Where To Buy Meister Brau Beer?

Meister Bräu was a popular local brew in Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century. However, when business slowed in the 70s, the Miller Brewing Company bought the struggling brewery and in 2005, the Brau was phased out. Miller Light evolved from Meister Brau Light, so the impact of the beer is still felt. The trademark for Meister Bräu is currently held by Red Sky Brands of Rye, NY, so there is a chance that the brand could be revived in the future.

Meister Bräu was bought by Miller Brewing Company in the 1970s and is no longer made

Meister Bräu was a popular local brew in Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century. However, when business slowed in the 1970s, the Miller Brewing Company bought the struggling brewery and subsequently phased out the Meister Bräu line. The last cans were produced in 2005.

The Miller Brewing Company acquired Meister Bräu from the Peter Hand Brewery, which was founded in 1891 by Prussian immigrant Peter Hand. The brewery was purchased by investors in 1967 and renamed Meister Bräu, Inc. after its flagship beer.

In the late 1960s, Meister Bräu introduced one of the first low-calorie beers, Meister Bräu Lite, which was originally formulated by biochemist Joseph L. Owades and first sold as "Gablinger's Diet Beer" in 1967. After Miller's acquisition of the company, they used the Meister Bräu Lite recipe as the basis for Miller Lite, which became a highly successful product for the company.

While it is no longer possible to buy Meister Bräu, Miller Lite evolved from Meister Bräu Lite, so the impact of the original recipe is still felt today.

The Miller Lite recipe was derived from Meister Bräu Lite

In 1972, Meister Brau went bankrupt and sold several of its existing labels to Miller, including Meister Brau Lite. Miller reformulated and rebranded the beer as Miller Lite, which was introduced nationally in 1975 and became the first successful mainstream light beer in the United States. Miller's youth-oriented, heavy-advertising approach worked, and Miller Lite quickly gained popularity.

Today, Miller Lite is a well-known light American lager beer with a 4.2% ABV, sold by Molson Coors. It is known for its "Tastes Great!...Less Filling!" advertising campaign, which has been ranked as one of the best advertising campaigns in history. The campaign featured retired athletes and celebrities, emphasising the beer's full flavour and lightness.

The Meister Bräu trademark is currently held by Red Sky Brands of Rye, NY

The Meister Bräu trademark was purchased by Red Sky Brands at an auction in 2010, where 150 commercial trademarks and domain names were sold. The auction was conducted by Racebrook Marketing Concepts on behalf of Michael Reich, CEO of Brands USA Holdings. Brands USA is one of many modern companies that trade in intellectual property, buying the rights to dormant brands in the hopes of reviving them in the market or selling them at a profit.

The Meister Bräu name was first used by the Hand Brewing Company, founded in 1891 by Prussian immigrant Peter Hand, on Chicago's North Avenue. The brewery was purchased in 1967 and renamed Meister Bräu, Inc. The company expanded production until it reached one million barrels at the end of the 1960s, with sales of $50 million. In the late 1960s, Meister Bräu introduced one of the first low-calorie beers, Meister Bräu Lite, which was later sold to Miller Brewing Company and became Miller Lite.

Despite its success, Meister Bräu ran into financial trouble and was bought out by Miller Brewing Company in 1972. The original Meister Bräu recipe has since been lost, and the beer is no longer produced. However, Miller Lite, which evolved from Meister Bräu Lite, is still widely available.

The original Meister Bräu brewery was founded in 1891 by Prussian immigrant Peter Hand

The original Meister Bräu brewery, also known as the Peter Hand Brewing Company, was founded in 1891 by Prussian immigrant Peter Hand. Hand was a veteran of the American Civil War who had previously worked for the Conrad Seipp Brewing Company. The brewery was located in Chicago, Illinois, and initially produced German-style beers. Meister Brau soon became the company's flagship product, with Old Chicago beer also becoming a local favourite.

By the time of Peter Hand's death in 1899, the Meister Bräu brand was already enjoying considerable success. The brewery continued to grow and expand, despite being officially closed between 1920 and 1933 due to prohibition. In 1965, an investor group purchased the brewery and renamed the company Meister Bräu Inc. The new management intended to expand the business further and begin national distribution. They invested heavily in marketing, particularly in Chicago, sponsoring local sports teams and a popular radio show. They also distributed various promotional items, including bottle openers, posters, and other ephemera. Their advertising campaign included a large number of billboards, second only to those advertising the re-election campaign of Mayor Richard J. Daley.

Under the new ownership, the company also acquired a light beer recipe, which they reformulated and relaunched as "Meister Bräu Lite". This beer became widely popular, and by the end of the 1960s, the company was producing a million barrels of beer annually, with sales exceeding $50 million. Meister Bräu's place in history was further solidified by its association with Joseph L. Owades, a biochemist who first developed and sold his formulation as "Gablinger's Diet Beer" in New York before bringing it to Meister Bräu.

However, despite its success, Meister Bräu struggled financially due to mismanagement and heavy debt. In 1972, most of its existing brands, including Meister Bräu Lite, were sold to the Miller Brewing Co. of Milwaukee. Meister Bräu Lite was repackaged and relaunched as Miller Lite, while the Meister Bräu brand was positioned as a cheaper competitor to Budweiser. Despite these changes, the company continued to face financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy in 1973. The brewery changed hands once more, with a new group headed by Fred Huber taking over, but ultimately, it closed permanently in 1978.

Meister Bräu was once the most popular beer produced in Chicago

By the end of the 1960s, the company was producing a million barrels of beer each year and sales were in excess of $50 million, putting Meister Bräu among the top 30 beer companies in the United States. The success of Meister Bräu was also due in part to its acquisition and reformulation of an unsuccessful light beer recipe, which it relaunched as "Meister Bräu Lite". This beer became widely popular and helped establish Meister Bräu's place in history.

However, despite its popularity, Meister Bräu Inc. was losing money due to mismanagement and heavy debt. In 1972, most of the company's existing brands, including Meister Bräu, were sold to the Miller Brewing Company, who repackaged Meister Bräu Lite as Miller Lite. Meister Bräu was relaunched as a cheaper competitor to Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser. Despite the infusion of cash and a reversion to the Peter Hand Brewing name, the company filed for bankruptcy in 1973 and was purchased at auction by a new group headed by Fred Huber. Unfortunately, the brewery closed permanently in 1978, marking the end of beer production in Chicago until Sieben's River North opened in 1987.

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