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24/7 Insights
- The country's oldest craft beer brand closed after 127 years.
- The oldest beer brand in America is almost 200 years old.
- American beer brands account for over 50% of the world’s beer.
- Also: 2 Dividend Legends to Hold Forever
As one of the most popular drinks in America, beer is a national pastime. It goes great with parties, sports events, and just about every other adult event you can imagine. There is no question that Americans spend billions on beer every year and have been doing so for as long as history can remember.
The real question isn’t whether Americans buy beer but what brands they buy. Unfortunately, tastes vary, and not every beer brand can survive, as seen with Anchor Beer, once America’s oldest craft beer brand . With this in mind, let’s examine data from Vine Pair , The Drinks Business , and Thrillist to discover the oldest operating breweries in America in descending order.
Why Does This Matter?
Beer is one of the most popular drinks in America.
The beer market is estimated to contribute around $409 billion to the American economy annually. It generates around $111 billion in revenue alone, which is expected to increase to $145 billion by 2027. This means plenty of jobs and good news for beer stocks, two topics that are very relevant to the 24/7 Wall St. audience.
Anchor Craft Beer
Anchor beer is one of the oldest in America.
Anchor Brewing Company was the nation’s oldest craft beer Company. Founded in 1896, it was a California craft beer rush staple. After the company suffered a downturn over several decades, it was purchased in 1965 by the great-grandson of the Maytag corporation. His purchase saved the company from bankruptcy as one of the last remaining breweries to produce steam beer.
Anchor Vanishes, Then Returns
Anchor may have received a lifeline in May 2024.
When Anchor was purchased in 2010 by The Griffin Group, it was yet another lifeline for the oldest craft brewing company in the nation. However, after another change of ownership in 2017, Sapporo Breweries tried to revitalize the brand. Unfortunately, declining revenues forced Sapporo to plan to liquidate the business in 2023. However, when Chobani's CEO announced earlier this May that he wanted to restart the company and purchased the assets, there was some hope that Anchor would survive.
12. Coors Brewing Company
Coors is one of the oldest and most popular beer brands.
- Year founded: 1873
- Most famous beer: Coors Lite
Founded in 1873, Coors Brewing Company has since merged with Molson, Inc. to become one of the largest beer brands in the world. In addition, the original Coors location in Golden, Colorado, is the largest brewing facility on the planet. When German immigrants Adolph Coors and Jacob Schueler came over from what was Prussia at the time, they established a brewery and bought a recipe for Pilsner-style beer. The rest, as they say, is history, as Coors is the third-largest beer producer in the United States.
11. Straub Brewery
Straub Brewery remains one of the oldest family-owned brands in America.
- Year founded: 1872
- Most famous beer: Straub American Lager
One of the oldest breweries still operating in America, Straub Brewery is a place to visit. Originally founded in 1867 by Peter Straub, who came from Germany, Straub is the third-oldest family-owned brewery in the United States. The Straub family still operates and oversees the entire company, having survived the Prohibition even though it was the smallest brewery to do so. Today, Straub is one of the last remaining beer brands to sell 16-ounce glass bottles, better known as “pounders.”
10. Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
Jacob Leinenkugel has finally started to deliver to all 50 states.
- Year founded: 1867
- Most famous beer: Leinenkugel Original Lager
Founded by namesake Jacob Leinenkugel, this beer company was originally only a distribution effort across the Midwest. Originally opened in 1867, the brand has since been delivered to all 50 states and is now a subsidiary of Molson Coors. The brewery is highly regarded for its lagers and ales, as well as the original recipe Leingenkugel brought with him from Germany. The formula was so good that it once accounted for over 90% of the company’s production for many years.
9. Frankenmuth Brewery
Frankenmuth Brewery is one of the best in Michigan.
- Year founded: 1862
- Most famous beer: Frankenmuth Hefeweizen
Both a brewery and a restaurant, Frankenmuth Brewery is one of the oldest in Michigan. Founded in 1862, it has seen some ups and downs. At its high point, under the ownership of Randall Heine, the company sold over 30,000 barrels across 25 separate states in 1996. However, a tornado destroyed much of the brewery the same year, closing the company until 2003. Unfortunately, it closed as quickly as it opened again in 2003 due to financial difficulties. However, the Frankenmuth Brewery was purchased in 2009 and has reopened.
8. August Schell Brewing Company
August Schell is the second oldest private-owned brewery.
- Year founded: 1860
- Most famous beer: Pils
Considered the second-oldest family brewery in America, August Schell Brewing Company was founded in 1860. It’s believed to produce roughly 145,000 beer barrels a year and remains a privately-owned brand originally founded by August Schell after emigrating to the US in 1848. Along with Maifest, Schmaltz's Alt, Pils, and other beers, August Schell continues operating out of the same brewery building it has survived through multiple world wars and Prohibition.
7. Stevens Point Brewery
Stevens Point Brewery is famous for its lagers.
- Year founded: 1857
- Most famous beer: Point Special Lager
Founded in 1857 by Frank Wahle and George Ruder, the company will forever be known for providing beer to the troops fighting in the American Civil War. After the company was sold in 1867, the new Lutz family ran it before it was sold again in 1897. As with many companies on this list, ownership hands have changed a few times, but the brewery remains in private hands. Stevens Point Brewery remains the third-oldest privately owned brewery in the United States.
6. Miller Brewing Company
Miller Lite is one of the best-known beers in the world.
- Year founded: 1855
- Most famous beer: Miller Lite
A rival of Anheuser-Busch, Miller Brewing Company is one of the best-known brands in the beer world. Founded in 1855, the company stuck around the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area for over a century and a half before being acquired by Molson Coors in 2016. Still, brands like Miller Lite, Miller High Life, Miller Genuine Draft, Milwaukee’s Best, Olde English 800, and Miller Chill are just some of the brands the Miller Brewing Company brews annually.
5. Anheuser-Busch
Budweiser may be the most recognizable beer in the world.
- Year founded: 1852
- Most famous beer: Budweiser
A brand that needs very little introduction, this St. Louis, Missouri staple has roughly 45% market share of the entire US brand market. Operating across 12 breweries in the US, Anheuser-Busch breweries include those of Budweiser, Bud Light, Natural Light, Busch, Michelob, and more. After being founded in 1852, some 172 years ago by George Schneider, the company now employs over 19,000 people. The company even operates ten theme parks (Busch Gardens) through its Busch Entertainment Corporation.
4. Minhas Craft Brewery
The Minhas Boxer Lager is famous for its taste.
- Year founded: 1845
- Most famous beer: Boxer Lager
Located in Monroe, Wisconsin, Minhas Craft Brewery is the Midwest’s oldest brewery and the fourth oldest in the US. Currently listed as the 18th largest brewery in the country, Minhas is proud of its survival across the Great Depression, Prohibition, fires, and numerous other challenges. Owned by the Minhas siblings, the company generates approximately $155 million in annual revenue. Some of this revenue is derived from shipping the beer from the US to 16 other countries, including Brazil, China, England, Japan, Mexico, Norway, and Panama.
3. Pabst Brewing Company
Pabst is another one of the most recognizable names in beer.
- Year founded: 1844
- Most famous beer: Pabst Blue Ribbon
Founded by Jacob Best and his sons as the Empire Brewery, Pabst Brewing Company produced over 300 barrels of its “Best Select” lager in its first year. By 1960, Philip Best took over the brewery and renamed it to Philip Best Company. It took only a few short years before Frederick Pabst invested in the company and changed its name. By the 1870s, Philips Brewing Company was the second-largest brewery in the US before changing its name to Pabst Brewing Company in 1890. While ownership has changed hands again over the years, the brewery remains committed to its founder's vision.
2. Schaefer Brewing Company
Schaefer Brewing Company is the second oldest beer brand in the US.
- Year founded: 1842
- Most famous beer: Schaefer Beer
Right behind number one on the oldest beer company list is the F & M Schaefer Brewing Company. Founded in 1842, the company, now owned by Pabst, can claim to be America’s oldest lager. After relocating to Brooklyn early in the 20th century, Schaefar enjoyed success, where it was the fifth best-selling beer in America. Unfortunately, Schaefer found the gap between it and the big brands growing too large until Pabst absorbed it in 1999.
1. Yuengling
- Year founded: 1829
- Most famous beer: Yuengling Lager
Outside of Anchor, if you want to look at the oldest beer in America, it’s from the Yuengling Brewing Company, founded in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in 1829. David G. Yuengling founded the company, which originally went under Eagle Brewing before changing its name. One fun fact about the Yuengling company is that to survive prohibition, the company switched to making ice cream. Thankfully, the company returned to beer after Prohibition ended and has used the same brewery since 1831.
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