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Donna Andrews or Rebecca Rodgers
St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission
(314) 421-1023 or pr@explorestlouis.com

Your readers should call 1-800-916-0040 (USA and Canada) or 1-314-421-1023 for a free copy of the Official St. Louis Visitors Guide or point, click and explore St. Louis online at www.explorestlouis.com

It almost seems that St. Louis was pre-destined to become a major beer brewing locale. In the 1800s, a lot of things just seemed to fall into place that would help make St. Louis the epicenter of American beers.

As large numbers of immigrants from Germany and Bohemia found their way to St. Louis beginning around 1830, a substantial portion of these newly-minted Americans settled in Soulard, the city's oldest neighborhood. This area was home to a number of breweries over the years, and it eventually became the home of the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch. The immigrants' principal skills lay in making bricks and beer, so a number of breweries began to open in the city. And it helps explain the number of red brick buildings throughout the area. In addition to Eberhard Anheuser's Bavarian Brewery and Adam Lemp's Western Brewery, others like the Arsenal Brewery, Anthony and Kuhn's, Excelsior, Green Tree and English breweries established themselves in St. Louis.

Location and resources also spurred the growth of brewing in St. Louis. A large German population, plenty of water, rail connections, limestone caves, and entrepreneurial spirit provided the foundation for the city's beer business. By 1850, 43 percent of all St. Louisans were born in either Ireland or Germany - what a great foundation of customers for local beer-makers - and brewers began using caves in the Benton Park neighborhood for beer storage. The caves' cool, constant subterranean temperatures provided the best circumstances for brewing and storing.

America's First Lager Beer Brewers

John Adam Lemp arrived in St. Louis from Eschwege, Germany in 1838, and sought his fortune as a grocer. What set him apart from other grocers was his ability to supply an item that wasn't sold by any of his competitors - lager beer. Lemp learned the art of brewing under the tutelage of his father in Germany and the natural cave system under the city provided the perfect temperature for aging beer. Lemp soon realized that the future of lager beer in America was a force to be reckoned with, so in 1840 he gave up the grocery business and built a modest brewery on South Second Street. A St. Louis industry was born, as the brewery enjoyed tremendous success and John Adam Lemp died a millionaire.

William J. Lemp succeeded his father as the head of the brewery and soon built it into an industrial giant. When the Civil War started in 1861, Lemp had about 40 local competitors, but only 19 remained by the end of the century. He erected a new plant in 1864, as the size of the brewery grew with the demand for its product. By 1870, it was the largest brewery in St. Louis and controlled the lion's share of the St. Louis market, a position it held until Prohibition. In 1892 the brewery was incorporated as the William J. Lemp Brewing Co. In 1897 two of the brewing industries were brought together by the marriage of William Lemp's daughter, Hilda, to Gustav Pabst of the noted Milwaukee brewing family.

The first Falstaff brand beer appeared in mid-1899, and Lemp Brewing registered the Falstaff trademark and logo four years later. Named for the Shakespearean character of Sir John Falstaff, the beer name was a tribute to the character's philosophy to "eat, drink and be merry." However, all was not well within the Lemp beer dynasty. The first fracture occurred when Frederick Lemp, William's favorite son and the heir apparent to the brewery presidency, died under mysterious circumstances in 1901. Three years later, William J. Lemp shot himself in the head in a bedroom at the family mansion, apparently still grieving the loss of his son. William J. Lemp, Jr. then took over as company president.

The brewery's fortunes continued to decline until 1919 when Prohibition forced the plant to close permanently. Continuing what seemed to be a family tradition, Elsa Lemp, considered the wealthiest heiress in St. Louis, committed suicide in 1920. In June of 1922, the Lemp brewery, once valued at $7 million, was sold at auction to International Shoe Company for less than $600,000. Although most of the company's assets were liquidated, the Lemps were able to keep the family home. After presiding over the sale of the brewery, William Lemp, Jr. shot himself in the same building where his father had died 18 years earlier. William's brother, Charles continued to reside at the house after his brother's suicide but led a reclusive existence. He also died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his body was discovered by his brother, Edwin. In 1970, Edwin Lemp died of natural causes at the age of ninety. Today, the family's home has been turned into a restaurant and bed and breakfast called Lemp Mansion Restaurant & Inn (3322 DeMenil Place; 314-664-8024, www.lempmansion.com) and is available for tours.

In 1917, the Griesedieck family purchased Forest Park Brewing's property and formed the Griesedieck Beverage Company. In 1918, the Lemp Brewery ceased production and closed, and Griesedieck went into receivership two years later. Joe Griesedieck eventually obtained the Falstaff trademark from the Lemp family and bought the Griesedieck Company back, renaming it the Falstaff Corporation. The company made it through Prohibition with a variety of side businesses as well as brewing "near beer" brands, or non-alcoholic brews. When Prohibition ended in 1933, the company became Falstaff Brewing Corporation and was granted the very first federal permit to resume brewing beer. The Griesedieck and Falstaff breweries merged in 1957, and in 1985, Falstaff acquired Pabst Brewing. However, the brand's sales continued to drop throughout the 1990s, so in 2005, Pabst announced that it would no longer produce the Falstaff brand.

Still going strong is St. Louis' own, Anheuser-Busch. In 1860, Eberhard Anheuser acquired the Bavarian Brewery from the original owner, George Schneider, and renamed it E. Anheuser & Company. The next year, Adolphus Busch married Anheuser's daughter Lily, and began working at his father-in-law's brewery in 1864. The company, which grew quickly and began dominating the local beer market, changed its name to Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association in 1879. After Anheuser's death in 1880, Busch became president of the company. In 1913, Adolphus Busch died and the company was turned over to his son, August A. Busch, Sr. Busch led the brewery through Prohibition, as the company began producing everything from ice cream and ginger ale syrup to non-alcohol Budweiser and refrigerated cabinets. Busch pioneered refrigerated railroad cars that extended the shelf-life of un-pasteurized lager so it could be shipped farther. Anheuser-Busch capitalized on this newfound technology to nurture a national market for its products. It was the first step in making Budweiser, introduced in 1876, the most popular beer in America.

August A. Busch, Jr. took over the reins of the company when his father died in 1946, and "Gussie," as he was known, diversified the company by adding regional breweries, opening Busch Gardens, and creating the Metal Container Corporation as a subsidiary. Gussie's son August A. Busch III took over the company as president in 1973. Busch III, who is often referred to as "The Third," was at the helm when Bud Light was introduced in 1982 and when A-B broke the billion dollar mark of beer brewed since the company's founding. During this period, A-B expanded its brewing practices around the globe, including purchasing a majority interest of Grupo Modelo in Mexico (in 1993) and the Chinese company, Wuhan Brewing Company (in 1995). Busch III retired in 2002, naming Patrick Stokes as president of the brewery, the first non-family member to oversee the company since its inception. In 2006, August A. Busch IV ("The Fourth") assumed the role of president and the company continues to introduce new beer brands and expand into the distilled spirits category.

Today, visitors to the world's largest brewer can take a free tour of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery (I-55 & Arsenal Street, 314-577-2626, www.budweisertours.com), which includes stops at the Brew House, Budweiser Clydesdales' stables, the lager cellar, packaging plant, and the A-B gift shop. At the end of the tour, guests ages 21 and over can sample a variety of Anheuser-Busch brands, and those under 21 years of age can enjoy complimentary soft drinks and snacks.

What's New

A new crop of local breweries came to light near the end of the 20th century, as the increasing demand for craft beers and microbrews took flight. Just as it was in the 1800s, a number of enterprising beer-lovers began brewing and selling a variety of beers, and a new age of brewing was born.

In 1991, the St. Louis Brewery & Tap Room (2100 Locust Street, 314-241-2337, www.schlafly.com) began operations in a building at the corner of 21st and Locust streets on the western edge of downtown. The first new brewery in more than 50 years started making and selling a line of Schlafly beers named after its founder, Tom Schlafly. What began as a simple brewpub with limited distribution to a few local restaurants has continued to grow and evolve into a popular local beer-maker that now features a second brewery, Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue, 314-241-2337, www.schlafly.com) in nearby Maplewood, and a distribution network that includes more than 1,200 restaurants, bars, grocery and convenience stores across the region.

The award-winning specialty beers at Morgan Street Brewery (721 North Second Street, 314-231-9970, www.morganstreetbrewery.com) are handcrafted on-site to produce their own distinctive colors and flavors. The brewing equipment (specially designed for the building) produces many styles, such as the Honey Wheat and Steam Lager that are available year around. Some beers will be on tap from time to time to compliment the changing St. Louis seasons. MSB features a number of specialty brews, including Honey Wheat, Morgan Street Vienna, a Golden Pilsner, Dark Wheat, Red Lager, Oatmeal Stout, Irish Stout, Cobblestone Steam Lager, and seasonal beers including Maibock, Altbier, Doppelbock, Oktoberfest, Winter Lager, and Krystäl. New Morgan Street Signature Beers pop up throughout the year, and there's a "Brewski Sampler" available that features four different styles.

The O'Fallon Brewery (26 West Industrial Drive, O'Fallon, MO; 636-474-BEER, www.ofallonbrewery.com) is a small manufacturing brewery located in St. Charles County, just northwest of St. Louis. Founded in January 2000, the facility brews approximately 1,850 barrels of beer annually, or about 25,000 cases. The newest kid on the beer block has already established itself as a player in the national beer market, as O'Fallon Unfiltered Wheat took the Bronze Medal in 2005, and O'Fallon Smoked Porter won a Gold Medal in 2004 at the Great American Beer Festival. In addition to brewing three "everyday" beers - O'Fallon Gold, O'Fallon Wheat, and O'Fallon Smoked Porter, the brewer offers O'Fallon 5-Day IPA, available on draught only, and a seasonal beer for each of the four major seasons: O'Fallon Cherry Chocolate for winter, O'Fallon Blackberry Scottish for Spring, O'Fallon Wheach (peach-wheat) for summer, and O'Fallon Pumpkin Beer for the fall. O'Fallon's brews are sold locally through 20 retailers in Missouri and to distributors in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Additional brewpubs in the area include Square One Brewery (1727 Park Avenue, 314-231-ALES, www.squareonebrewery.com), which serves up Light Squared, Pilsner, Bavarian Weizen, Grand Cru, Front Range, Saison, Park Ave. Pale Ale, I.P.A., Anniversary Ale, Single Malt Scotch Ale, Imperial Stout, Barley Wine, Cask Park Ave. Pale Ale, and Belgian Wit on tap. Trailhead Brewing Company (921 South Riverside Drive, St. Charles, MO; 636-946-2739, www.trailheadbrewing.com) offers a variety of pilsners, stouts and ales, all of which are made on-site.

Beer lovers will have a cornucopia of tasting options at the St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival in St. Louis' Forest Park, May 8 - 10, 2008. The three day event will feature live music, exhibits about St. Louis' beer history, and - of course - lots of beer. There will be more than 50 beers available to sample as well as great food from St. Louis restaurants and the chance to chat up a brewmaster or two. Tickets are available via the Schlafly website (www.schlafly.com), and proceeds benefit the Lift for Life Academy, an independent charter school for grades six through eight. For more information about the festival, visit www.StLBrewFest.com.

Another beer-related attraction in Forest Park is a exhibit at the Missouri History Museum. St. Louis' beer brewing history is on display in the Mallinckrodt Gallery. "From Kettle to Keg: Brewing in St. Louis, 1809-1909," explores the region's extensive beer and brewing history that helped define the area as a brewing mecca. The exhibit, which will remain on display through January 4, 2009, features a collection of 150 artifacts that includes beer trays, bottles, steins, advertisements, signage, and historic photos from Anheuser-Busch, as well as many of St. Louis' early breweries. For more information about the free exhibit, contact the Missouri History Museum at (314) 746-4599 or visit their website at www.MOHistory.org.

MEDIA NOTE: For more information or photography of St. Louis, send an e-mail to pr@explorestlouis.com or call Becky Sharp at 1-314-992-0652. For up-to-date information about St. Louis, your readers should call the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission at 1-800-916-0040 or check out our website at www.explorestlouis.com. This news release is also available in electronic form. To obtain an electronic version, e-mail your request to pr@explorestlouis.com or go to St. Louis’ online media center at www.explorestlouis.com/media.