August 1999

I collect Hamms Beer memorabilia, & was wondering if any Hamms breweries are in operation or if Hamms beer is still brewed at all?

From Beer Dave: It was founded in 1865 by Theodore Hamm when he bought the Andrew F. Keller Brewery in St. Paul, Minn. The Hamms operated it until 1970's when they sold it to Heublin. Then it was acquired by Olympia of Tumwater, WA in 1975. On Easter Sunday 1983 Pabst, Olympia and G. Heileman were involved in a three way merger and Pabst ended up owning Hamms and Olympia. This brand was again just sold to Miller in February. Here Miller, Pabst & Stroh were involved in a three way merger. The St. Paul Hamms brewery closed in 1997. The brand is still brewed today. It has probably been brewed in more US breweries than any other brand. The Hamms items are very popular especially the Hamms bear items. There are many collectors located in the Twin Cities area. There is a book published under the title "The Paws of Refreshment" would could easily be found at Powells or Amazon.com.

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