𝗕𝗨𝗗𝗪𝗘𝗜𝗦𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝟭𝟵𝟯𝟲

 

Railcar of Budweiser Beer Unloaded in 1936 at Brownsville

The production of one the better known beers in the country (Budweiser) came to a complete stop when the national ban on sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol took place.

“Prohibition,” was the dry movement implemented by the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act. The ban was in place from 1920 to 1933.

Anheuser-Busch survived this difficult economic time by producing a number of non-alcoholic products. 

After “Prohibition” ended—entered the “Great Depression” and growth was slow, that is until the introduction of the new metal can in 1936, which boosted sales.

Budweiser and Faust beers, product of Anheuser-Busch were considered at the time, as the best known beers in the South. 

They were both welcomed in Brownsville and the Valley with the opening of the Swed Beer Distributors in this city. 

It was January of 1936 when the rattler came to town with a carload of the brew.

Louis Swed took over the agency for the two beers in the Valley, and established its headquarters on the Missouri Pacific track in Brownville on Fifth Street and Fronton.

With an aggressive policy in sale and distributing of the product, combined with the reputation of the Anheuser-Busch resulted in these beers quickly making a home in the Valley.

With the new kid in town, also came the introduction of the non-returnable bottle, and packed in cardboard cases instead of the old wooden boxes.

Swed had a workforce of four men working with the agency in distributing in this section. They were Hays Mitchell, formerly of San Benito, office manager and accountant, Carlyle Williams, salesman, Alfred Rousset, delivery man; and Eddie Mendelbaum, warehouse man.

Sales were good during this period, but then the ugly face war appeared and the Anheuser-Busch company curtailed its distribution to give-up valuable railcar space for war materials.

After the war, growth and prosperity prevailed and you know the rest of the story.

If you drink, don’t drive!!

Photo: 1936 photo of Swed Company employees unloading Budweiser. L to R: Eddie Mendelbaum, Alfred Rousset, Carlyle Williams, and Louis Swed. Hays Mitchell, office manager not shown.

Rene Torres