Cook’s 500 Ale 1952 Magnet

The F.W. Cook Brewing Company was founded in 1853 by Frederick Washington Cook and Jacob Rice in what was then a cornfield just outside of downtown Evansville, Indiana. F.W. Cook brewed several beers under their Cook's brand over the years, and in the early '50s, they added their first ale. Naming it Cook’s 500 Ale after the popular race that took place every year a couple of hours north in Indianapolis, the new ale was another hit for F.W. Cook. Sadly, workers went on strike in 1955, at which point the brewery's owners ceased operations. The brewery closed its doors for good in September 1957 after selling all of the beer it had already produced, including the very last batch of Cook’s 500 Ale.