Carling Black Label Beer Began As History in 1818

56 Spring 2004 Bottles and Extras turn of the 21st century, that has become CARLING a reality. I joyously spend lots of my retirement time researching and BLACK LABEL BEER writing about the bottles I’ve included in my collection over the years but have not in the White Bottle had time to study. Researched and presented The story of Carling Black Label Beer began as history in 1818. Until recently by Cecil Munsey the once-discarded 1961 white (milk glass) Fig. 2 Copyright © 2003 7-oz. “stubby” bottle was consequent of the story. Thanks to my library, the PROLOGUE brought it home and, after some search- Internet and time to devote to this project, It was in the early 1960s. My wife, son ing, I found the milk glass bottle and put I am able to add the following story to and I were returning from a short visit to the latest find with the original – on the bottle collecting history. the snow in the local mountains. The road shelf in the garage. was a shimmering black asphalt ribbon as By then I was a collector of antique RESEARCH the snow melted in the bright sun. The bottles and belonged to the local bottle It was in 1818 that a farmer named side of the road was piled with recently club. And I had a bottle shelf in the living Thomas Carling (Figure 2), migrated from plowed dirty snow. Perhaps because of room window. What I didn’t have was England’s Yorkshire district, to the city of the contrast, my eye caught sight of and the courage to place those beautiful mod- London, Ontario, Canada. As a farming my mind wouldn’t let go of the picture of ern bottles in my display. “What would pioneer, Carling obtained some land and a white stubby beer bottle lying at the side my friends say?” I silently asked myself. began clearing it of trees in preparation of the pavement. It was quite a few yards Several years later, while attending the for his planned farm. In accordance with down the hill when the picture became annual bottle show of the mother club, the custom of the day, he called on his fixed and focused in my mind’s eye. Antique Bottle Collectors of Sacramento neighbors to help him remove the tree I quickly pulled to the side of the road and (ABCA), I purchased a stubby bottle stumps. The cooperative effort was called stopped. “I saw a white beer bottle back identical in shape to the two securely a “stumping bee.” His neighbors came there,” I answered my wife’s questioning secluded on the shelf in my garage. It was with their oxen and tools and the land was look. Before any discussion about my a beautiful Anchor Hocking Glass cleared of tree stumps. habit of picking up things, I got out of the Company “Royal Ruby Red” stubby that It was the custom for the recipient of car. once, in 1961, contained Schlitz beer. the community effort to provide food and After walking back up the hill in the I could hardly wait to get back home. I drink for the event. Thomas Carling’s slush, I claimed a Carling Black Label knew exactly where my light olive-green liquid refreshment was a home-brewed ale milk glass, stubby, 7-oz. beer bottle and and white milk glass bottles were and I of such quality that soon he was brewing carried it back to the car. I thought it was excited about seeing how they would it for other stumping bees. In time, it grew would look better without its label so when look sitting next to the new red glass so popular that he abandoned farming for I got home I soaked and scraped off the stubby. full-time brewing. label and, since I was alone in my As I had expected, the sun shining According to one historian (see bibli- admiration of the bottle’s plain beauty, through the display window gave the trio ography), “The first Carling brewery was I put the bottle on a shelf in the garage of bottles an almost stained glass (church) a modest affair – a couple of kettles, a horse and forgot about it. window look (Figure 1). From then ‘til to turn the grinding mill and six strong I forgot about it, that is, until the mid- now, I include any bottle I like in my men to work on the mash tubs. Carling 1960s when I found an almost identical display. For me collecting bottles is more was his own sales and shipping depart- bottle in a light olive-green color. I about gathering not what is popular or ment. He started by trundling his wares expected, as much as through the streets of London, Ontario on collecting what is a wheelbarrow.” He established the first Fig. 1 desired. brewing company that bore his name in Ever since I 1840 in London, Ontario. It was called, formed my own col- “Carling Brewing and Malting Company, lecting philosophy, Ltd., of London, Ontario.” numerous beautiful Around 1849, Thomas Carling’s sons, and interesting William and John, took over the brewery. bottles have come to It became known as “W. and J. Carling’s rest in my bottle City Brewery.” Bottling both ale and cabinet. Someday, I porter, by 1860 the brewery was using thought, I would 18-20,000 bushels of grain a year, make and take the 12-18,00 pounds of hops and malting time to study some 22,000 bushels of barley a season. “The of my bottles. Since proprietors give steady employment to my retirement at the between 15 and 20 men” runs a descrip- Bottles and Extras Spring 2004 57 dust) that opened up the center of the building and re- started the flames. Despite the explosion, the building’s walls were still sound and the brewery was rebuilt (Figure 6 ). Fig. 6 However, as a result of directing fire- brewed and sold Carling products until fighting efforts in the 1911. Carling did not reappear in the USA frigid February tem- until after “National Prohibition.” Fig. 3 perature, William “The opportunity for Carling’s reap- fell victim to pneu- pearance on the American scene in 1933 monia and died was created by a combination of the tion written about 1860, “and six horses several days later. The company repeal of Prohibition and the deepening are constantly employed in connection rebounded after the fire with the help of of the Great Depression,” according to one with the establishment (Figure 3). The investment from outside the family and historian (see bibliography). works are propelled by a steam engine….” with T. H. remaining as manager. (After The building that became Carling’s In 1875, the brothers abandoned the old only a few years as a partner, Joshua Cleveland Brewery was the home of the brewery and moved further down the creek Dalton died in 1882.) Peerless Motor Car Company, makers of from which they got their water. It was in In 1880, Carling made its first entry the prestigious custom-build cars. In the that location that they built one of the into the American market, from Canada, depressed economy of the times there was largest breweries in Canada. The name by purchasing the “Rogers & Hughes little demand for expensive Peerless auto- was changed to, “Carling & Company.” Forest Brewery” in Cleveland, Ohio. mobiles. Peerless management decided to John Carling was the head of the Calling it the “London Brewery” (after company (Figure 4). John also represented London, Ontario), they brewed Carling’s Fig. 7 London in the Canadian Parliament and line of ale, porter, and brown stout. became one of the best-known men in the By 1890, Carling was capable of Dominion of Canada. He was knighted putting out about 30,000 barrels of ale and in 1893 and became “Sir John” (Figure porter a year. Carling also produced 5). [He died in 1911.] lager and, at the time, employed about 100 Sir John’s son, Thomas H. (or T. Harry) men. Also, at that time, the company and Joshua Dalton, an investor, joined the issued its first metal serving tray brewery as partners and all looked bright (Figure 7) and other advertising items that until February 1879 when fire gutted the are eagerly sought by collectors today. new building. The fire, which appeared Carling sold the American rights for at one point to be under control, set off a Carling (1898) to the Cleveland & terrific explosion (probably caused by malt Sandusky Brewing Company. Sandusky take advantage of what they saw as the imminent rebirth of the long dormant Fig. 4 American brewing industry. They exchanged 25,000 shares of Peerless stock, for the rights to the formulas for Carling brews, their identifying labels, and trade- marks. The new firm was called the “Brewing Corporation of America.” The company tried at first to just brew Red Cap Ale (Figure 8), but sales were too slow to maintain the brewery. And sales didn’t climb until the introduction of Black Label (Figures 9, 10, 11) beer. According to one beer historian (see bibliography),“The philosophy behind Black Label was to have a high quality lager that was available nationwide, but with a locally brewed budget price. The Fig. 5 strategy worked and the next several decades led to rapid growth and 58 Spring 2004 Bottles and Extras expansion for the brewery and for the similar attempt by Schlitz to speed up Carling Black Label brand.” Fig. 8 Fig.

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