Griesedieck Brothers beer facts for kids
Griesedieck Brothers Beer is a famous beer brand from St. Louis. It has a long history and was brought back after being gone for many years. The Griesedieck family used to own three breweries in the St. Louis area. These included Griesedieck Brothers Brewery, Griesedieck Western Brewery Co., and the Falstaff Brewing Corporation.
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A Family's Brewing Story
The Griesedieck family has been brewing beer since 1766 in Germany. Anton Griesedieck, an immigrant from Germany, brought this tradition to St. Louis around 1866. He owned several breweries and worked with his four sons and a nephew.
In 1891, his four sons started the National Brewery Co. This company later joined the Independent Breweries Company in 1907. One son, Henry Jr., managed IBC for four years. Then, he left to help his five sons start the Griesedieck Brothers Brewery Co. in 1911.
Brewing During Prohibition
During a time called Prohibition, it was illegal to make or sell alcohol in the United States. So, Griesedieck Brothers made non-alcoholic beer and soft drinks. However, they had to close their doors by 1920. For the next 13 years, the Griesedieck Brothers waited patiently. They hoped they could brew their popular beer again soon.
After Prohibition Ended
When Prohibition ended, the Griesedieck Brothers company started brewing again. The family members split, with some running Griesedieck Brothers and others running Falstaff.
Starting in 1947, Griesedieck Brothers sponsored the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team's radio broadcasts. A famous announcer named Harry Caray was on the radio for them. This sponsorship continued until 1953. That year, the Anheuser-Busch brewery bought the Cardinals team.
Changes in the Beer Market
After Anheuser-Busch bought the team, they changed the name of Sportsman's Park to Busch Stadium. They also introduced a new beer called Busch Beer. This new beer was sold at very low prices. This made it hard for Griesedieck Brothers to sell their beer.
In 1955, Edward Griesedieck, the last of the original Griesedieck Brothers, passed away. In 1957, the Griesedieck Brothers company was sold to their cousins at Falstaff. Production of Griesedieck Brothers beer stopped almost immediately. At that time, the Griesedieck brewery was very modern. It could produce over 1,000,000 barrels of beer each year. Falstaff then moved all its beer production to the old Griesedieck plant.
Falstaff made the most beer in 1966, reaching 6,000,000 barrels. After that, their production started to decline. When Falstaff faced high court costs, they had to sell the company. Paul Kalmanovitz bought Falstaff in 1975. He moved the company's main office to California. By 1977, the old Griesedieck plant was closed down. Eventually, the Pabst Brewing Company bought the Falstaff brand. However, they stopped making Falstaff beer in 2005.
Griesedieck Beer Today
A family member named Raymond A. Griesedieck decided to bring the brand back. He is the son of Henry A. Griesedieck, who was the last president of the original Griesedieck Brothers company. Raymond started the new Griesedieck Brothers Brewery Company in 1992.
By 2002, Griesedieck Brothers Beer was back in the St. Louis beer market. Raymond A. Griesedieck owns the special "GB shield" logo and the Griesedieck Bros. names. Since 2002, Griesedieck Brothers Brewery has provided its beer to many local places in the St. Louis area.
The original Griesedieck Beer was a classic American lager. Today, they offer different types of beer. These include Golden Pilsner, which is a German pilsner beer. They also make Unfiltered Bavarian-Style Wheat, which is a German hefeweizen.
