Drink Gluek: 1940

The Gluek beer name has now vanished as well. IIRC on the Twins radio broadcast Dan Gladden even advertised for Gluek in the early and mid 2000's. See this.

All that remain of Gluek's are the silver buildings at left in the street view. They used to be part of the loading docks.

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This is a recent look at Grain Belt, now home to architects and a public library. These brewers were about ten blocks from each other.

It looks as though there's no tire on the spare rim.

The movie showing in Oct. 1940 at the recently-opened Ripley was "I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now." The cast was a set of generally forgettable actors, with one exception: Margaret Hamilton, who will forever be known for her role in "The Wizard of Oz" as the Wicked Witch of the West. Ironically, Little Falls was also the home to lumber heir Laura Jane Musser, who would become Margaret Hamilton's biggest fan. As this 2012 article in the local Little Falls newspaper explains, Ms. Musser, who spent much of her life living in a set of wood-framed mansions at 608 Highland Avenue known collectively as "Linden Hill," was deeply into the movie in general and Ms. Hamilton in particular. The socialite visited the set during the movie's production, and eventually she and the former witch became lifelong friends.

It's nice to see the buildings have been saved. On the other hand, it's too bad the same can't be stated of the atmosphere, which time has mercilessly obliterated if the Street View image may be trusted. I'd just love to become a time traveler and snatch one of those mint-condition neon signs, by the way. Heck, I'd make off with the entire truck and its load, given the chance.

The Minneapolis Brewing Company, which conceived and produced Grain Belt, shut down long ago. Thankfully, the brewery's buildings were apparently too darned big to make them easy candidates for demolition, and many of them have been restored. On the other hand, the Gluek brewery buildings and the Gluek brand have vanished. (As far as I know, that is; the brand was resurrected for a time by Cold Spring Brewery, I believe.) In its day, the Gluek brewery's advertising cleverly indicated how one should pronounce its odd name. See, for example, this coaster, and this ad unearthed and posted by James Lileks (http://www.lileks.com/).

I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now, (1940).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032621/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

"In this low-budget musical, two sets of politically ambitious parents attempt to pair up their youngsters who unfortunately despise each other and only pretend to like each other to please their parents."

Grain Belt is still produced for local Minnisota consumption, though now it is contract brewed as the brewery no longer exists, but here is a little summary of the Gluek's Brewery:

"The brewery enjoyed modest success until the spring of 1880, when it burned to the ground. Reconstruction was immediately begun, but G. Gottlieb, the founder, was to die that fall. His sons continued the business as G. Gottlieb & Sons, and later as the Gluek Brewing Company. By 1902, the plant was turning out 44 barrels a day.

The brewery survived Prohibition but was eventually sold to G. Heilemann in 1964, who tore the place down two years later. The Gluek's label was acquired by the Cold Spring Brewing Company, which today produces beer for the Gluek's restaurant in downtown Minneapolis."

So Gluek's still exists, in a manner of speaking.

I Must have those signs for my man cave!!
Those would be sooooooo cool.
Hell, I'd put 'em up on side of house to the annoyance of neighbors.

The truck is long gone, but the buildings are still there, as is the light post in the foreground (you'll have to rotate the street view map to see it).

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That Gluek's neon sign must have served as a beacon in the stormy night to many a thirsty soul. Alas, they are no more. http://www.nemplsonline.com/node/1149. The beer was also sold in cone top cans for many years. The pull/pop-tab-can generation should Google "Gluek's cone cans" to view this era of the beer delivery system. Some of these old cans are worth more than a loaded iPhone 5 to collectors.

Being a kid from Minneapolis, these signs bring back memories of crowded neon over the sidewalk. I think I see a Fitgers sign in the middle. That would make sense because Little Falls is about the same distance from Duluth as it is from Minneapolis and beer was pretty regional in distribution at this time.

at the Ripley ?