Duquesne Brewing Company
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHistoric Pittsburgh beer company whose Duquesne brand was revived for Western Pennsylvania after the original brewery closed in 1972.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Duquesne Brewing Company was a major Pittsburgh brewery and beer brand associated with the city’s South Side Flats neighborhood. The company was formally incorporated on April 4, 1899, although the supplied historical record also describes earlier local brewing activity associated with the Duquesne name. Its original visual identity referenced Fort Duquesne, while the later “Prince of Pilseners” trademark became one of the brand’s most recognizable identifiers. The brewery developed as Pittsburgh’s brewing industry was consolidating and became one of the fifteen breweries brought together under the Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh in 1905. Duquesne survived Prohibition, a period that eliminated most American breweries. When national Prohibition ended in 1933, it was among the relatively small number of American breweries still operating. The company reorganized under its original charter and in 1937 adopted the name Duquesne Brewing Company of Pittsburgh. It subsequently expanded production substantially. A new brewhouse opened at the South Side flagship site in 1950, raising potential capacity to approximately two million barrels and placing Duquesne among the largest breweries in the United States. The complex included brewing, bottling, shipping, warehouse, office, and rail-served facilities, with additional plants in Carnegie and McKees Rocks that were later closed. The brand’s best-known postwar product was Duke beer, promoted with the slogan “Have a Duke!” Duquesne also sold a broad portfolio of lagers, ales, pilseners, bock beer, porter, brown ale, pale ale, draft beer, and other regional labels. The business remained profitable during much of the 1950s, but its position weakened during the 1960s as national beer companies increased competitive pressure and the American brewing sector consolidated. A proposed 1965 acquisition by Pittsburgh Brewing was blocked in antitrust litigation. In 1966, a stock contest transferred control from the long-associated Friday family to investor Raymond Sigesmund. Management changes and declining sales did not reverse the company’s deterioration. Duquesne’s labels were sold to Philadelphia-based C. Schmidt & Sons Brewing Company in late 1972, and the Pittsburgh flagship brewery closed. Schmidt continued producing Duquesne beer in Cleveland into the 1980s, but sales declined sharply. The historic South Side brewery complex survived largely through adaptive reuse, and the buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. The site is distinguished by its large clock and includes buildings now used for arts, commercial, residential, logistics, and fitness purposes. The Duquesne beer brand was subsequently revived. In 2008, a new Duquesne Brewing Company initiative sought to re-establish the beer in Western Pennsylvania. Attorney Mark J. Dudash announced plans in 2010 to have the beer brewed by City Brewing Company in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, with regional sales beginning that summer. The revived business later introduced products including Duquesne Pilsener, Duquesne LT, and a Paterno Legacy Series. Paula and Bill Clevenger acquired the company in 2024 and began production in March 2025. The revived operation continues to emphasize the historical Duquesne identity and its Pittsburgh regional heritage, while the original industrial brewery corporation remains a defunct historical entity.
History
Duquesne Brewing Company emerged from Pittsburgh’s dense early brewing economy and was formally incorporated on April 4, 1899. Henry Miller, previously a furniture salesman, served as its first president. The company’s early trademark showed an image associated with Fort Duquesne, although the illustration actually depicted the Fort Pitt Blockhouse with “Fort Duquesne” beneath it. A later “Prince of Pilseners” mark became more closely associated with the brand. The brewery adopted refrigerated railcars to distribute its beer during the early twentieth century. Through a connection involving Chicago stockyard operator Max Epstein and Armour and Company, Duquesne obtained branded refrigerated cars for distribution. The company purchased twenty cars, turning a practical distribution innovation into a large-scale advertising presence. Pittsburgh brewing was already consolidating before Prohibition, and in 1905 Duquesne joined fourteen other breweries under the Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh. The Eighteenth Amendment transformed the American brewing industry. Beginning in 1920, Prohibition forced most breweries, distilleries, and taverns to close. Duquesne was among the minority of breweries that survived until repeal in April 1933. In 1937, it reorganized under its original charter and became the Duquesne Brewing Company of Pittsburgh. The company subsequently grew into Pennsylvania’s largest brewing company by reported annual output, reaching approximately 325,000 barrels during the prewar or immediate post-repeal period described in the historical record. Postwar expansion was especially important. A new building at the South Side plant opened in 1950 and increased potential production capacity to about two million barrels, placing the brewery among the ten largest in the United States. The flagship site was supported by rail sidings along the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Whitehall Branch, and the curved design of the 1950 building accommodated the railway alignment. Duquesne also operated plants in Carnegie and McKees Rocks, but those facilities closed after the South Side expansion: the McKees Rocks plant closed in 1950 and the Carnegie plant in 1952. The company marketed a broad range of beers, but Duke was its best-known postwar label. The advertising line “Have a Duke!” helped give the product a concise and memorable regional identity. In January 1963, Duquesne expanded into Cleveland by acquiring the rights to P.O.C. Beer from Pilsener Brewing Company after that company closed its plant. Despite strong performance in the 1950s, Duquesne’s finances and competitive position weakened during the 1960s. Reported profit had fallen to $211,586 by 1962, and the trend continued downward. Pittsburgh Brewing proposed acquiring the company in 1965, but the transaction became subject to antitrust proceedings and was enjoined in United States v. Pittsburgh Brewing Co. and Milton G. Hulme. In 1966, a stock contest ended the Friday family’s long-standing control. Investor Raymond Sigesmund assumed control and installed his son-in-law, Franklyn D. Jeans, as manager. Jeans also changed the advertising arrangement, replacing the agency Admark after dismissing Lando, Inc., which had taken over the account from Vic Maitland in 1965. The changes did not restore the business. Duquesne Beer sales had fallen to a reported $13 million by 1971. In late 1972, the company sold its labels to C. Schmidt & Sons Brewing Company of Philadelphia and closed its South Side flagship plant. Schmidt continued brewing Duquesne in Cleveland into the 1980s, but sales deteriorated. A campaign by Allegheny County commissioner Thomas Foerster urging consumers to boycott out-of-town beers further damaged the product’s regional position. Near the end of production, the packaging was altered to resemble Schmidt’s packaging. The former brewery complex remained a substantial part of Pittsburgh’s industrial landscape. Seven surviving buildings—including the old and new brewhouses, bottling houses, shipping building, office, and warehouse—were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. The complex’s large clock remains a prominent South Side landmark. The buildings have since been adapted for artistic, commercial, residential, logistics, and fitness uses, including the Brew House Association in the 1899 brewhouse. The brand itself was revived in the late 2000s. A new Duquesne Brewing Company initiative was established in 2008, and Mark J. Dudash publicly announced a production and distribution plan in 2010. City Brewing Company in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, produced the revived beer, which returned to Western Pennsylvania during the summer of 2010. The revival later included a 2015 Paterno Legacy Series and continued production of Duquesne Pilsener and Duquesne LT. Paula and Bill Clevenger acquired the company in 2024 and began production in March 2025. Thus, the historical brewery corporation is defunct, while the Duquesne name continues as an active revived regional beer brand.
- 2025
Production resumed under new ownership
[1]The Clevengers began production in March 2025, continuing the revived Duquesne portfolio.
- 2024
Clevenger ownership
[1]Paula and Bill Clevenger acquired the revived company.
- 2015
Brewery complex listed on National Register
[1]The surviving South Side brewery buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 2010
Revived beer returned to Western Pennsylvania
[3]Production at City Brewing Company in Latrobe supported the return of Duquesne beer to regional markets.
- 2008
Brand revival initiated
[1]A new Duquesne Brewing Company initiative was formed to restore the beer brand in Western Pennsylvania.
- 1972
Original brewery closed
[1]The company sold its labels to C. Schmidt & Sons Brewing Company and closed the Pittsburgh flagship plant.
- 1963
Entered the Cleveland market
[1]Duquesne acquired the rights to P.O.C. Beer from Pilsener Brewing Company after that company closed its plant.
- 1950
South Side expansion
[1]A new brewhouse opened at the South Side flagship site, raising potential capacity to approximately two million barrels.
- 1937
Reorganized as Duquesne Brewing Company of Pittsburgh
[1]The company reorganized under its original charter and adopted the Duquesne Brewing Company of Pittsburgh name.
- 1933
Post-Prohibition survival
[1]Duquesne was among the limited number of American breweries still operating when Prohibition was repealed.
Products and positioning
A Pittsburgh heritage beer brand historically positioned as a mass-market regional brewery and later revived as a locally rooted Western Pennsylvania beer.
Pilsener beer
Duquesne Pilsener
The revived brand’s principal flagship beer and a continuation of Duquesne’s historical pilsener positioning. It represents the brewery’s effort to reconnect contemporary regional production with the original Pittsburgh beer identity.
Lager beer
Duquesne Beer
The core historical Duquesne label, associated with the company’s mass-market regional presence and later produced under license by C. Schmidt & Sons after the Pittsburgh brewery closed. The name was central to the brand’s post-2008 revival.
Ale
Duke Ale
A prominent historical Duquesne product marketed under the Duke name. Its advertising slogan, “Have a Duke!”, made it one of the brewery’s most recognizable postwar offerings.
Lager beer
Silver Top Lager
One of the historical labels in Duquesne’s broad portfolio of regional beers. It illustrates the company’s former strategy of serving multiple segments and styles rather than relying on a single product.
Light beer
Duquesne LT
A light beer in the revived company’s current range. Alongside Duquesne Pilsener, it is identified as one of the products being brewed after the 2024 ownership change and 2025 production restart.
Commemorative beer series · 2015
Paterno Legacy Series
A 2015 commemorative series honoring former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. The limited packaging was reported to have sold quickly, making it one of the revived brand’s notable promotional releases.
Porter
Duquesne Porter
A historical dark-beer offering included in the original brewery’s product portfolio.
Brown ale
Old Nut Brown Ale
A historical brown ale produced under the Duquesne name as part of its varied beer lineup.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Paterno Legacy Series
Pennsylvania
The revived company used commemorative cans honoring Joe Paterno to connect the brand with Pennsylvania sports culture and regional nostalgia.
Outcome. The company reported that the commemorative cans sold quickly.
- Have a Duke!
Pittsburgh · Pennsylvania
The slogan promoted the Duke beer line and became one of Duquesne’s best-known postwar advertising expressions.
Outcome. It helped establish Duke as the brewery’s most recognizable postwar brand, although it did not prevent later decline caused by national competition.
Brand decisions
2025
Resumed production under Clevenger ownershipProduct launchBackground
Paula and Bill Clevenger acquired the revived company in 2024.
Action taken
Production restarted in March 2025, with Duquesne Pilsener and Duquesne LT identified among the active offerings.
Aftermath
The brand continued as a revived regional beer business rather than as the original Pittsburgh brewery corporation.
2008
Established a brand revivalStrategyBackground
The historic Duquesne name retained recognition in Western Pennsylvania despite the original company’s dissolution.
Action taken
A new Duquesne Brewing Company initiative was formed to restore the beer brand.
Aftermath
The revived beer returned to regional distribution in 2010.
1972
Sold labels and closed Pittsburgh breweryOtherBackground
Sales had weakened substantially because of competition from national beer brands.
Action taken
Duquesne sold its labels to C. Schmidt & Sons Brewing Company and closed its flagship plant.
Aftermath
Schmidt continued brewing Duquesne in Cleveland into the 1980s, but the brand’s sales later fell sharply.
- C. Schmidt & Sons Brewing Company — It acquired the Duquesne labels and continued producing the beer after the Pittsburgh closure.
1965
Proposed acquisition by Pittsburgh BrewingM&ABackground
Duquesne faced declining profitability and increasing competition as the brewing industry consolidated.
Action taken
Pittsburgh Brewing proposed acquiring Duquesne, but the transaction was challenged under antitrust law and enjoined.
Aftermath
Duquesne remained independent and continued to deteriorate before its labels were sold in 1972.
- Pittsburgh Brewing Company — It pursued the proposed acquisition, which was blocked by antitrust proceedings.
1963
Acquired rights to P.O.C. BeerStrategyBackground
Pilsener Brewing Company had closed its plant, creating an opportunity for Duquesne to expand its Cleveland presence.
Action taken
Duquesne purchased the rights to P.O.C. Beer and entered the Cleveland market.
Aftermath
The expansion broadened Duquesne’s regional reach but did not reverse the company’s later structural decline.
1905
Joined a Pittsburgh brewing combineStrategyBackground
Pittsburgh’s brewing sector was consolidating before Prohibition.
Action taken
Duquesne joined the Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh with fourteen other breweries.
Aftermath
The move placed the brewery within one of the city’s major organized brewing groups.
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