theodore Hamm's Brewing Company

Company type	Brewery
Industry	Brewing
Founded	1865 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Founder	Theodore Hamm
Fate	Brand acquired by various companies; original brewery closed in 1997
Headquarters	Saint Paul , United States
Area served	United States (historically), currently select regions via Molson Coors North America
Products	Beer (Hamm's Premium, Golden Draft, Special Light [discontinued 2021])
Parent	Currently Molson Coors (brand owner)

Theodore Hamm's Brewing Company was an American brewery established in 1865 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It eventually ranked as the fifth largest brewery in the United States, expanding its footprint by acquiring breweries located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, and Baltimore.

History

The origins of the company trace back to German immigrant Theodore Hamm (1825–1903), who took ownership of the Pittsburgh Brewery, initially founded by Andrew F. Keller in 1858. Keller had secured a loan from Hamm to fund growth but defaulted on repayments, resulting in Hamm assuming control and rebranding it as Theo. Hamm's Excelsior Brewery. Keller retired and passed away in 1873.

Initially a butcher and saloon proprietor, Hamm employed brewmaster Jacob Schmidt until the early 1880s. After Schmidt's departure, Christopher Figge took over as brewmaster, establishing a family legacy continued by his son and grandson. By the 1880s, Hamm's had become the second-largest brewery in Minnesota.

During Prohibition, the company adapted by manufacturing soft drinks and food items to remain operational. Following Prohibition's repeal, it pursued aggressive expansion through acquisitions. Between 1933 and 1965, Hamm's climbed to become the fifth largest brewery nationwide by the 1950s. This growth was largely driven under William C. Figge Jr., who assumed the presidency in 1951 and extended operations across Saint Paul, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Baltimore, and Houston—the last two locations closing soon after opening. Upon reaching its 100th anniversary, the Hamm family divested from brewing to concentrate on real estate investments.

History of ownership

In 1965, ownership transferred to Heublein. Subsequently, in 1973, a consortium of distributors acquired Hamm's before selling it to the Olympia Brewing Company in 1975. The brand changed hands again in 1983 when Pabst bought both Olympia and Hamm's. Around this period, the flagship Saint Paul brewery was sold to Stroh Brewing Company, which operated it until its shutdown in 1997, marking the end of a 137-year brewing era at that location. Following closure, the facilities were abandoned and gradually fell into neglect. In 1999, Miller Brewing acquired the Hamm’s brand from Pabst. Miller later became part of South African Breweries, renamed SABMiller, which entered into a joint venture with Molson Coors named MillerCoors. In 2016, SABMiller divested its stake in MillerCoors to Molson Coors for approximately $12 billion, granting Molson Coors full control of Miller’s global portfolio outside the United States and Puerto Rico along with exclusive rights within those markets. Currently, Molson Coors produces Hamm’s varieties including Premium and Golden Draft.

Saint Paul

The original Hamm’s brewery in Saint Paul dates back to 1860 when Andrew F. Keller founded the Pittsburgh Excelsior Brewery. A close associate of Theodore Hamm, Keller pledged his brewery and flour mill as collateral to Hamm before his death in 1865. Though Hamm lost his initial investment following Keller’s death, he took over operations and expanded it steadily into Minnesota’s largest brewery. Notable developments included constructing a modern brew house in 1893 along with further facility expansions between 1933 and 1948.

Under Stroh Brewing’s management, the Saint Paul plant ceased operations in 1997. Portions of the site were sold to the City of Saint Paul; however, many key structures were allowed to deteriorate. The northern area now accommodates various enterprises such as a trapeze school, while since 2013 some southern sections have been revitalized with occupants like Saint Paul Brewing, Urban Organics, and 11 Wells Distillery. Nevertheless, large segments remain unoccupied.

In December 2022, JB Vang Partners, Inc. was announced by the City of Saint Paul as the prospective developer tasked with transforming the former Hamm's Brewery Complex into a mixed-use development featuring affordable and market-rate residential units, commercial spaces, and a public plaza.

San Francisco

In 1953, Hamm's expanded its operations by acquiring a second brewery from the Rainier Brewing Company, subsequently launching the San Francisco facility in 1954 at 1550 Bryant Street. This site was notable for its prominent 20-by-80-foot sign crowned with a 13-foot illuminated beer-glass sculpture, which became an iconic city landmark and was featured in the inaugural Dirty Harry movie. The brewery halted production in 1972.

During the early 1980s, the deserted brewery found new life when the Suicide Club (secret society) transformed the space, using jackhammers to carve out living quarters within the massive beer vats. Dubbed "The Vats," this complex evolved into a central venue for San Francisco’s punk rock movement, accommodating around 200 bands who utilized separate vats as rehearsal studios. This inventive adaptation of industrial infrastructure played a significant role in fostering local cultural growth.

By the mid-1980s, the building underwent refurbishment and was repurposed into office and showroom spaces, signaling a transition from manufacturing to commercial real estate utilization.

Los Angeles

In 1957, Hamm's took ownership of the former Acme Brewery located on 49th Street in Los Angeles, which had been under Rheingold Beer/Liebmann Breweries control since 1954. Hamm's maintained operations at this site until it closed in 1972.

Baltimore

Hamm's acquired Baltimore’s Gunther Brewery in 1959 but discontinued the Gunther label, which alienated a significant portion of the local customer base. Compounding this issue was an incident involving a frozen shipment that further harmed its reputation. After an unsuccessful effort to revive the brand in 1963, Hamm's divested the brewery to Schaefer Brewing Company just four years later.

Houston

In 1963, Hamm's broadened its reach by purchasing Gulf Brewing Company in Houston, originally established by Howard Hughes in 1933. Although initially prosperous, a fire in 1967 prompted Heublein to sell rather than rebuild the facility. The closure of the Houston brewery marked a decline in Hamm's national expansion strategy, with subsequent shutdowns of its San Francisco and Los Angeles plants occurring during the early 1970s.

Products

While no longer operating as an independent entity, Hamm's continues to be distributed in select regions through Molson Coors North America. Under Molson Coors’ management, various Hamm's products have been produced including Premium (the original pale lager), Golden Draft, and Special Light. In August 2021, Molson Coors ceased production of Hamm's Special Light as part of a portfolio consolidation initiative.

Advertising

Hamm's established strong brand recognition through its memorable advertising jingle and its mascot, the Hamm's Beer bear.

Jingle

The original advertising jingle drew its lyrics from a poem by Nelle Richmond Eberhart and music composed by Charles Wakefield Cadman, adapted from a 1909 art song titled "From The Land of Sky-Blue Water." This jingle was widely broadcast on radio and television and began with tom-tom drums leading into a chorus:

<poem>

From the Land of Sky Blue Waters [(echo) Waters] Comes the water best for brewing, Hamm's, the beer refreshing, Hamm's, the beer refreshing, Hamm's!

</poem>

In the 1950s, alternative lyrics referenced "the land of pines, lofty balsams," highlighting natural imagery associated with the brand.

Hamm's Bear

The Hamm's Beer bear served as one of the earliest animated mascots in beer marketing and appeared across television and print advertisements. This cartoon figure performed dances amid rustic landscapes while accompanied by the "Land of Sky Blue Waters" tune, becoming an integral component of one of the most celebrated advertising campaigns of the twentieth century. In recognition of its cultural impact, a statue honoring this mascot was installed in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2005.

Creation

The Hamm's Bear character was conceived in 1952 during a gathering at Freddie's restaurant in Minneapolis, where Cleo Hovel, the creative director at Campbell-Mithun, collaborated with animator Howard Swift. Hovel is recognized for initially drawing the bear on a napkin as a complement to the Sky Blue Waters advertising campaign. The figure was later refined by artist Bill Stein and Campbell-Mithun team members Patrick DesJarlait and Ray Tollefson.

This initiative marked the inaugural use of an animated mascot in beer commercials. Initially silent, the bear eventually delivered a single phrase: "It bears repeating!" The campaign, which debuted in 1953, was developed by Campbell Mithun Advertising Agency. Cleo Hovel originated the mascot idea and recruited Ray Tollefson to design the bear and craft humorous scenarios for ongoing advertisements. Tollefson also authored "How to Draw the Hamm’s Bear," ensuring uniformity in the character’s depiction across agency projects.

Larry LaBelle, who served as Vice President and Director of Television Production at Campbell-Mithun, played a key role by devising commercial concepts and collaborating with Tollefson on the character’s design. LaBelle also created regional mascots such as Minnegasco’s "Little Flame Girl" and Grain Belt Beer’s "Albert & Stanley," demonstrating his strategic expertise in brand character creation.

Use and public acceptance

The Hamm's Bear quickly became a widely recognized marketing symbol, prominently displayed on signage, glassware, and various promotional items. Advertisements portrayed the endearing yet clumsy bear, which resonated with audiences and were praised for being more intelligent and entertaining than many contemporary cartoons. These commercials featured short narratives with conflict and resolution, boosting viewer interest while highlighting the product’s natural qualities through imagery of Minnesota’s wilderness. The advertising firm Campbell Mithun envisioned the mascot evolving into a legendary figure comparable to Paul Bunyan.

Hamm's was a trailblazer in national sports sponsorships, including professional and collegiate teams, becoming one of the leading beer sponsors on television and sports radio by 1964. The Hamm's Bear endorsed numerous teams such as the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, Chicago Blackhawks, White Sox, Cubs, Bears, Kansas City A’s, San Francisco Giants, 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers, Baltimore Orioles, Green Bay Packers, and Dallas Cowboys.

In 1965, the Audit Research Bureau recognized the Hamm's Bear as the most popular advertising mascot nationwide despite its broadcast being limited to 31 states. Advertising Age Magazine ranked the campaign 75th among the "Best Ad Campaigns of the 20th Century" in 1999. Due to its strong ties to Minnesota culture, the character was named one of the "150 Most Influential Minnesotans of the Past 150 Years" by the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000.

Subsequently, Miller Brewing scaled back use of the bear amid concerns about appealing to children—a move reflecting similar industry decisions like R.J. Reynolds Tobacco’s retirement of Joe Camel.

Legacy

In celebration of the bear’s 50th anniversary in 2002, a group of Hamm's memorabilia enthusiasts based in St. Paul proposed erecting a six-foot granite statue near a waterfall named after William Hamm, a former company president, located in Como Park. However, in 2003 the City Council rejected this site due to its proximity to a children’s playground. Ultimately, the statue was installed in September 2005 at the Seventh Street Mall instead.

In popular culture

During the 1930s, William Hamm Jr., a descendant of the brewery's founder, was abducted in Saint Paul by the Barker-Karpis Gang. This case is historically significant as the FBI employed one of the earliest methods for extracting latent fingerprints from paper ransom notes.

The Hamm's Bear has also made its mark in popular media, notably featured in David Frizzell’s song "I'm Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home," where a Hamm's Bear clock serves as a symbol signaling the closing time of a bar.

External links

• Official website of Hamm's beer
• A Journey Through Hamm's Brewery: Past & Present
• McHale, Dan. "Artistic Impressions: 36 Views of the Hamm's Brewery" – A collection of paintings depicting the Hamm's Brewery in San Francisco during the 1960s.