WILLIAM GRETZ BREWING CO.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (1861 – 1960)

In 1881 William Gretz become a partner in a brewery owned by Leonard and Frank Rieger. The Rieger & Gretz Brewing Company stayed in business at Germantown and Oxford Streets until 1920, when closed by Prohibition.  In 1933 the brewery reopened as the William Gretz Brewing Company.

The smallest of Philadelphia's breweries to survived World War II, Gretz marketed their beer mostly in Western Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  In early 1958 Gretz dropped production of draft beer, and sold their product only in cans and bottles.  After Gretz closed in 1960 Esslinger and Jacob Ruppert breweries made Gretz beer for a few years but eventually dropped the brand.

This design comes from a 1950s beer serving tray.