Duquesne Brewing Company

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Coaster (obverse and reverse)
Coaster (obverse and reverse)

The Duquesne Brewing Company (1899–1972) was a major brewery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Prohibition, starting in 1920, forced many breweries, distillers, and taverns to close. Duquesne was one of only 725 American breweries left when the movement was repealed in April 1933, the company emerged as the largest brewing company in Pennsylvania at 325,000 barrels. Duquesne's production capacity increased to two million barrels after World War II when a new building opened at the South Side site in 1950, making it one of the top ten breweries in the United States. The company's best known brand was "Duke," and its popular advertising slogan was "Have a Duke!" Per Kern v. Duquesne Brewing Co. of Pittsburgh (152 A.2d 682, 396 Pa. 279, 1959) the company had plants in Carnegie and McKees Rocks in addition to the South Side flagship brewery.

Duquesne Brewing was sold to C.L. Schmidt Brewing Company of Philadelphia, which closed the flagship plant in 1972 due to competition from national brands and labor problems.

The Duquesne Brewery clock, a Pittsburgh landmark, was the largest single face clock in the world when it was installed in 1933. The 60-foot-by-60-foot clock face is nearly twice the size of London's Big Ben.

The Duquesne Brewery buildings, located at Mary Street and 21st Street in the Southside Flats neighborhood, now are home to the Brew House Association, which provides housing, studio space, and a gallery for Pittsburgh artists.