Family. Photography. History. Beer?

Oct 21, 2021

My grandfather worked at Heidelberg Brewery in Tacoma at least as far back as the early 50s. The brand, logo, and story were ever-present in my dad's early years, so Heidelberg has a lot of meaning and history for him. Heidelberg finally stopped being produced in Tacoma in 1979, and disappeared completely about a decade later. When it was going away, my dad bought a case and has kept the last one in his fridge all these long years as a reminder of times past.

In 2016 7 Seas, a local brewery, set up shop in the former Heidelberg building. They have their own brand, of course, but also have a lot of Heidelberg memorabilia on display. In fact, I was there one night and found my grandfather in one of the pictures they have on the wall.

A couple years ago I brought my dad to 7 Seas to see the Heidelberg memorabilia and have a cold one. He had one of their beers, but said he would do anything to have a Heidelberg again in his life. Well, fast forward to this week when 7 SEAS RELEASED THE RESURRECTED HEIDELBERG BEER! Not a re-creation, but apparently the original recipe found in the depths of the renovated building. I bought a few 4-packs, and I surprised my dad with them. He was surprised. Speechless. Elated. We opened a couple cans, tapped then together, and each enjoyed a cold one while my dad told me stories about my grandfather, Heidelberg, and days gone by.

7 Seas put the Heidelberg logo on the Artesian well outside the building, which is in homage of Tacoma history, as the old Heidelberg had such a thing that kept watch over Tacoma's brewery district for decades and was a kind of landmark to the locals. As my own way to pay homage, I went a couple days in a row last week to do some photos in the style I enjoy for architecture. These images are more than just a building, clouds, and grass. To me, they're the history of Tacoma, the history of my family. Summed up in black and white images, but encased in a father and son talking about life, over a couple resurrected beers.