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ON TAP ONLINE:
THE HISTORY OF McSORLEY'S ALE
Perhaps the single greatest novelty of McSorley's is that it has served
one beverage in its 150 year history-Ale! "A rich, wax-color" is how
author Joseph Mitchell described the McSorley's brew in his 1943 book
"McSorley's Wonderful Saloon." Fidelio Brewery is credited with originating
the golden hued libation that McSorley's is famous for. Unfortunately
with the enactment of 18th Amendment- Prohibition, Fidelio was forced
out of the beer making business. With alcohol of any sort outlawed,
brewing operations switched to the basement of McSorley's Old Ale
House where it remained business as usual until Prohibition ended.
After this dryest chapter in American history the Fidelio Brewery
returned as official brewers of McSorley's Cream Stock Ale. Located
on First Avenue and occupying the entire block between 29th and 30th
Streets- the Brewery proudly carried huge billboards advertising both
McSorley's Cream Stock Ale and McSorley's Famous Lager. The 1940's
brought with it a world war and a new brewer of McSorley's Ale. Fidelio
expanded and changed their name to The Greater New York Brewery Unfortunately
it was only a few years before The Greater New York Brewery went into
receivership and the McSorley's account went to the Rheingold Brewery
and for the first time in it's proud history, out of Manhattan and
into Brooklyn. Rheingold carried on with the product for more than
thirty years before finally closing operations and passing the brand
to Schmidt's Brewers of Philadelphia. This marked the first time that
the Ale was made without New York's legendary water. In early 1990's
Stroh Brewery purchased the McSorley's brand and brewed it until being
bought by those seminal suds-makers-Pabst Brewing Company. McSorley's
Ale is available to consumers in both kegs and bottles throughout
the East and of course at McSorley's Old Ale House. Where you just
might find, it tastes a little different! |
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