history of brewing in alameda and oakland

i went to the alameda free library to research brewing in alameda. guy at the front desk sent me up to the research desk. the research desk er um person looked at me cockeyed when i told her i was looking for the history of brewing in alameda. i mentioned that i knew of a closed brewery called the tied house, but i figured that there was probably someone brewing between the gold rush and prohibition. she looked in a file of newspaper clippings, found none, and said to try the oakland history room at the main library. on my way out, front desk guy asked me how it went, then suggested i speak to mr. gunn at the alameda historic museum. i went there, but mr. gunn is only in on saturdays. i'd have to come back. it was monday. i took the boy home, this had all started as a long bike ride, and headed off to the oakland main library.

i stayed there way too long.

first i read some american brewers association books from 1911. i found mention of a few breweries in oakland, but nothing in alameda. read some interesting stuff in siebel's history of brewing in america.

upstairs i looked through a card catalog of local junk and found reference to the oakland brewery, the golden west brewery, the brooklyn brewery, raspillier brewery(may be berkeley though), kramm brewery, and the palace brewery of ALAMEDA brewery founded 1881. golden west had swallowed all of them up at one time or another, but that's the way most of the american breweries went. if prohibition didn't get 'em double-u double-u two did.

i had my proof of brewing in alameda.

now the details.

some more legwork back in alameda revealed that the palace brewery was on central ave between 5th and 6th. henry schuler held the palace's grand opening in 1885 with bock and 2 year old porter. 15 gallons of the regular stuff went for $3 while the aged porter was $4, both delivered free in alameda.

this wasn't schuler's first brewery though. he started the alameda brewery in 1881, a few blocks from where he started the palace, until about 1886 when victor ruthardt owned it. it seems that schuler sold to ruthardt, opened a brewery a few blocks away, and the drove him out of business. by 1887 the palace offered 3 month old kulmbacher bock, cream steam lager, and 1 year old porter.

more later..