The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-01
OUR ALE AND BEER INTEREST.
Interesting Facts From Col. Sidney ID.
Maxwell'S forthcoming Report.

Col. Sidney D. Maxwell, Superintendent
of the Chamber of Commerce, is now ell
gagged on his annual report. These re.
ports have attained worldwide reputa.
ton, being regarded as more accurate in
statement and more complete in detail
than those of any other city in the country.
We are enabled to present from the ad-
vance sheets of the forthcoming work
some interesting statistics of our ale and
beer interests:
The production of malt liquors at Gin
cinnati during the past year has not only
been an increase over 1S77-7S. but has been
the largest in the history of the city. The
total quantity manufactured aggregated
55S, 700 barrels, compared with $50, ,51S har-
rels in the preceding year, 475,212 in
1857, 476.22S in 1875-76, 452.177 in
1S74-75, 465,SS6 in 1894, and 467. 100 in
1S72-73. Reduced to gallons, the produc-
ton in 1S7S-79 was 1870, ,979, compared
with 17,O66. O5S in the previous year. The
production in Covington and Newport for
the past year was 47,740 barrels, in COM
parison with 44.470 in 1S77e7S, 38, 204 in
iS7G-77, and 40, 5S6 in 1876. The aggre-
gate production of the three cities in the
year was COG, 449 barrels, or IS, $780, ,919 gal
Ions, in comparison with 594, 9SS barrels or
Is, 4ll, 26l gallons in 1977-7S.
While the production has increased, the
shipments from the CITY, according to the
reduction, having been, exclusive of bottled
hnr in wit
lS4, ,634 in 1S77-7S, a falling off of 22041
barrels. This is traceabe to a number of
causes the complete interruption to bus
mess South from the yellow fever in the
early part of the year being prominent
among them. More favorable rates from
the eastern seaboard by which they could
ship more advantageously than ever to
Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina, also
operated unfavorably to shipments. after
the dangers from yellow fever had subsidized.
This leads the brewers to look with deeper
interest than e> er before, to the early COM
pletion of the Cincinnati Southern Railway,
which they hope will bring them more di-
rect and speedy transportation, and rates
that will enable them to compete success
fully in the South with producers from
every locality.
In the manufacture of malt liquors in
the three cities during the year, there were
consumed 1.426, SAL bushels of malt and
l,145,S26 pounds of hops, besides coal
amounting approximately to $500, 900
bushels and coke 100000 bushels. The
consumption of ice is estimated at $4,000
tons.
The business of the year, though not per-
fectly free from some attrition in prices,
has been mainly satisfactory to brewers.
Grain and hops were both low. Ice, until
the approach of the holidays, ruled very
high, some costing SIS per ton in quanti-
ties but the rigorous winter which followed
effectually put an end to extraordinary
prices, so that during the remainder of the
year it was furnished brewers at $2@3 so
per ton, the inside rates for the earlier part
of the calendar year. Another brewery
has been added to the layer beer list. There
has not been wanting at times consider
able competition, and while this did not
result in the fluctuations of the previous
year, it prevented uniformity in price. The
larger quantity of the beer found market
at S. 90 per barrel, though much was sold,
either directly or indirectly, at 81 90.
No one who watches the reports from
wear to year can fail to be impressed with
the progress which this great department
of our industry is steadily making. Not
only is its name more favorably known
each year in other localities, but the figures
show marked growth in home consump-
ton. Deducting the shipments from the
quantity produced, there remained for
local consumption in the three cities dur
ing the year just closed 443,S56 barrels,
showing an increase over 1S77-7S of 33 502
barrels and over 1867 of 1850 barrels.
1t would appear from this that. without
taking into account 6,956 barrels which
came into the city from other localities,
there remained in Cincinnati, CovingtOn
and Newport in the past year. mainly for
home consumption, Is, 759, ,536 gallons, or
the equivalent of III, 7,542 400 glasses of the
usual size
Relative prices for ale, beer and porter, at
the close OF August, for five years:
Articles. 1879 1878 1877 1876 1873
Ale, per brl.$7@9 S7@9 SS@1O S9@11 $9@11
PoFter' Peft, %Ss'' seo aSas ss@lO g se11 Ss11
The monthly sales of beer stamps in
Hamilton County (Cincinnati) and Coving-
ton and Newport, during period of three
years, appear in the following table. The
tax on each barrel being 81 less IN per
cent, these figures will show about the rel
ative monthly and annual production:
CINCINNATI.