Dotterweich Brewing Co. Beer, Ale & Porter Metal Serving Tray. Olean, N.Y. Circa 1905.

I love this spectacular pre-prohibition metal serving tray put out by the Olean, New York based Dotterweich Brewing Company around 1900-1910. Their method of promoting their brewery was easy, simply state all the major types of beer you sold, i.e. beer, ales, and porter styles. What I find interesting with this tray is the bottle and glass clearly advertising their Gilt Edge brand of export lager beer, however, the name Gilt Edge is not written anywhere on the tray. I guess they assumed simply the word beer was going to encompass their lager style of beer, and this was probably accurate considering most German based brewers at that time started with lager beer as their main selling style. The artwork on the etched glass and the label on the bottle are spectacular, and the colors on this tray are truly beautiful!


The Dotterweich Brewery was one of at least four different breweries which were operating in the Olean marketplace prior to prohibition. Their flagship brand was Gilt Edge, however, they produced many other named brands including soda or mineral water products too. There was another Dotterweich Brewery in Dunkirk, New York as well. Started in 1856 in Olean, I do not believe the brewery survived prohibition.