Bottle, Beer
Object number2017.103.1
Manufacturer
Fort Pitt Brewing Company
(1906 - 1957)
Datec. 1935
OriginPittsburgh, PA
MediumGlass; Paper; Ink; Adhesive
Credit LineGift of John DeSantis
DescriptionFort Pitt Brewing Co. "Pitt Special" beer bottle.DimensionsHeight x Diameter: 7.063 × 2.813 in. (17.9 × 7.1 cm)MarksLabel has red and blue text including "CHOICEST MALT FINEST HOPS", "TRADE MARK / FORT PITT", "Pitt Special / CONTENTS / 12 FLOUID OZ. / BEER / INTERNAL REVENUE TAX PAID", and along bottom "[Union label] FORT PITT BREWING CO. / PITTSBURGH, PA. [Union label]"
Underside has raised numbers "36" and "8576".
Historical NotesFort Pitt Brewing Co. “Pitt Special” beer bottle, c. 1935, was early beer produced after Prohibition. Also donated: Fort Pitt Brewing Co. “Fort Pitt Malt Tonic” bottle, c. 1925 demonstrates the products produced by the Brewery during the time of Prohibition when brewing beer was prohibited. Their malt tonic or “near-beer” as it was termed, was sold in 27 states. During Prohibition Fort Pitt Brewery brought in master brewer Joseph Vokral (Vokral came to Chicago from Prague in 1898 and then came to Pittsburgh in 1925) to make near-beer. According to a 1932 article in The Pittsburgh Press, Vokral was a pioneer in the making of near-beer. It required first making beer and then taking the alcohol out. Because of this, Fort Pitt Brewery was ready to go when the 18th Amendment was repealed in 1932.
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Fort Pitt Brewing Company