Abner-Drury
Company Names, addresses, dates1:
  John Albert, 25th between F & G Streets NW (c1870-1895) 2
  Albert Brewing Co, F corner 25th Street NW (1895-1897)
  Abner & Drury, 25th nr F NW (1898-1901)
  Abner-Drury Brewing Co, 25th, F and G streets NW (1901-1917)
  Abner Drury Co, 25th, F and G streets NW (1921-1923)
  Abner-Drury Brewery Inc, 25th and G St NW (1934-1936)
Notes:
Edward F. Abner (1864-1910)3
Edward F. Abner was born June 26, 1864 in Calogne, Germany.
Abner came to American in 1884. Shortly after, he worked at the
National Capitol Brewing Company
as Secretary & Treasurer.
In 1895 he aquired the Albert Brewing Company, on the corner of F and
25th Street NW. Two years later the brewery was greatly enlarged and he created
the Abner & Drury Brewing Company, with Abner serving as president.4
Peter A. Drury (b. July 6, 1864 in Ireland )
Peter A. Drury was the vice-president and treasurer of the Abner-Drury brewing company.
He was listed as a saloon owner as well as a liquor merchant in DC directories from 1889-1893.
During prohibition years, he became a banker.
Abner-Drury Brewery (1898-1936)
Abner-Drury beers included Royal Pilsen (light), Old Glory (dark) and Progressive Brew
(low alchohol)5.
I have an advertizement for Abner-Drury beer that indicates it was bottled by the
Northwestern Bottling Company.
In 1920, the brewery reorganized and changed it's name from the
"Abner-Drury Brewery Company" to the "Abner Drury Company", and used its plant on
25th Street to make popular non-alchoholic beverages. Trustees were Peter A. Drury,
Paol Eschner, and Joseph A. Rafferty.6
My directory searches show that the Abner-Drury company stayed around until
1936. In 1937 and 1938, "The Washington Brewery" was listed at the same
address of 2524 G Street NW. John Easby Smith was listed as the president,
with John Reilly and John Dibb as the vice presidents (a lot of Johns, but
no Abners or Drurys), so presumably the brewery had been sold.
In 1938, the brewery building was sold to Charles Jacobsen, president of the
Arlington Bottling Company7.
An unsubstantiated story I read from an eBay seller of an Abner-Drury bottle said this: | The Abner-Drury Brewery, from 1910 till 1919 was considered the "Prince of Ales" in the "Foggy Bottom" district of Washington D.C.. Then it was closed for prohibition. When prohibition was lifted in 1933 "Abner - Drury", in it's rush to become the first to sell beer in D.C. opened its doors shortly after midnight on the first day of repeal. In doing so they sold their beer too green so it made half the town sick, therefore getting the reputation of selling bad beer. The old brewery closed it's doors forever 2 months afterward. |
book # 2 This is a 9.5" amber blob top with ceramic stopper, embossed: front: ABNER & DRURY / BREWERS / WASHINGTON D.C. / PURE MALT AND HOPS / TRADE MARK / REGISTERED / MOHL LINK & CO / AGENTS / BALTO. MD / THIS BOTTLE IS REGISTERED / NOT TO BE SOLD |
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This is a top view of the above bottle's ceramic stopper. It says: around outside: MOHL Link & Co / BALTO BRANCH in the center: TRADE MARK (large "A & D") |
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book # 4 These are 9.75" crown tops. Left is aqua and right is amber. They're both embossed: trade mark: PURE MALT AND HOPS in ribbon around A&D monogram below trade mark: WASHINGTON, D.C. / REGISTERED / ABNER & DRURY / BREWERS rear heel of amber bottle only: V.G.CO |
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book # 6 These are 9.75" crown tops. Left is aqua and right is amber. They're both embossed: These three aqua machine made crown tops are similar except for their sizes. Left bottle is 9.4" embossed CAPACITY 16 OZS FL , center bottle is 9" embossed CAPACITY 10 OZS FL , right bottle is 8" embossed CAPACITY 5 1/2 OZS FL . The markings are otherwise identical: front (vertical): ABNER-DRURY back (vertical): WASHINGTON base: TRADE MARK / AD / REG US PAT OFF |
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book # 9 These are 9.5" honey-amber machine-made crown tops, embossed: shoulder: ABNER DRURY (in oval) base: WASHINGTON / DC |
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book # 9b This bottle is embossed the same as the bottles above, but it has a label: label on neck: CHOICEST MALT / Old / Glory / SELECTED HOPS Main label: ABNER DRURY / (Logo with PURE MALT AND HOPS A D TRADE MARK) / WASHINGTON, D.C. / Old / Glory Main label around edges: ABNER DRURY BREWERY INC CONTENTS 12 FLUID OZ / DOES NOT CONTAIN MORE THAN 4 PERCENTUM ALCOHOL BY VOLUME - PERMIT NO U 403 |
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book # UNLISTED (future 9c) This bottle is embossed the same as the bottles above, but it has a different label: Main label: ABNER DRURY / (AD logo) / ROYAL / PILSEN / BEER / ABNER DRURY BREWERY INC. / WASHINGTON, D.C. The label is very feint, so a close-up view is included. |
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book # 10 This is a 9.5" amber machine-made crown top, embossed: front: ABNER-DRURY COMPANY / WASHINGTON, D.C. / REGISTERED back: CONTENTS 12 1/2 FL. OZ. |
book # 11 This is a 9.5" dark-amber lady-leg machine-made crown top bottle embossed: front shoulder: ABNER-DRURY BREWING CO / (AD logo) / WASHINGTON, D.C. front heel: REGISTERED NOT TO BE SOLD |
book # 12 This is a 9.5" amber machine-made crown top, embossed: oval slug plate: ABNER-DRURY BREWING Co / WASHINGTON / D.C. below slug plate: REGISTERED / THIS BOTTLE / IS NEVER SOLD base: 19 |
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book # 13 This is an 8.2" aqua machine-made crown top bottle embossed: front shoulder: A.D.C. front heel: ABNER-DRURY CO / WASHINGTON, D.C. rear shoulder: CONTENTS 7 FL. OZ. rear heel: THIS BOTTLE NEVER SOLD / 2IN 1 |
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book # 14 This is an un-embossed amber machine-made bottle with a red, white & blue label. The label says: label: center: CONGRESS / LAGER BEER (picture of the US Capitol building with "ABNER DRURY" below it) label: around edges: ABNER DRURY BREWERY, INC. WASHINGTON, D.C. / DOES NOT CONTAIN MORE THAN 5 PERCENTUM ALCOHOL BY VOLUME / PERMIT NO U403 CONTENTS 12 FLUID OZ. / TAX PAID AT THE RATE PRESCRIBED BY INTERNAL REVENUE LAW |
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book # 14+ This is similar to the bottle above in that it's for Congress beer, but it doesn't say "lager". It's an un-embossed amber machine-made bottle with a blue & gold label that says: label on neck: CONGRESS / 3.2 / BEER main label - center: CONGRESS / (picture of the US Capitol dome) / BEER main label - edges: CONTENTS 12 FL.OZS. / INTERNAL REVENUE TAX PAID PERMIT No. U-403 / ABNER DRURY BREWERY, INC. / WASHINGTON, D.C. |
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book # 15 This is an un-embossed clear machine-made bottle with a label. The label is marked: label on neck: Friar CREAM ALE main label: center: Friar / CREAM ALE / ABNER DRURY BREWERY INC. WASHINGTON main label: left: CONTENTS 12 FL OZS INTERNAL REVENUE TAX PAID PERMIT NO U-403 main label: right: A RICH ALE OF HIGH QUALITY AND FLAVOR |