Erlanger Beer Tray, Heil’s Home Brewery, Hannibal, MO 1903

Heil's Home Brewery Erlanger Beer Tray, Hannibal, MO 1903

Heil’s Home Brewery Erlanger Beer Tray, Hannibal, MO 1903

In the early 1900’s, many smaller breweries were in business for a short time making their limited number of advertising relics hard to come by. This is one of those difficult finds! This tin lithograph beer tray was manufactured for Heil’s Home Brewery in Hannibal, MO in 1903. The pre-Prohibition tray promotes their Erlanger Bottled Beer and has a colorful lithograph of an older couple reading the newspaper.

Hannibal, MO Circa 1900

Hannibal, MO Circa 1900

In 1903, William Heil purchased the City Brewery on Grand Avenue in Hannibal, MO and renamed it to Heil’s Home Brewery.

Mr. Heil learned about the brewery business from his father growing up in Burlington, Iowa. He also served an apprenticeship with the Green Tree Brewery when he moved to St. Louis in 1884. Mr. Heil ultimately became the head brewmaster at Green Tree Brewery until his move to Hannibal in 1903. William Heil sold the brewery to Jacob Schorr and the name changed to Schorr City Brewery.