The Fort Pitt Brewing Company was founded in 1906 in Sharpsburg, PA, approximately 15 minutes from Pittsburgh. The company remained in production through Prohibition by producing non-alcoholic beers; however, in 1957, the company closed due to financial difficulties, selling the Fort Pitt label to Gunther Brewing Company. Fort Pitt Brewing Company faced financial difficulties regularly following Prohibition, often struggling to compete with other popular regional breweries, such as Duquesne Brewing Company and Pittsburgh Brewing Company. However, in the late 1930s, the company experienced great success following the direction of a new President, Michael Berardino, and an ambitious reconstruction plan that included the reformulation of Fort Pitt beer and upgrading its factory. Fort Pitt Brewing Company became so successful that in 1941 it purchased the Victor Brewing Company in Jeanette, PA, and opened a second factory. Fort Pitt produced seventeen different types of beers following Prohibition, including Fort Pitt Special Beer, which ran from 1933 to 1947. This metal outdoor sign was likely produced in the early 1940s and was displayed on businesses that sold Fort Pitt beer, including liquor stores, general stores, and taverns.