If you follow
Alan's blog (and I know you do), you may have noticed that he and his family are on a cross-New England trek. Since Albany is the gateway to New England (I just made that epithet up) we got to spend a little time with my Canadian partner-in-crime, and his brood, last weekend.
The time spent was breakfast-time, at
Wolf's Biergarten, in North Albany. I've been to Wolf's quite a number of times, but never for breakfast, and boy was that a mistake. It was fantastic! It was pancakes—raspberry, German Chocolate, apple— for the kids and wives, while Alan and I both went for the
Liberkase leberkäse—a sort of meatloaf meets a sausage patty, served on a kaiser roll, topped with a fried egg and potato pancakes on the side. Coffee and juice, all around as well. The b-gartens' TVs showed British Premier League soccer to all the patrons delight.—although I suppose the level of delight depended on if your team was winning, or not. The morning was highlighted by a half-liter of Weihenstephaner Fresh Hops Finest—perhaps the best beer I've had all summer—and something special, at the end of the bar.

Mid-feast, I sauntered to the bar for my 72nd cup of coffee and spied that something special. That something, specifically, was a wooden box that had most likely been ignored by the, literally, thousands of previous visitors to Wolf's. But to this beer/history geek, it was more than interesting. The greyish, wooden box, full of various and sundry of restaurant related items, sat snuggled nestled to the coffee pots. The box advertised, albeit a tad weathered, FEIGENSPAN, P.O.N, NEWARK, N.J. Of course, a Feigenspan box in Albany, that makes perfect sense!
What does Newark have to do with Albany, you may ask? You also may wonder, as usual, what any of this has to do with (and no hints from the peanut gallery,
Jess Kidden) Albany Ale?
Feigenspan was a fairly successful brewery in Newark, New Jersey. In fact, P.O.N stood for "Pride Of Newark". The brewery was opened by Christian Feigenspan in 1875, and it operated at various locations in Newark. In 1907, Feigenspan's eldest son, Christian Jr., would become president of the brewery, and eventually the head of The U.S. Brewer's Association, during the lead up to, and throughout much of Prohibition. That still doesn't answer the question. So, what's the big deal about a Newark brewery box in Albany? Actually it's pretty significant, and it has everything to do with one of the three Albany breweries to survive after the repeal of prohibition in 1933—Dobler Brewery.
Dobler, a predominently lager brewery, had been opened by John S. Dobler, and operated in Albany on Myrtle Avenue between Swan and Dove Streets, since the mid 1860s. In the early 1890s Theodore Amsdell—brother to George Amsdell, of Amsdell Brothers Brewery—purchased the brewery with his partner George Hawley. Amsdell died in 1902, and the brewery never quite recovered. Just before national prohibition went into effect, Dobler was purchased by...
…Wait for it…
…That's right, the Feigenspan family.
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Hey, haven't I seen you somewhere before? |
Dobler continued to operate during the prohibition years as the soda and near beer making operation for the Feigenspan family. The original, and much larger operation in Newark was converted for use in ice and coal production—but would keep its sign lit throughout the entire thirteen years of prohibition, in silent, yet glowing protest. After repeal, Dobler re-commenced standard brewing, essentially making the same beer as Feigenspan in New Jersey. As a matter of fact, Dobler even produced a Dobler Pride of Newark (P.O.N.) beer. Feigenspan Jr, died in 1939 and within four years his brewery—at that point one of the largest in the country—would be purchased by its neighbor, Ballantine Brewery. Dobler, however would not be part of that purchase and would continue on in Albany, under the leadership of Edwin Feigenspan, Christian Jr.'s brother. The brewery, however would only continue to operate for a short period thereafter, closing in the late 1950s.
I think it's safe to say that had Feigenspan not purchased the Dobler brewery when it did, there most like would have only been two breweries, rather than three, that re-opened in Albany after the ratification of the 21st Amendment in 1933.
So, what should we take way from all of this?
Don't take for granted the 'junk' hanging around so many bars and pubs. At closer inspection, you might learn a little bit about your home town, or at the very least, you might learn a little about Newark, New Jersey.
Muchas gracias, by the way, to Jess Kidden for all his research on America's second most favorite brewing city—Newark, NJ. I'm sure he'll be able to poke holes in all of what I just wrote!