The repeal of Prohibition in Florida on May 8, 1933, (allowing 3.2% alcohol by weight) saw a statewide brewery opening scramble. In Tampa, the Pre-Prohibition Tampa Florida Brewery, Inc. (1896-1961) hit the market first, followed by the DeSoto Brewing Company (1934-1936), and the Southern Brewing Company. An unsuccessful attempt to crack the market was also made by the Fette Brewing Company.

Taking over a dry goods warehouse at 700 E. Zack Street, the Southern Brewing Company was completed just four months after the award of the construction contract. The kettle held 150 barrels (31 gallons each) per brew and was capable of making five batches in a 24-hour period. The bottling shop could produce 3,600 pints per hour on its single line. Much like the trendy brewpubs of today, all of the brew house equipment was in full view from the entrance lobby and street. Guests were entertained in the "modern" tap room finished in black, silver, and red and containing aluminum furniture and polished steel bar fixtures.

Although Charles A. McKay, a Tampa native, was the inspiration for the brewery, the president was John A. Forlong, with Richard C. Jones as manager. Walter Heuer, a German native and formerly with the Tonawanda Brewing Company of New York, was the initial master brewer. Many of the members of the board of directors were from the north, including E. C. Deibel of the Renner Brewing Company of Akron, Ohio.

The Southern Brewing Company opened on or about October 19, 1934, with its trade marked flagship brand "SB." Early names were Special Brew/Florida Special (a light 3.2%), Old Tampa (light), Wurzburger Type (dark), Silver Bar Ale and S-B Bock. The latter always hit the market on St. Patrick's Day.

After an unprofitable two-year attempt to gain a share of the southeast market, Southern concentrated sales efforts within 150 miles of Tampa. Successful local advertising justified an expansion in 1937. An adjoining building provided needed space for pastettrization and bottling equipment. 'l'throughout its history, almost 85 percent of its product was sold in packaged form.

A report on the brewery in the September 1938 Brewers Journal, described it in glowing terms. The beer of the Southern Brewing Company "won lavish praise from world travelers" and the "superlative quality and flavor of S-B beer and ale" was credited to the Purity Springs water piped seven miles from the "sparkling" springs to the brewery.

The brewery obtained a major advertising coup in 1938 when it participated in the Showman's Variety Jubilee, a beauty contest in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Under the guise of promoting Florida tourism and industry, a colorful and decorated advance car made the journey north stopping in all of the major Florida cities. Once in Atlantic City, the car proudly toured the normally closed Boardwalk. The brewery representatives, Richard G. Jones, manager, and Oral D. Cloaskey, advertising manager, set up an open house in Hotel Madison where the local press gathered daily for hospitality. At the outdoor pageant, the S-B float won second prize. Miss Florida was seated on a throne next to a mechanical pelican and as the float reached the judges stand, the bird laid a large egg which was handed to the Mayor. Inside the egg were greetings from many Florida Mayors, samples of Florida products, and two bottles of S-B beer.

Upon his return home, Mr. Cloaskey was promoted to sales manager and director of advertising. He was "well known as a cartoonist" and is probably responsible for the humorous drawings in the 1930s advertising for S-B. Dick Jones resigned as general manager to take a similar job with the Jackson Brewing Company in New Orleans. He was replaced by Tampa native, Donald W. McKay, who had been with the brewery since its beginning.

Following his triumph in Atlantic City, Mr. Cloaskey launched the very successful "Forward Florida" campaign in 1939 promoting "The South's Best Vacation Land". Cloaskey credits his showmanship to a background in the theater business which included managing Laurel & Hardy. The publicity scheme consisted of billboards, newspaper advertisements, pamphlets and radio shows. Each of the 66 radio broadcasts spotlighted a different local community and its attributes.

Although the 15-minute broadcasts contained only a one-minute commercial sign off, many civic leaders 'thanked the Southern Brewing Company during the program. The well-coordinated goodwill movement produced many forms of advertising which have apparently been lost to time. There were small replica billboards "made for inside use," metal cut out plates cast with the message "Forward Florida the South's best vacation land," and booster certificates were handed out. A small circle reading "SB Ale and Beer" was the only indication of brewery sponsorship. Following this success, Cloaskey moved to the Jackson Brewing Company.

After a long illness, brewmaster Walter Heuer passed away in 1941. Good fortune shined on the brewery when Wilfred Eugene "Gene" Warnstedt, a chemist, took over the brewing job. The war years were kind to the regional brewery. Production remained at 90,000 plus barrels per annum between 1943 and 1947. This was 30,000 barrel per year increase from the 1930's and early forties. The brewery even tried its hand as a wine distributor during this era.

Sometimes in late 194Os or early 1950s, one of the three bottling lines was converted to handle conetop cans. Both the SB Beer and Silver Bar Ale cones come in IRTP and non-IRTP varieties.

To mark its sixteenth birthday, the brewery ran ads thanking the public for making S-B Beer and Silver Bar Ate "the most popular beer in Tampa."

In 1952, the newspaper announced the introduction of Silver Bar Premium Lager Beer, the "beer with a million dollar flavor." The fifties also saw the introduction of the very elusive seven can different colored set of lager flat top cans.

In October 1956, it was announced that the Southern Brewing Company had been acquired by International Breweries, Inc. of Detroit Michigan. International had been formed in 1955 with the combination of the Frankenmuth (Michigan), Iroquois (Buffalo, N.Y.), and later the Krantz (Findlay, Ohio) breweries. The northern president promised the continuance of all local brands and increased sales through more advertising and better distribution.

One highlight of the acquisition by International was the proliferation of advertising from transplant northern brands, now produced in Florida. Among these were Kol, Frankenmuth, Phoenix, Orbit, Stolz, and Bavarian.

Just behind Prohibition, International's worst fears occurred in May 1957. Schlitz began construction of its one-million barrel brewery on 15 acres in Tampa. When the first Schlitz barrel rolled out in early 1959, former Southern brewmaster (and later president) Gene Warnstedt was the resident manager of the national giant.

Undaunted, International modernized the interior of its Tampa plant and gave the exterior a totally new look. But, another major blow came later that year with the opening of Anheuser- Busch's $20 million Tampa plant. This national competition in it's own backyard had caused the closure of local rival Tampa Florida Brewery, Inc. in 1961. International hoped to regain domination of the local market by acquiring its "Tropical " brand. This stern competition with national giants forced the closure of the old Southern plant in about 1963.

Kip Sharpe, ABA #1067, is a serious collector and historian of breweries of the south. He acknowledges the help of the following in preparing this history: Bob Kay, Randy Carison, Bill Bishop, John Stanley, Dick Milne, Jerry Welsh, Bob Anderson, Michael Zane, and Jan English at the Tampa Library.