St. Louis - Home of American Brewing

Entrepreneurial Spirit - and good beer - is the foundation for St. Louis’ beer business

Related Pages: St. Louis Beer History; Beer Related Events in St. Louis; Brew Pubs and Pub Crawls; Beer 101 - Styles; Beer Facts & Trivia; How Beer is Made

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. 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. This area was home to a number of breweries over the years, including Eberhard Anheuser’s Bavarian Brewery, which eventually became Anheuser-Busch. In addition to the modern day brewing powerhouse, St. Louis had a hand in more than 40 breweries, including Adam Lemp’s Western Brewery, Falstaff Brewing Corporation, Griesedieck Beverage Company, the Arsenal Brewery, Anthony and Kuhn’s, Excelsior, Green Tree and English breweries.

Location and resources also spurred the growth of brewing in St. Louis. In addition to the large German and Irish population, there was plenty of water, rail connections, limestone caves, and an entrepreneurial spirit provided the foundation for the city’s beer business. Today, the tradition continues as St. Louis is home to a number of microbreweries and brewpubs. Explore the history of St. Louis’ beer barons and find out how some of America’s favorite brands have roots in St. Louis.

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