On December 1, 1971, it was announced that the William Simon Brewery of Buffalo, New York granted to the Fred Koch Brewery a temporary non-exclusive franchise to brew and market Simon Pure beer and ale. The temporary agreement was voided in June 1972 when the William Simon Brewery filed for bankruptcy. A second temporary agreement was entered in which Koch's brewed and sold Simon Pure and Old Abbey and paid the stockholder of the William Simon Brewery for the privilege of using its trademarks, copyrights and name. This second temporary agreement was formalized in 1974.