A 1953 advertizement displaying the colorful Rainier Jubilee cans. (Seattle Public Library) (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

<Author's collection> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

This is the first in a series of short histories of Seattle craft breweries that are now closed or no longer operating in Seattle. Please post your memories or corrections to any of these histories. Also looking for more photos from Lunar Brewing.

Frank Halderman got his start in the industry as a delivery truck driver for Pike Brewing Co. during the day and home brewing enthusiast by night. In 1999 he opened Lunar Brewing Company in the South Park area of Seattle. Lunar specialized in traditional styles of ales and lagers. Two of their flagship beers were the Penumbra Porter and Lunar I.P.A. In 2003, Lunar Brewing Company was sold and reopened under new management as Baron Brewing. Frank Halderman is now the head brewer at Terminal Gravity Brewing in Enterprise, Oregon.

 Speaking of The Seattle Times, Brewing in Seattle was mentioned in today's paper! Thanks Seattle Times and Geoff at Seattle Beer News! Seattlebeernews.com

 

A bottle label for the non-alcoholic "Rainier cereal beverage" that was produced during prohibition. Cereal beverages were also known as "near beer", a malt beverage that contains very little or no alcohol. (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

 

The Rainier Brewing Co - Mountain Room as it appeared around 1954. This image was used as a post card and sold inside the mountain room in the late 1950's. <Author's Collection> <Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

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A 1979 Rainier Brewing Co Ad proof with Mickey Rooney. Mickey Rooney starred in a number of print and commercial ads for Rainier in the 1970's and early 1980's. I was able to get in touch with Mr. Rooney (now 91 years old) and his recollections of his time with Rainier will be included in the book.             <Photo courtesy of Heckler Associates> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo).

Front cover of Sick's Seattle Brewing & Malting Co (Rainier Brewing) 1955 Annual report. <Author's collection> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

Rainier Brewing Co 1956. The iconic "R" was installed two years prior. <Author's Collection> <Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

Horluck Brewing Company. 1934. <Seattle Public Library> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

Seattle: First Ave from Yesler way from about 1908. An Independent Brewing Co cart is seen in the lower right. The Independent Brewing Company operated in Seattle from 1902 to 1915. Their first beer was a Pilsner style lager, followed by "Sp...ecial Brew" and later their popular, "Old German Style Lager". By 1909, the brewery employed 40 men and had an annual output of 30,000 barrels. State-wide prohibition would forever end their Seattle brewery. <Seattle Public Library> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

Albert F. Mladenich (1924-2012) shows off the new "quart size" Rainier beer. 1950's. Mladenich would become Vice-President and General Manager of Rainier Brewing Co. <Author's collection> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

A Rainier Beer six-pack from the late 1950's <UW Steinbeck library> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

Louis Hemrich. Co-founder of Hemrich Bros. Brewing Company and president of Seattle Brewing & Malting Company.
<From "The Cartoon" by Frank Calvert, Published 1911.>  (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

Seattle Brewing & Malting CO (Rainier Brewery) 1937 <Washington State Archives>

A 1913 advertisement for Rainier Pale Beer <Author's collection> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

Workers clean the inside of a Rainier delivery truck in 1958. <Seattle Public Library> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

Logo used for Rainier Brewing Co's "Diamond Anniversary" 1953 <Author's collection> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

A Rainier poster/postcard used in the 1990's. <Author's collection> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

Horluck Brewing Co magazine ad from January 1934. <Seattle Public Library> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

A Century Brewing (Rainier Brewing) worker closes a hop jack in this early 1950's photo. <Author's collection> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

A late 1960's photo of a Rainier brewer placing hops in a brew kettle. <Seattle Public Library>

Emil Sick. President; Rainier Brewing Company. A Seattle icon. From 1964. <Seattle Public Library> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

Texas Jim Lewis & his Rainier Rangers. 1951. <Seattle Public Library> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

A reasonable Washington State man awaits the end of prohibition. Notice the Rainier cutout above the sign. <Author's Collection>

Seattle Cartoonist, Bob Cram in 1963. Cram's artwork was featured on one of the popular Rainier Jubilee cans (shown to the right of photo). His work also appeared in the popular 1955, book by William C Speidel, "You Can't Eat Mount Rainier". In 1963 he would become KING-TV's “cartooning weatherman”, a position he held until 1971. Mr. Cram still calls Washington home and continues to make the occasional public appearance. <Seattle Times> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

A man grabs a 97 cent six-pack of Rainier in this late 1950's photo. <Seattle Public Library> (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)

Can proofs for Rainier Brewing Co's Spur Malt Liquor, 1966. (Brewing in Seattle outtake photo)