Thomas Kemper
Encyclopedia
Thomas Kemper is a brewer
of root beer
, ginger ale
, and other craft brewed sodas under the Thomas Kemper Soda Co. label. Formerly owned by Pyramid Breweries, Inc.
, it was sold in 2007 to Adventure Funds of Portland, Oregon
, which is running the company under the Kemper Co. name.
Thomas Kemper Brewing of Poulsbo was sold to Hart Brewing (later known as Pyramid) in 1992. (Thomas Kemper had been founded in 1985 on Bainbridge Island, and began making soft drinks in 1990.)
Thomas Kemper Soda was first brewed by Andy Thomas and Will Kemper (now brewing at Bellingham's Chuckanut) as alternative to beer at an Octoberfest celebration on Bainbridge Island, WA in 1990. The first Thomas Kemper Soda was handcrafted Root Beer. Thomas Kemper Sodas are still handcrafted and made with honey (although cane sugar is the primary sweetener), Madagascar vanilla, and other flavors available.
The soda comes in eight flavors: Root Beer
, Vanilla Cream, Orange Cream, Ginger Ale
, Grape
, Black Cherry, Ginger Peach and Oregon Marionberry. Previously, there were Thomas Kemper varieties of Birch Beer
and Cola
as well.
To give the kids and those folks who did not want to drink beer the joy of quality beverages, Thomas Kemper's Hall of Fame Brewmaster created the first batch of hand-crafted Root Beer.
1991: Having done so well at the Thomas Kemper Oktoberfest, the Thomas Kemper Soda Company was formed. With very little advertising or marketing dollars, the young company relies on a "grassroots" campaign to get the word on its sodas out to consumers.
1992: The Thomas Kemper Brewing Company starts to grow, but is in need of the means to do it. Washington's Hart Brewery buys Thomas Kemper and one of the craft beer industry's first mergers takes place. Since the Soda operation had been separated from the parent firm, as a result of a divorce action between firm owners, it was not part of this deal and the folks at Hart will have to wait a few years to re-unite the sibling breweries.
1996: Thomas Kemper Sodas made the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the world's largest root beer float. Using a 4,000-ton carbonating tank and 900 gallons of ice cream, Thomas Kemper made a 2,166.5 gallon root beer float.
1997: Thomas Kemper Sodas are re-united with the Thomas Kemper Beer when Pyramid Breweries Inc. buys Thomas Kemper Sodas. The move provides resources to help the soda company grow.
1997: To kick-off the summer, Thomas Kemper Sodas introduces its Thomas Kemper Orange Cream Soda.
1998: Thomas Kemper introduces its next flavor, Thomas Kemper Black Cherry Soda.
2001: Thomas Kemper launches two new soda fountain classics, Ginger Ale and Grape.
2007: Thomas Kemper is sold by Pyramid.
2011: Thomas Kemper is sold to Big Red, Inc.
Gabe and Tycho's cat is named Thomas Kemper, after the root beer.
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
of root beer
Root beer
Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
, ginger ale
Ginger ale
Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavored with ginger. Dr. Thomas Cantrell, an American apothecary and surgeon, claimed to have invented ginger ale and marketed it with beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company. Grattan embossed the slogan "The Original Makers of Ginger Ale" on its bottles...
, and other craft brewed sodas under the Thomas Kemper Soda Co. label. Formerly owned by Pyramid Breweries, Inc.
Pyramid Breweries, Inc.
Pyramid Breweries, Inc., headquartered in Seattle, Washington, is a brewer of craft beers, ales, and lagers under the Pyramid label. It has operations in Sacramento, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, California, and Portland, Oregon, in addition to Seattle.-History:...
, it was sold in 2007 to Adventure Funds of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, which is running the company under the Kemper Co. name.
Thomas Kemper Brewing of Poulsbo was sold to Hart Brewing (later known as Pyramid) in 1992. (Thomas Kemper had been founded in 1985 on Bainbridge Island, and began making soft drinks in 1990.)
Thomas Kemper Soda was first brewed by Andy Thomas and Will Kemper (now brewing at Bellingham's Chuckanut) as alternative to beer at an Octoberfest celebration on Bainbridge Island, WA in 1990. The first Thomas Kemper Soda was handcrafted Root Beer. Thomas Kemper Sodas are still handcrafted and made with honey (although cane sugar is the primary sweetener), Madagascar vanilla, and other flavors available.
The soda comes in eight flavors: Root Beer
Root beer
Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
, Vanilla Cream, Orange Cream, Ginger Ale
Ginger ale
Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavored with ginger. Dr. Thomas Cantrell, an American apothecary and surgeon, claimed to have invented ginger ale and marketed it with beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company. Grattan embossed the slogan "The Original Makers of Ginger Ale" on its bottles...
, Grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
, Black Cherry, Ginger Peach and Oregon Marionberry. Previously, there were Thomas Kemper varieties of Birch Beer
Birch beer
Birch beer is a carbonated soft drink made from herbal extracts, usually from birch bark. It has a taste similar to root beer. Various types of birch beer are available, distinguished by color. The color depends on the species of birch tree from which the sap is extracted...
and Cola
Cola
Cola is a carbonated beverage that was typically flavored by the kola nut as well as vanilla and other flavorings, however, some colas are now flavored artificially. It became popular worldwide after druggist John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886...
as well.
History
1990: The first batch of Thomas Kemper Soda, Thomas Kemper Root Beer, was created for one of Western Washington's favorite hometown events: Thomas Kemper Oktoberfest. Since 1989, the Thomas Kemper Brewing Company, one of the Northwest's first Microbreweries, held an annual Oktoberfest celebration at their brewery. Starting out as a small event, the Thomas Kemper Oktoberfest soon was adding thousands of extra people to the population of Poulsbo, WA each autumn.To give the kids and those folks who did not want to drink beer the joy of quality beverages, Thomas Kemper's Hall of Fame Brewmaster created the first batch of hand-crafted Root Beer.
1991: Having done so well at the Thomas Kemper Oktoberfest, the Thomas Kemper Soda Company was formed. With very little advertising or marketing dollars, the young company relies on a "grassroots" campaign to get the word on its sodas out to consumers.
1992: The Thomas Kemper Brewing Company starts to grow, but is in need of the means to do it. Washington's Hart Brewery buys Thomas Kemper and one of the craft beer industry's first mergers takes place. Since the Soda operation had been separated from the parent firm, as a result of a divorce action between firm owners, it was not part of this deal and the folks at Hart will have to wait a few years to re-unite the sibling breweries.
1996: Thomas Kemper Sodas made the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the world's largest root beer float. Using a 4,000-ton carbonating tank and 900 gallons of ice cream, Thomas Kemper made a 2,166.5 gallon root beer float.
1997: Thomas Kemper Sodas are re-united with the Thomas Kemper Beer when Pyramid Breweries Inc. buys Thomas Kemper Sodas. The move provides resources to help the soda company grow.
1997: To kick-off the summer, Thomas Kemper Sodas introduces its Thomas Kemper Orange Cream Soda.
1998: Thomas Kemper introduces its next flavor, Thomas Kemper Black Cherry Soda.
2001: Thomas Kemper launches two new soda fountain classics, Ginger Ale and Grape.
2007: Thomas Kemper is sold by Pyramid.
2011: Thomas Kemper is sold to Big Red, Inc.
Big Red (drink)
Big Red is a soft drink that was created by Grover C. Thomsen and R.H. Roark in Waco, Texas and originally known as Sun Tang Red Cream Soda. It is generally considered to be one of many American varieties of cream soda, and is the original "red cream soda"...
Popular culture
In the popular webcomic Penny ArcadePenny Arcade (webcomic)
Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames.com. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have established their own site, which is typically updated with a new comic...
Gabe and Tycho's cat is named Thomas Kemper, after the root beer.