Discussions

bob your article on the Empire is intresting, but not totally complete. how many sources did you use, and what were they?  
 
I dont have all my notes in front of me, so I am going to be careful about claims I make.  
 
Forgive me if this article is a bit "scattered", i just got home from work.  
 
There were 2 Empire Brewing co in Brandon one at 6th street, Another Empire Brewing, was built in 1895 beside the old Empire brewery.  
Now the Empire Brewing Co Limited was incorporated in March 27, 1903 (confirmed by the Companies Office in Winnipeg) The Brewery stoped producing beer/ale and stout Sept 16, 1931 (I have the ad from brandon Sun"Notice..the Dry Ginger Ale and soft drink business of the Empire Brewing Co, ltd will carry on as usual phone 2 6 4 3"  
 
E.P Taylor bought the brewery beacuse it was cutting into their trade. It was there intent to close it.  
 
yes I A Robinson was involved with the brewery. I dont think from the start. One of the eary Empire brewery burned to the ground. I think Robinson was a big finincial backer. he did run A private Bank here in Brandon and was busy with real estate.  
 
I am sure the Empire operated before 1899. There is a green quart bottle that was produced that is embossed "Empire Ale Brandon" it has a special type of stopper that is called "the baltimore loop seal" It was replaced by the crown cap, or bottle cap in 1897  
 
The Empire at 1st and pacific continued to produce soda pop for many years. The Name changed many times as well. It was later know as Empire beverages limited, the bell bottling co run by the Brodidisky brothers.  
 
by 1960 it was finished. There are newspaper articles of a big fire April 3 1963  
 
The Empire did produce "temprance Lager" during the probition a label for that time period state this beer contains not more then 2 1/2 % proof spirits  
There is a ad in the 1919 Brandon City directory for the Empire  
Peter Payne, Prez and Mgr, R.G.Macdonald VP, M Tyndal Sec Tres. Temperance Lager, lager beer, Carbinated Waters and Aerated Waters, Phone 2643  
 
 
As for the brick building..yes there was a brick brewery, but you are getting that building mixed up with E.L Drewery who had a cold storage building here in Brandon. I quote from the March 12 1903 Brandon Sun  
 
"new Cold Storage Warehouse. Among the new buildings being erected in the epring is a large cold storage building for E. L Drewery of Winnipeg.. Mr Drewery has decided on making Brandon a distributing center for Western Canada. and will carry a stock enough ale, beer, porter and soft drinks to supply the trade of Mr WM FERGUSON the well known wine merchant. Mr Drewery said they would unload direct from the refigerated cars into the warehouse here, thus placing Brandon on the same footing as if the Brewery was established here"  
 
Drewry is a story for another time.  
 
There was pretty much a brewery here in Brandon Since Day one...There was also the Crown brewery, Cleverly and Ferguson (no relation to Wm. the wine merchant)  
 
how about soda manufactures, Like E West and Co?  
 
Then there was also the Brandon Brewing company as well...That building was brick too built in 1907  
 
there is a great photo of the old Empire brewery in the 1901 book produced by I think E L Christie book seller. The brewery is a wood structure, and shows the brewery inside and out..