Pfeiffer quest

Ever since I wrote a feature for Model D about the history of brewing in Detroit, I have been fascinated by Pfeiffer Brewing Co. Of course, the brewery name is my wife's surname, though there is no known relationship. But more importantly, I was amazed to read in Peter Blum's ``Brewed in Detroit'' that Pfeiffer at one time was nearly as large as Stroh Brewery.

A strike in 1958, shortly after Pfeiffer had borrowed money to expand to meet demand, allowed out-of-state competitors into the market and likely doomed the brewery. The more interesting thing - to me - is that after a series of swallowings by other breweries, the Pfeiffer name appears to be held by SAB Miller. However, it's unclear whether Miller owns the rights to the recipes, or, indeed, if the recipes have been lost altogether. The book mentions an Armada Corp. holding the rights to Pfeiffer's intellectual property. The Michigan Secretary of State has no record of Armada Corp., except for one formed in Armada, Michigan and I am fairly certain this ain't them.

What I really want to know is whether the recipes to some of their beers still exist. If Miller possesses them it is unlikely to release them and allow any sort of competitor to rise from the ashes and steel even the tiniest smidgen of market share in Detroit. That said, I may query them about the use of the name. Maybe it's for sale. By the way, the Pfeiffer Brewery still stands in Detroit in a lovely area north of Mt. Elliot between Gratiot and Mack in Detroit.