THE BEGINNINGS
- Of Bavarian Brewery
THE BEGINNINGS
- Of Bavarian Brewery
ADS - From Newspapers
LOCAL CHAPTERS
For Breweriana In Cincinnati:
BREWERIANA
WHAT IS BREWERIANA?
Simply stated, breweriana is the collection of marketing, advertising and container items from a brewer. It can include novelty items that brewers used to promote their beers, like ashtrays, glasses, mugs, trays, pictures, signs, posters, stationary, figurals, clocks, coasters, napkins, etc. It also includes items directly connected to the distribution and consumption of a brewer's beverages, such as cans, bottles, labels, bottle caps / crowns, taps, etc. Please click the image with a collection of various breweriana items, all associated with the Bavarian Brewing Co.
EXAMPLES OF BREWERIANA
The attraction of breweriana to collectors is often connected to nostalgia. For example, it can include a local brewer, or brewers, in a city where a person grew up. It can also be associated with a beer either they or family members drank, or where a relative worked. Regardless, it is because a collector finds certain brewery items unique and interesting. One of the most popular areas of breweriana has been the collection of beer cans. The popularity of can collecting began in the 1970's and exploded to about 12,000 collectors in a decade, but has since declined. Yet, it is still popular and supported by the national associations mentioned below.
For anyone that becomes more interested in collecting Breweriana items, please refer to noted associations, which collectively have dozens of local chapters. If you are from the Cincinnati area, where Bavarian was located, the local Queen City Chapter is indicated below.
There are major breweriana categories. Most of these are covered on this site under the Breweriana tab, and are presented chronologically, helping to tell the story of the brewery. Many such items are also on display at the Bavarian Brewery Exhibit located in the the former Bavarian Brew House, which was repurposed as the Kenton County Government Center. Some of the display cases that contain such items are shown below. To view the exhibit in person, please see Visit Information.
There are specialties within some of these categories. For example, a collector might just collect cans that are cone tops, flat tops or crowntainers. They may also just collect items before Prohibition (Pre-Pro). Some of the older cans and other items associated with older breweries can be very scarce, highly collectible and quite valuable, especially those in excellent condition. The former Oldenburg Brewery in Ft. Mitchel KY, was the site of the American Museum of Brewing History and Arts. Most of the museum's collection was reportedly purchased for about a million dollars by Miller Brewing Co. Oldenburg was established in 1987 and was one of the early "craft" or microbreweries located not far from the Bavarian Brewery. But the brewery closed in 2001 and its structure was demolished in 2013.
PLEASE DONATE
If you have any Bavarian Brewing Co. items you'd like to donate or loan, please Contact Us.
