Houston Ice and Brewing Co. Magnolia Brewery
10 November 2013
The first time I can find Hugh Hamilton and the roots of the Houston Ice and Brewing Company is an 1887-88 listing within the Houston City Directory. He is located at the corner of Washington and 4th Streets and is the Proprietor and vice-president of Crystal Ice Factory. With a factory and beer vaults, he is also a dealer in hard and soft coal, he manufactures “Hamilton’s Celebrated Ice Machines” and he is representing the great Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. in Cincinatti, Ohio. He also lived at this location. This guy had beer on his mind. The advertisement below pretty much sums it up.
Hugh Hamilton, proprietor Crystal Ice Factory. Notice he is also an agent for Christian Moerlein in Cincinnati, Ohio – Morrison & Fourmy Houston City Directory 1889-90
One year later in 1890, Hugh Hamilton is President of the Houston Ice Company, Bertrand Adoue, is vice-president and Hyman Prince is secretary and treasurer.
Hugh Hamilton, President of the Houston, Ice Company – Morrison & Fourmy Houston City Directory 1890-91
In 1892, the Houston Ice and Brewing Company was formed with the same principals. Hugh Hamilton hired architect Eugene Heiner, an important Houston architect in the late nineteenth century to design and build a four-story main building for the brewery at the original site. In the spring of 1893, the new building was completed. By 1915, the company had expanded to more than ten buildings joined together physically and stylistically. The brewery had now become one of Houston’s largest companies and encompassed more than 20 acres north and south of Buffalo Bayou.
The first directory listing for the Houston Ice and Brewing Co. – Morrison & Fourmy Houston City Directory 1892-93
The Houston Ice & Brewing Company, also called the Magnolia Brewery, was well known for its beers which were sold at five-cents a bottle. After a somewhat sudden reorganization and name change in 1915 to the Houston Ice & Brewing Association, the company brewed beer until operations shut down for Texas Prohibition in 1918.
Although the firm sold most of its beer in generic bottles with paper labels, it sold “splits” in embossed bottles from ca. 1910 to ca. 1918. In 1920 they were selling Magnolia Brand Butter (see above) and brewing a nonintoxicating cereal beverage called Bone-dry (see further below)in an attempt to survive Prohibition. After Prohibition, the firm reopened in 1934.
Houston Ice & Brewing Co. advertisement. Inside back cover 1915 Houston City Directory
Read: Hugh Hamilton and the Magnolia Brewery by Louis F. Aulbach and Linda Gorski
See: Houston Ice and Brewing Co. Beer Bottles
Visit: Magnolia Ballroom
Houston Ice and Brewing Co. bottle – Keeney’s Antique and Old Bottles
Illustration of the Houston Ice and Brewing Co. buildings on Washington Avenue, in 1894
Try Hiawatha The Beer For Strength – Magnolia Brewing Co. – Magnolia Ballroom
The Kaiser’s Endorsement print for Magnolia Brewery. Hung in the saloon part of Fritz Roensch store in Bellville, Texas. Schauerhammer and Roensch was a saloon, ice house, grocery store, furniture, and dry goods; what was then considered a General Store. It was rather large for such a small town. – Magnolia Ballroom
Magnolia Brewery “Houston Ice and Brewing Co.” framed picture. The picture shows a fancy dressed family picnicking by the water enjoying beer that “None Better Can Be Brewed”. The Brands are Hiawatha (that did not last very long), Southern Select (that was the most popular and was brewed until prohibition), Genuine Bohemian (of witch nothing is known), and Houston Ice and Brewing Co. (the original produced brew in early glass bottles). – Magnolia Ballroom
Houston Ice and Brewing Co. sign, ca 1910. – Heritage Auctions
This is the Magnolia Brewery in production. Magnolia Beer was produced as well as Richlieu Beer and the most popular Southern Select.
Illustration of the recently enlarged Houston Ice and Brewing Co. buildings on Washington Avenue, about 1907
Houston Ice and Brewing Co. Magnolia Brewery Plate
Houston Ice and Brewing Company’s Magnolia Brewery and (on right) its executive offices (now the Magnolia Ballroom) – magnoliaballroom.com
The Houston Ice & Brewing Association, the company brewed beer until operations shut down for Texas Prohibition in 1918. The company brewed a nonintoxicating cereal beverage called Bone Dry in an attempt to survive Prohibition. After Prohibition, the firm reopened in 1934.
Houston Ice and Brewing Assn. Bone-dry advertising tray
Houston Ice and Brewing Association canceled checks
Magnolia Pale Ale label – Magnolia Ballroom
Southern Select label – Magnolia Ballroom
