The Philip Best Brewing Company, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was established by Jacob Best in 1844. In the 1850s, Jacob’s son, Philip Best, took over control of the brewery, and Jacob’s granddaughter, Maria Best, married Captain Frederick Pabst, who formed a partnership with his father-in-law in 1863. By 1872, the Philip Best Brewing Company was the second-largest brewery in the United States, and it continued to thrive, changing its name to Pabst Brewing Company in 1889. The company not only survived Prohibition but also enjoyed success in new markets, specifically Pabst Cheese, which they would later sell to Kraft. Pabst Blue Ribbon is still in production and is the fifth-largest brewery in the United States as of 2025. This yard-long advertisement for Pabst Extract The “Best” Tonic, was a calendar with the promotional material appearing on the back of it; the “Best” in the product name is a reference to the original founders, the Best family. Despite being alcoholic, Pabst Extract was advertised as a health drink with numerous benefits, including improving strength, vigor, and blood health, as well as enhancing beauty, as seen in this piece. Due to Pabst Extract being categorized as a health drink, it was sold in drug stores rather than saloons or taverns. The reason Pabst wanted to sell its product in drug stores was to allow them to reach a new market, women. During this time, women faced many restrictions on entry to saloons and taverns, where one would typically purchase alcoholic beverages, therefore by placing their Pabst Extract in drug stores, the Pabst Brewing Company was able to sell to women and thus grow further.