Fitz’s cold beer billboard was loaded Tuesday at his new home at Mount Pearl’s Landwash Brewery. (Mike Moore / CBC)
A Mount Pearl brewery is now the proud owner of a landmark sign that hung on the window of a St. John’s store for most of its 40 years.
Fitz’s cold beer poster and Fitz himself drew a lot of attention in the last few days after the poster hit the auction block at the Bartlett auction house.
Chris Conway, partner and CEO of Landwash Brewery, said Tuesday he saw the auction from the start.
“I retweeted it very early on when it only cost $ 1,000 and commented that it won’t stay on the number for long,” Conway said.
“Last night I was talking to some of our business partners and we decided, as a brewery team, to take it on.”
When the auction ended, Landwash Brewery came out with a great piece, of stature and nostalgia, from the history of NL beer, for $ 4,300.
The money will be used to treat cancer in Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Center of St. John’s, something former owner John Fitzpatrick’s family said was part of his plan after they closed the Topsail Road business after Fitzpatrick’s death from cancer in May. 2021.
As someone who is interested in the history of beer in Newfoundland and Labrador and his memories, Conway said, he has always loved the Fitz poster.
Chris Conway, partner and general manager of Landwash Brewery in Mount Pearl, says Fitz’s cold beer poster is something he’s always liked. (Mike Moore / CBC)
“It’s a pretty iconic sign,” he said. “When we saw it go up for auction we thought the brewery would be the perfect place to host it in the future.”
A cold beer and a museum piece
Landwash wants to keep the sign on display, Conway said, and plans to hang it inside the brewery.
“As soon as we put it in the building, we’ll assemble it, turn it on, make sure everyone can see it,” Conway said.
“We’re going to put a little plate down there to celebrate a little bit of its history. So it’s going to be a bit like a museum piece when you walk into the brewery.”
Fitz’s Cold Beer was a staple food on Topsail Road in St. Louis. John’s for over 40 years. (Fitz’s Cold Beer / Facebook)
And paying homage to Fitzpatrick doesn’t end there.
Conway said there are plans for something special in the fall.
“Hopefully, maybe in the fall, we’ll make a beer inspired by Fitz’s Cold Beer and maybe use some of the classic signs on the label,” he said.
“We would love to do that. That was one of the big points of interest.”
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