The opening line of Marty Robbins famous song is "Out in the West Texas town of El Paso." The dusty Iittle town along the Rio Grande River was given the name "Paso Del Norte" or Pass of the North by the Conquistodores. The history of this western Texas city is rich with ranchers, cowboys and even a famous businessman who provided beer to the small town of El Paso after Prohibition - Harry Mitchell.

Harry Mitchell, a young Englishman who immigrated to the desert Southwest, started a local brewery in El Paso, Texas. He was born in Blechington, England in 1889. While growing up in England, he was fond of musical comedies and had an ambition to become a stage comedian. To learn more about the entertainment business, Harry worked in and around many small common brew pubs in England. While working behind the stage and bar, Harry also learned about the restaurant operations and how beer, ale, and other malt beverages were made.

When Harry was in his late teens, he quickly learned to better himself in the restaurant business, he would have to make a drastic change and move to America. Penniless, with no funds for a one-way trip to America, young Harry stepped forward and enlisted in the United States Army. This was the only chance Harry was granted a free ride to the new country,

In 1912, Harry had completed his tour of duty in the U.S. Army at Fort Bliss near the city of El Paso, Texas. After his separation from the service, he quickly landed a job as a bartender in the hotel, "Paso Del Norte."

His experience working in and around the British pubs during his youth, gave him the skills to easily create any drink known in the 1910s. His hard work and dedication to the bar soon earned him a promotion to Head Bartender on October 1, 1913. He held this position until mid-1916 when he sent in his resignation. Having saved his money, he and wife Lela moved to a small and poor Mexican town called Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico, just south of the Rio Grande from El Paso.

One must wonder why Harry would leave a promising job as he moved to Mexico to start up his own business in a foreign country. Shortly after his departure to Mexico, Prohibition came to the United States. Harry knew that with the addition of the 18th Amendment, (better known as Prohibition), this would have eliminated his job. As no alcoholic beverages were allowed for sale for public consumption in the United States, Harry knew that he had a potential gold mine in Mexico since serving alcoholic beverages was legal.

The Mint Cafe

Harry Mitchell and Enrique Fernandez opened a bar/restaurant in Juarez, Mexico and named it the Mint Cafe. Harry did not waste time by advertising his restaurant in the United States. Immediately, customers and tourists began crossing the border and visited the overcrowded Mint Cafe. The customers were treated with a new drink invented by a Mr. Feeney. called the Special Fizz. As America remained "dry," The Mint Cafe continued to attract thirsty guests who enjoyed alcoholic beverages. Harry's business became prosperous for over ten years. At times, busloads of customers from America crossed the border every half hour.

The Mint Cafe had a great reputation and was quickly recognized by people across America. Harry, having served thousands of satisfied customers, decided to start a book called the "Bar Fly". The whole idea was for people to sign their name when they visited the Mint Cafe. Many customers were politicians, movie stars and famous sports figures. The Mint Cafe attracted many famous celebrities which included: New York Mayor Jimmy Walker, Admiral Richard Byrd, General Billy Mitchell (no relation), Eddie Rickenbacker, Amelia Earhart, and Fannie Brice. Among other acclaimed American figures of the time were, Jim Thorpe, Jimmie Jefferies and Jack Dempsey. The "Bar Fly', would later become an important document in Harry's life.

The good times at the Mint Cafe did not last forever. Several incidents in 1931 and 1932 contributed major problems for Harry Mitchell. While Harry and Lela were away in San Francisco during the Fall 1931, a mysterious fire started in the kitchen and engulfed most of the Mint Cafe. Arson was determined and the city suggested Harry to not reopen. Still believing that the Mint Cafe would be profitable, Harry spared no time to rebuild, and the cafe was back in business. The second Incident happened on August 28, 1932, when Harry was arrested carrying illegal narcotics. A small bag of heroin was found underneath his driver's seat when the Mexican police searched his car. He was eventually found not guilty because of the way the Mexican police conducted the search.

Even though Harry's reputation was tarnished from this incident, business suffered another major blow. As Harry returned to the Mint Cafe, he faced several law suits by the Juarez bartenders and waiter union for unfair wages. By this time, Harry had enough of Mexican business, sold the Mint Cafe, packed his bags and returned to El Paso.

The Mint Cafe was a very important part of Harrv Mitchell's life. With all the people he met at Mint Cafe, some customers were politicians who gave him a tip that Prohibition was starting to lose ground in America, and would possibly be eliminated.

Harry learned that American people enjoyed a good drink. For this experience, it didn't take long before Harry started working on restoring the Old El Paso brewery. The "Bar Fly" from his Mint Cafe proved to be an asset. The book contained several regular customers who had strong financial backings in case Harry' wanted to start up another business in America. Harry planned on rebuilding the former El Paso brewery during Prohibition and quickly contacted several businessmen to help start up the new business - The Harry Mitchell Brewing Company.

The Harry Mitchell Brrewing Company

'l'he start of Harry Mitchell's brewery took place on August 5.1933. One thing made this Harry Mitchell Brewing Company a unique business was three other businessmen owned stock in this company. The most financially sound person among four owners was Will F Keller. Mr. Keller, was a millionaire from Los Angeles, California. He owned a group of businesses spreading across the western United States. One of the businesses he owned was the Globe Mills that was also located in El Paso, Texas.

There is little known on the 0ther two partners of William Cunningham and Charles Grider. It was suspected that they both were local businessmen, became friends with Harry when he still owned the Mint Cafe. Of the four owners of the brewery they all agreed on naming it after Harry Mitchell because Harry was most recognized businessman in the area and would be identified with a good product name.

The Harry Mitchell Brewing Conipany started with great progress. The first offcial Stock Holders Meeting in El Paso took place on September29, 1932 at 1:30pm in room 655 of the First National Bank building. Due to failing health, Mr. Keller was unable to attend the meeting and was represented by proxy by Mr. Grider.

A Little Vienna in El Paso

Breaking ground took place on August 5, 1933. This special event was attended by high officials from both the civilian and military ranks. The brewery was built on the same site as the ruins sire of the old El Paso Brewery from the pre-Prohibition years. As the year passed, the construction of the brewery rolled forward at tremendous pace. Otto C. Wolf Company designed the brewery, along with its first brewmasrer Oskar Scholz as consultant. Oskar Scholz came from Prague, Vienna and was a skilled brewmaster. Mr. Scholz claimed that he would brew a full bodied and slightly drier product for the Harry Mitchell Brewing Company. Even though America was getting accustomed to a richer and hoppier type beer product the Germans made famous, El Paso was about to witness and experience a Vienna-style beer. The position of brewmaster was very important to the Board of Directors, so Oskarr lived in a seven-room house located on the brewery grounds.

A total of $300,000 was spent on building the new Harry Mitchell Brewery. While the construction of the brewery took place, the brewmaster designed a particular subterranean cavern underneath the brewery, somewhat reminiscent of the Augustinerkeller in Vienna. Whether it was mammoth masonry, Teutonic elegance, or the fact that Scholz knew Vienna, it reminded him that beer used to mean ..."nights in the Prater and at Schoenbrunn." A statue of 'lieber Augustine", with twisted brogue architecture created strange views to the evening moon. Enhanced with a statue of Beethoven in the cellar, legendary Vienna songs could be spun out of the brewery cellar.

While the brewery was being constructed, Mr. Keller passed away in 1934 and his wife inherited the majority brewery stock. She assured the brewery officer partners that she would not interfere with any of the company's plans. With this guarantee, the brewery continued to build on schedule.

The brewery was originally designed to produce 6,000 barrels annually, with 28 150-barrel fermenters and 48 300-barrel storage tanks. The brewery also produced- its own ice for aging. On August 5, 1934, operations at Mitchell started with 35 employees at the brewery. On November 21, 1934, the brewery announced the arrival of the first batch of Harry Mitchell's Special Lager. The brewery offered all kinds of promotions at the company's grand opening, including free delivery. This promotion was incredible for the brewery had access to only 10 delivery trucks. To keep up with the rush of beer orders was a non-stop task.

Sidney Smith, the creator-of a popular cartoon series called "The Gumps" was the first person to try Mitchell s Special Lager. The local beer drinkers in El Paso have remembered Mitchell's beer to have a full body, bouquet, and good color. Everyone liked Mitchell's beer.

The Mitchell's beer was in so much demand in El Paso that Harry Mitchell was fined $47.50 for delivering beer on Sunday. Under the liquor laws in Texas, beer and wine cannot be sold on Sundays except by retail dealers having special permits showing that their food sales exceed sales of beer and wine. According to the charge, the agents were riding on Sunday when they saw a Harry Mitchell truck making a delivery.

The Mint Cafe days once caught up with Harry Mitchell. On May 1, 1935, Harry was sued by his former Mint Cafe's partner, Enrique Fernandez and his family. While the Mint Cafe was prosperous, Mr. Fernandez was later known as the "Al Capone" of Mexico. Rival enemies, murdered him, right after Harry sold the Mint Cafe in 1932. Enrique Fernandez's surviving family filed the law suit revolving around that Mr. Fernandez gave Harry $19,450 for educating two brothers and two nephews of the Fernandez clan. The family explained that Harry did nor use the funds as agreed upon. The suit was for $43,000. Harry, representing himself, claimed that he was intimidated into signing this receipt. Harry signed the Spanish written receipt because he was in fear of his life. Harry was later found innocent of all the allegations and charges.

Changes at the brewery took place in 1935. Robert L. Neidhard became the second brewmaster of Harry Mitchell Brewing Company. When Mr. Neidhard took over as brewmaster, he changed the brewing process. Once the brewing process went into effect, the sales from the flagship brand skyrocketed to the point that it became the largest selling brand in El Paso and the Southwestern States.