From the land of sky-blue waters, a history of Hamm's beer...
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The Theodore Hamm Brewing Company started making beer in 1865 as the Excelsior Brewery in St. Paul.The famous animated bear and its Minnesota-specific slogan: "From the land of sky-blue waters" helped boost the national profile of Hamm's.
The Pittsburgh Brewery was owned by Andrew Keller.The complex of buildings, which he renamed Excelsior Brewery, stood on the bluffs above the Phelan Creek Valley.In 1886, Excelsior became the second largest brewery in the state.August Maritzen was hired by Theodore Hamm to build a large complex of brewery buildings.The facilities opened to the public in 1894 and were designed by Maritzen.The Theodore Hamm Brewing Company was incorporated in 1896.Jacob was an early brewmaster at Hamm's before starting his own brewery.
William and William Jr. ran the brewery after their father Theodore died.The beer industry in Minnesota was decimated by the prohibition era.There were sixty breweries in Minnesota in 1919.There were only six in 1933.William Jr. was kidnapped by members of the Barker–Karpis gang in 1933.No one from the Barker–Karpis gang was ever charged with a crime after he was returned safely.
It was well positioned to expand after World War II.Campbell-Mithun was hired in 1945 to create a marketing campaign that would build a national profile.The company was able to distribute their beer in different markets.The Rainier Brewery in San Francisco was purchased by Hamm's in 1953.
The first television commercial featuring the bear was aired in 1953.The commercials featured an animated bear in the woods or other woodland creatures.The song began with the words, "From the land of sky-blue waters/ From the Land of pines, lofty balsams/Come the beer refreshing/Hamm's."The commercials for alcoholic beverages were popular among viewers.A bear appeared on various products and advertisements for the brewery in 1959 after a Hamm's commercial was selected as one of the top ten advertisements by a marketing organization.
The brewery struggled to operate nationwide even though it had a successful marketing campaign with a recognizable character.Heublein was a food and beverage corporation in Connecticut.In 1975, Heublein sold his business, which was later acquired by Pabst.Pabst sold the St. Paul facility to Stroh's in 1984.When the St. Paul facility closed in 1997, the production was moved to Milwaukee.
Miller has continued to market the beer after Pabst transferred the trademark to them in 1999.Miller has grown as a Miller brand because of its low price and unique marketing towards loyal fans, and even though the Hamm's bear has long been absent from advertisements, the character is still strongly associated with the label.A real estate developing company partially owns the abandoned and dilapidated brewery facilities in Saint Paul.They have a microbrewery, distillery, and trapeze facility.
Alex Tieberg, an Iron Ranger, graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in American studies.His interests include Iron Range and American industrial history, public land policy, and economic restructuring in the American Midwest and Great Lakes regions.He is an intern at the Minnesota Historical Society.