Falstaff Beer: Still Available Or A Lost Legend?

Falstaff Beer was once a popular brew, particularly among the Baby Boomer generation. Named after the Shakespearean character, Sir John Falstaff, the beer was produced by the Falstaff Brewing Corporation, an American brewery located in St. Louis, Missouri. The company's roots can be traced back to 1838, and it was officially renamed after the Shakespearean character in 1903. Falstaff Brewing Corporation became the third-largest brewer in America by the 1960s, but its fortunes began to decline in the 1970s due to consolidation in the beer industry. The company was bought in 1975, and the original plant in St. Louis closed. The brand lingered on until 2005 when production of Falstaff Beer finally ceased. While you may still be able to find Falstaff Beer memorabilia and merchandise, such as t-shirts, bottle openers, and vintage advertisements on sites like Etsy, the beer itself is no longer in production.

Falstaff beer's history

The Falstaff Brewing Corporation was an American brewery located in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded by German immigrant Johann Adam Lemp in 1840 as the Lemp Brewery. It was renamed after the Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff in 1903.

The Lemp family built their beer empire over the caves of St. Louis. The brewery adopted its famous "Blue Ribbon" moniker, which it defended in an 1898 trial when it took the Storz Brewing Company of Omaha to court for tying blue ribbons on its bottles and won. However, the Lemp family was also devastated by personal tragedies.

The Lemp Brewery closed in 1921, and the family sold the Falstaff brand to the Griesedieck Beverage Company. The new owners renamed themselves the Falstaff Corporation and survived Prohibition by selling near beer, soft drinks, and cured hams under the Falstaff name.

After Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the Falstaff Brewing Corporation expanded rapidly, acquiring several breweries across the United States. By the 1960s, Falstaff was the third-largest brewer in America, with several plants nationwide. However, its acquisition of the Narragansett Brewing Company of Rhode Island in 1965 proved disastrous, as the state government pursued an antitrust case against them. Falstaff won the case in the Supreme Court in 1973, but the company never recovered.

Falstaff's fortunes declined throughout the 1970s as consolidation swept the beer industry. The company was bought by the S&P Company in 1975, and the original St. Louis plant was closed. Over the next decade, several other plants were closed as well. The last Falstaff brewery, in Fort Wayne, closed in 1990, and the brand name became a licensed property of Pabst. Pabst discontinued production of Falstaff beer in 2005.

Where to buy Falstaff beer merchandise

Falstaff Beer, produced by the Falstaff Brewing Corporation, went out of production in 2005. However, you can still buy Falstaff beer merchandise from several online retailers. Here are some places where you can purchase Falstaff beer merchandise:

Etsy

Etsy offers a wide range of Falstaff beer merchandise, including:

• T-shirts
• Vintage advertisements
• Bottle openers
• Glassware
• Vintage fabric
• Beer crates
• Wall clocks
• Vintage matchbooks
• Beer trays

EBay

EBay also has a variety of Falstaff beer merchandise and collectibles available for purchase, such as:

• Vintage beer cans
• Beer mugs
• Beer can tin mugs
• Vintage beer can tin mugs with handles
• Vintage cone-top beer cans
• Beer bottle openers
• Vintage beer can openers
• Vintage beer advertisements

Please note that the availability of specific items may vary, and it's recommended to check the websites for the most up-to-date information.

Reviews of Falstaff beer

Falstaff Beer, named after the Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff, was produced by the Falstaff Brewing Corporation, a St. Louis, Missouri-based American brewery. While the main Falstaff Beer label is no longer in production as of 2005, reviews of the beer are still available online.

One review from BeerAdvocate.com describes Falstaff Beer as a "cheaply made American lager" with the appearance of "urine, only colder." The review goes on to say that the beer is "drunk only from the can", suggesting that it is not typically served in a glass. Another review on the same site gives Falstaff Beer a slightly more positive assessment, calling it a "step above the run-of-the-mill BMC lager" with a "crisp, clean" finish and "virtually no aftertaste."

A review on Untappd.com describes Falstaff Beer as tasting "like tin can", suggesting that the beer's flavour may have been impacted by the container it was consumed from. However, another review on the same site mentions that Falstaff Beer is a "beer our Pop's would drink," indicating that it may have been a popular choice among older generations.

Overall, reviews of Falstaff Beer seem to be mixed, with some describing it as a generic, cheap lager, while others recall it more fondly as a beer enjoyed by their parents or grandparents.

The story of the Falstaff family

The story of the Lemp family, who founded the Falstaff Brewing Corporation, is filled with tragedy and success. The Lemp family business began in 1840 in St. Louis, when German immigrant Johann Adam Lemp founded the Western Brewery, which would later become the Falstaff Brewing Corporation. Over the next 80 years, the Lemp family built a beer empire over the caves of St. Louis, but they also suffered numerous personal tragedies.

In 1904, William Lemp, son of the founder, was running the company and grooming his son, Frederick, to take over. However, tragedy struck when Frederick died of heart failure at the young age of 33, sending William into a deep depression. Soon after, William's closest friend, Frederick Pabst of the Pabst brewing empire, passed away, and William ultimately took his own life in February 1904.

William had a daughter, Elsa, who went through a divorce and remarriage with a successful businessman in quick succession. Just twelve days after her second marriage, Elsa shot herself in bed in her home, although the exact circumstances of her death remain unclear.

William's youngest son, William Jr. or "Willy", took over the Western Brewery after his father's death. However, the imposition of Prohibition led to the decline of the business, and Willy was forced to shut down the brewery and sell the Falstaff trademark to Griesedieck Beverage in 1921. In December 1922, Willy followed in his father's footsteps and took his own life with a pistol in the family home.

In May 1949, another of William Sr.'s sons, Charles, shot himself in a bedroom of the Lemp family mansion, leaving a note that read: "In case I am found dead, blame it on no one but me."

Despite these tragedies, the Falstaff brand grew and thrived for several decades. By 1960, Falstaff Brewing was the third-largest brewer in America, but its fortunes began to decline in the 1970s due to consolidation in the beer industry. The company was bought in 1975, and plants started closing, including the original plant in St. Louis. The last Falstaff brewery closed in 1990, and the brand name became a licensed property of Pabst. Falstaff beer was discontinued in 2005, marking the end of an era for the once-popular brew.

Other beers similar to Falstaff

The Falstaff Brewing Corporation was an American brewery located in St. Louis, Missouri. Its main label, Falstaff Beer, went out of production in 2005, but some of its smaller labels are still available.

Pabst Blue Ribbon

Pabst Blue Ribbon, or PBR, is a beer that has been around since the 1800s and is still popular today. It is a lager-style beer, which is the same style as Falstaff. PBR is known for its smooth, crisp taste and its relatively low price point. It is widely available in the United States and has a similar history to Falstaff, as it was also a major player in the American beer industry during the mid-1900s.

Schlitz

Schlitz is another American beer that has been around for over a century and is still brewed today. It is a pale lager, similar to Falstaff, and is known for its crisp, refreshing taste. Schlitz was also mentioned in some of the reviews as being a comparable beer to Falstaff in terms of taste and price range.

Budweiser

Budweiser, or Bud, is an American lager that has been brewed since the late 1800s. It is one of the best-selling beers in the United States and is known for its crisp, clean taste. Budweiser was mentioned in some of the reviews as being a preferred alternative to Falstaff within the same price range.

Miller High Life

Miller High Life is an American lager that has been brewed since 1903. It is known for its smooth, easy-drinking taste and its relatively low price point. Miller High Life has a long history in the United States and is often associated with special occasions and celebrations.

These beers are all similar to Falstaff in terms of style, taste, and price point. They are widely available and have a long history in the American beer industry, just like Falstaff did.

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