Quad Cities Brewing History

05/31/2025

Saw this recently online.
We’re all more familiar with their Blackhawk sodas, but this is new to me!

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃

11/04/2024

New addition to the collection.

08/03/2022

07/31/2022

1933 at the end of prohibition.

07/19/2022

New Acquisition

06/01/2022

Zoller Brewing Company - 1936

In 1936, the humming Zoller Brewing Company plant marked the "comeback" of the beer industry in Davenport. The building at 1801-1803 W. Third Street, was first used as a brewery around 1895.

Previously known as the Independent Brewing & Malting Company, under the direction of Ernest Zoller, the brewery had been forced to make and bottle non-alcoholic drinks during prohibition in order to stay in business. In 1920, its name was changed to the Independent Produce Company and in September of 1921, the firm extended its scope of operation to include the buying, selling and storage of additional products including malt and all grain products, beverages, all produce such as butter, eggs, milk, cheese, etc., and fresh vegetables, fruit and other articles of food. A slight name change occurred again on October 1, 1927, to the Independent Products Company, which remained in business through 1929.

The former brewery remained vacant for a few years until January of 1935 when it was reestablished as the Zoller Brewing Company.

The first batch of Zoller's Famous Beer was brewed on February 28, 1935, but it was many weeks later before it would be tasted by the public. The beer would have to stand in giant Cyprus tanks until it aged to just the right mellowness before it could be kegged or bottled for distribution. Zoller's Famous Beer went on sale for the first time in all Quad-City taverns on Wednesday, May 1, 1935.

In 1944, the brewery was sold and became the Blackhawk Brewery, and sold again in 1952 becoming the Uchtorff Brewery, which continued manufacturing Blackhawk Beer as well as other brands like Uchtorff, Brew 82 and Iowa until its closing on May 1, 1956. Production at the plant had been down to 35,000 barrels a year for several years from a capacity of 159,000 barrels a year. The metal products plant, adjacent to the brewery, which employed 200 people, continued to be operated as the Uchtorff Company.

01/23/2022

IT would be awesome to be able to revisit those early days of air travel.
Cross Country and Old Tavern were brands produced by The Rock Island Brewing Company.
A.D. Huesing was a local bottler of soft drinks and a distributor of Anhueser Busch beers.

10/24/2021

A few ads for non alcoholic items from R.I.B.

06/19/2021

That building is still standing. ❤️

04/12/2021

I had the privilege of seeing this at the home of a very good friend today. Pre-prohibition Davenport Malting Co. Corner sign.
Incredible. 😍