Haffenreffer Brewery

The Haffenreffer Brewery,[3][4] established in 1870, was a former brewer in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.[5] The first Haffenreffer bottles were plate mold bottles and were produced by Karl Hutter of New York and had the traditional lightning stop tops.[6] According to Haffenreffer company records later in 1876 the Haffenreffer Brewery contracted with Dean Foster and Company of Boston to aid in the production of bottles for the brewery and the growing demand. Starting in 1893, all Haffenreffer bottles were produced with Karl Hutter stoppers. Haffenreffer Private Stock, a legacy of the original Haffenreffer & Co. product line, is a brand of malt liquor that ceased production in 2013. It had several nicknames: "The Green Monster", (referring to the left field wall at Fenway Park), "Haffenwrecker" and "The Green Death" all due to relatively high alcohol content. It was notable due to the Rebus puzzles under the bottle cap and due to the label recommendation of consuming it "on the rocks" or over ice.

Haffenreffer Brewery
An undated photograph of the Haffenreffer brewery, which once had a famous tap that poured out free beer day and night. The area was bustling, and on many days the smell of hops filled the air.[1]
Haffenreffer Brewery is located in Massachusetts
Haffenreffer Brewery
Haffenreffer Brewery is located in the United States
Haffenreffer Brewery
LocationGermania Street
Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°18′52″N 71°6′15″W
Area5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built1877
ArchitectM.W. Fitzsimmons et al.
NRHP reference No.82004453[2]
Added to NRHPMay 2, 1982

History

The Haffenreffer Brewery was founded by Rudolph Frederick Haffenreffer, a German immigrant who arrived in Boston after the Civil War. Following his death on March 8, 1929, the business was turned over to his sons, Rudolf F. Haffenreffer Jr. (1874-1954) and Theodore Carl Haffenreffer (1880-1956).[7][8] The brewery was subsequently run by other members of the Haffenreffer family, including Rudolph Frederick Haffenreffer III (1902-1991),[9] his brother Carl W. Haffenreffer (1906-1999),[10] and their first cousin, Theodore Carl Haffenreffer III (1917-2008).[11] The brewery closed in 1965 (at which time, brands like Haffenreffer Lager Beer, Pickwick Ale and Pickwick Bock Beer became the property of the Narragansett Brewing Company) having survived Prohibition and operating for nearly a century, leaving Massachusetts without a brewery for the first time in 300 years.

Haffenreffer complex

The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation redeveloped the entire Haffenreffer complex,[12] which owns and operates it today. The Boston Beer Company, brewer of Samuel Adams beer, has been an anchor tenant and investor since the mid-1980s and offers tours of the brewery there.[5]

The main brewery building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The top of the smokestack from the old Haffenreffer Brewery crumbled and had been partially restored to current building codes- so the letters on its side read FENREFFER BREWERS for more than 30 years. In late 2016, a local artist installed a circular steel frame on the top with the letters HAF, which restored the smokestack to its full name.[13]

Among those businesses sharing it with Boston Beer are:

  • Bella Luna Restaurant[14]
  • Bikes Not Bombs[15]
  • City Life/Vida Urbana[16]
  • Children's Music Center of JP[17]
  • Keshet
  • Kenyon Woodworking
  • JP School of Dance[18]
  • Mike's Fitness[19]
  • The Parent Review[20]
  • ULA Cafe[21]
  • Women in the Building Trades

See also

References
  1. "Haffenreffer Malt Liquor". Falstaffbrewing.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. "Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation :: Brewery Small Business Complex". Jpndc.org. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  4. "Jamaica Plain Historical Society - 'Victorian Era' Editor - - History of Beer Making in Jamaica Plain". Jphs.org. 1992-09-11. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  5. Christine McConville (February 17, 2006). "The toast of JP". The Boston Globe. The N. Y. Times Co. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  6. Bottle Finishes & Closures: Part III: Types of Bottle Closures: LIGHTNING-TYPE CLOSURES
  7. "Haffenreffer Private Stock: The Malt Liquor with the Imported Taste". Falstaff Brewing Corporation. Archived from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  8. "Inductee Details: Rudolf Frederick Haffenreffer, Jr". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  9. "Inductee Details: Rudolf Frederick Haffenreffer, III". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  10. "Inductee Details: Carl W. Haffenreffer". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  11. Bryan Marquand (January 15, 2009). "Theodore Haffenreffer, 91; ran brewery". The Boston Globe. Globe Newspaper Company. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  12. "Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation". Jpndc.org. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  13. "An old brewery's name restored in Jamaica Plain - the Boston Globe". The Boston Globe.
  14. "Bella Luna Restaurant - Jamaica Plain, MA". Milkywayjp.com. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  15. "Using the bicycle as a vehicle for social change". Bikes Not Bombs. 2011-12-27. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  16. "City Life Vida Urbana | Building Solidarity To Put People Before Profits". Clvu.org. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  17. "Children's Music Center of Jamaica Plain - Welcome". Jamaicaplainmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  18. "Tony Williams Dance Center | Celebrate Dance With Diversity!". Jpdanceclass.com. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  19. "Mike's Fitness JP - Fitness For All!". Mikesfitnessjp.com. 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  20. "TPR Media LLC". Tprmedia.com. 2010-08-19. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  21. —Ella B., Los Olivos, CA. "Home | Ula Café". Ulacafe.com. Retrieved 2012-07-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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