The rapid advance of brewing activity in the post-Prohibition era was slowed somewhat by the outbreak of World War II, and the prolonged American participation in the conflict. In retrospect it was hard for brewers—national or local—to bemoan the industrial slowdown, for the consequences of the war could have been much worse. Prohibition advocates, virtually invisible since repeal, saw the approach of war as a second chance, and prepared their arguments in favor of revised prohibition legislation. Wartime conservation requirements also threatened brewery stockpiles of raw materials and equipment needs. Brewers across the nation quickly recognized the threat to their welfare, and with legislators worked tirelessly and quickly to forestall a second ruination of the American brewing industry. Key to brewer successes was a pronounced show of patriotism to the American war effort, a guarantee of economic support by brewers of a wartime economy, and an awareness—seconded by American soldiers involved in the war effort—that beer remained a vital product both to military and civilian morale.

The Cincinnati brewing industry faced the same obstacles as other industries, and other brewers in other markets, with the onset of World War II. The need to conserve raw materials and vital war supplies was not lost upon local brewers, nor was the need to demonstrate strongly a patriotic attitude toward American interests in a time of world armed conflict. In the process Cincinnati brewers were able to head off nativist and prohibitionist sentiments like those which raged during World War I, and quickly revived old images of its role as a community-minded institution. Several measures were taken early in the war years by local brewers, to promote American interests and reflect a shared interest in a victorious outcome. Some local breweries printed and sponsored informational brochures, such as civilian defense manuals, to assist community residents in efforts to defend against a possible attack. The Bruckmann Company was one such area brewer which distributed complimentary booklets, such as a fifteen-page work which explained how to handle air raids, fires, and unexploded bombs; the construction and use of air raid shelters; blackout procedures; insignias and duties of civilian volunteers; and physical fitness and first aid techniques. Other brewers—such as the Bavarian Brewing Company, and its Bavarian Master Beer—utilized special neck labels on bottles which urged consumers to purchase war bonds, and distributed paper promotional materials which sported patriotic slogans, military insignias, and war bond information.

No less important to such brewer participation was the production of bottled and canned beer for military use, particularly for soldiers in war zones. The Hudepohl and Burger concerns proved to be leaders among local brewers selected by the government to supply beer and ale to soldiers as far away as the South Pacific. Burger Brewing Company president W.J. Huster confirmed in September 1943 that the brewery shipped large quantities of beer to Army camps on a regular basis, and maintained plans to send a considerable portion of its total production to military personnel for the duration of the war. Although Burger packaged its beer for military installations primarily in bottled form, the use of cans by some breweries was particularly problematic, as the shiny steel rims, lids, and bottoms made an inviting target through the reflection of sunlight. In response to the need for secrecy, and to provide troops with beer to maintain morale, olive-drab camouflaged cans were distributed which muted the effect of direct light upon the metal. Among local breweries the Hudepohl Brewing Company produced its Hudepohl Pure Lager Beer in dark green crowntainer cans for shipment overseas, and extended brand and brewery name recognition far beyond normal markets. To get its beer to soldiers abroad, Hudepohl was obliged to wrap its cone-top cans in sawdust and strap them securely in cartons for parachute drops over the Pacific islands.

One favored patriotic approach of Cincinnati-area brewers during the World War II era was to place advertisements in local papers, urging complete support of the war effort and thereby connecting the brewery name with American interests. Determined not to repeat the experiences of World War I, Cincinnati brewers proclaimed their unreserved loyalty to the United States and spared little effort to impress upon the public their total willingness to support the war cause. Several breweries placed advertisements urging consumers to buy their beer in quart bottles, rather than the standard twelve-ounce size; by using fewer bottle caps, brewers were able to conserve metal desperately needed for armament production. The Hudepohl Brewing Company became a leader in local brewery wartime advertising efforts through its sponsorship of a series of “Back the Attack” promotions, designed to promote war bond purchases. In each case the stock advertisements, prepared under the supervision of the Treasury Department and the War Advertising Council, featured the Hudepohl name prominently displayed, and statements that affirmed the financial commitment of the brewery to the bond sale drive. Above the company name was a notice that the business “gladly contributed” the cost of the advertisement to increase purchases of war bonds, while a second statement, beneath the beer name, proclaimed that Hudepohl contributed above its quota amount of payroll savings for the purchase of bonds.

Several other area breweries expended similar efforts to demonstrate their loyalty to American interests during the war. The Wiedemann Brewing Company placed its own series of war bond advertisements in local newspapers—on a virtually daily basis—centered around the “Traditionally American” theme. Topics of American history such as the Bill of Rights were presented to show for which fundamental elements of life the United States soldiers fought, and the role of American citizens in the international conflict. Clearly remembering the anti-German hysteria of World War I, one Wiedemann advertisement went to great lengths to dissociate the German element—and, ideally, the brewery—from the heritage of the American nation, and by extension from the fortunes of the brewing industry:

... In the 18th Century a German king upon the throne of England was the dictator of the American colonies. ... He denied them all of these rights. ... The Declaration of Independence proclaimed them as inalienable to the people. ... The Revolutionary War won them for the people. ... The Bill of Rights established them as the foundations of the Constitution. ... The dictators of Germany and their satellites have attacked us by land and by sea and from the air, to rob us of our heritage and reduce us to servitude. ... Our fighting forces are paying a price of American rights with their lives. ... It is up to us to pay with our money ... BUY MORE WAR BONDS.

The Bruckmann Company also sponsored a series of stock advertisements based around the “Back the Attack” theme for war bonds, and “victory year” ads which sought to lift civilian morale in the hope of a quick end to the war. The Red Top Brewing Company also placed “victory year” ads around New Year’s Day 1944 to urge war bond purchase, and the Schoenling Brewing Company, among other endeavors, distributed collections of favorite songs—some with an image of Uncle Sam conducting a choir—among which were patriotic songs such as “America, I Love You,” “Get Together, U.S.A.,” “The Star Spangled Banner,” and “You’re in the Army Now.”

Of the Cincinnati-area breweries which altered business practices to meet wartime conditions, the Wiedemann Brewing Company made a contribution which not only conserved vital energy products, but also brought back fond memories from the pre-Prohibition era. Early in the war, like other industrial concerns, Wiedemann encountered an acute shortage of gasoline and tires for its vehicles, and faced the prospect of delivery shortfalls until the end of wartime rationing. As a partial solution to the problem the brewery revived the age-old tradition of horse-drawn wagon deliveries around town, and instantly relieved some of the shipping restrictions placed upon the brewery by the conduct of war. The trend away from horse-and-wagon beer deliveries had begun in earnest a quarter-century earlier, shortly before Prohibition made the issue of deliveries moot for most brewers. Among Cincinnati brewers the Bruckmann Brewing Company spent $12,834.16 on horses and wagons in 1914, compared with only $559.16 on trucks and tires. Yet just three years later the situation was wholly reversed: for fiscal 1917 Bruckmann expended $12,421.54 on trucks, tires, and mechanical repairs, over three times the $4,017.65 spent for horses and cattle, wagons, wagon repair, and stable expenses.

Given the problematic nature of wartime limitations, Wiedemann executives were quick to point out in contemporary advertisements that neither cost nor an obvious advertising appeal were the main determinants in the decision to bring back horse-and-wagon deliveries, particularly in light of the fact that such service was more expensive than the use of trucks:

This extensive horse-drawn fleet ... supplements our delivery service and enables us to conserve critical war materials and to cooperate with the Office of Defense Transportation. Made up of beautifully matched Belgians ... these teams maintain regular service to the trade that serves you Wiedemann’s Fine Beer. We are also conserving the Quality that has made Wiedemann’s Fine Beer famous through the years. Conserving too, the reputation that has been our most valued possession for four generations.

Wiedemann was well-suited for the task of horse deliveries, as one of the few post-Prohibition breweries which actively maintained its stables, but also recognized the inherent limitations upon the number of horses it could utilize for delivery duty and the range that they could cover. From a pre-Prohibition high of forty horses used for local deliveries, only seventeen were brought back for wartime service; less than two years after the end of the war, only five remained, and their days were numbered. Brewery executives also missed the practical benefits of truck deliveries, most notably the range they covered and the time they saved in the process. During the 1940s Wiedemann horses serviced only downtown routes, and were limited physically to approximately fifteen miles travel per day—understandably so, given the weight of the green and gold Wiedemann beer wagons at 2,500 pounds each, plus a standard full load of 300 cases of beer which weighed up to fifty pounds per case, for a total of some 17,500 pounds per three-horse delivery team. The fiscal and physical concerns about horse-and-wagon deliveries aside, the animals proved remarkably popular among the general public, and brought immense goodwill to the firm during the mid- to late 1940s. In one instance the brewery honored the request of a local woman to outfit each Wiedemann horse with a nameplate for identification, and stories abounded of beer shipments delayed by admiring citizens who stopped the horses to stroke them or give them apples.

The horse-and-wagon delivery system offered Wiedemann many advantages, particularly in terms of public relations, but also caused the brewery occasional problems not encountered with trucks. On December 20, 1945 two delivery horses were startled when a coal truck deposited its load down the shaft of a Cincinnati building. In response the horses stampeded down East Third Street with a loaded—but driverless—beer wagon, eventually to collide with a light pole, two trucks, and a parked car. Numerous broken beer bottles were scattered about area streets before the horses finally stopped in a vacant lot on Second Street. By March 1947 the end was near for the Wiedemann horse-and-wagon delivery teams, with the reduction of wartime restrictions on materials and the increased competitive nature of the brewing industry. During the middle of the month brewery executives set an April 1 target date for the last shipment of Wiedemann by horse to downtown Cincinnati merchants, and began to make other arrangements for the care of the animals. One of the best horse teams was donated to Northern Kentucky Boy Scouts Council 201, along with a delivery wagon, to grace their 300-acre farm in Boone County. Wiedemann officials expressed regret at the decision to part with the horse teams, but acknowledged in virtually the same breath that the intense competition present in the post-Prohibition brewing industry necessitated the use of trucks, as the most cost-effective delivery system available. The nostalgia brought on by horse-and-wagon beer deliveries proved short-lived in the face of economic realities, and the need to cater to a business bottom-line in an industry where the survival of local breweries was far from certain.