Cousin Eddie's Beer Choice: What's His Favorite Brew?

In National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Cousin Eddie, played by Randy Quaid, is often seen with a beer in his hand. In one memorable scene, he empties his trailer septic tank outside the Griswold house. The beer he is drinking is Meister Brau, a popular Chicago beer of the 20th century. The brand was sold to Miller in the early 1970s and was eventually rebranded as Miller Lite.

Meister Brau was brewed in Chicago by Peter Hand Brewing Company

In the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Cousin Eddie is often seen with a can of beer in his hand. The beer he drinks is Meister Brau, a popular beer brewed in Chicago for much of the 20th century.

Meister Brau was brewed by the Peter Hand Brewing Company in Chicago, Illinois from 1899 to 1978. The founder, Peter Hand, was a Prussian immigrant and veteran of the American Civil War. He started his brewery in 1891. The brewery was forced to close for 13 years due to prohibition from 1920 to 1933 but managed to survive and even expand after reopening.

In 1965, an investor bought the company and changed the name of the brewery to Meister Brau, Inc. to reflect the name of its flagship brew. The new owners invested heavily in the Chicago market, sponsoring many professional sports teams. They also launched Meister Brau Lite, which became incredibly popular.

However, due to financial mismanagement, the company was forced to sell Meister Brau to the Miller Brewing Company in 1972. While the original Meister Brau is no longer manufactured, it was rebranded as Miller Lite, which is still available today. The Miller Lite recipe has evolved over time but remains similar to the original Meister Brau recipe.

So, the next time you watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and see Cousin Eddie with his beer, remember the interesting history of Meister Brau and how it became the predecessor to today's Miller Lite.

Cousin Eddie's beer of choice was the predecessor of Miller Lite

In the National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation movie, Cousin Eddie is often seen with a can of beer in his hand. In one memorable scene, he is drinking a beer while emptying his trailer septic tank outside the Griswold house. The label on the can is clearly visible, revealing that Cousin Eddie is drinking Meister Brau.

Meister Brau was a popular beer brewed in Chicago for much of the 20th century. The Peter Hand Brewing Company, founded by Prussian immigrant and American Civil War veteran Peter Hand, first brewed it in 1899. The brewery was forced to close during the Prohibition era from 1920 to 1933 but reopened and expanded after Prohibition ended. In 1965, an investor bought the company and changed its name to Meister Brau, Inc., after the brewery's flagship brew. They launched Meister Brau Lite, which became incredibly popular.

However, due to financial mismanagement, the company was forced to sell to the Miller Brewing Company in 1972. Following the sale, Meister Brau was rebranded as Miller Lite, which is still available today. While the recipe has evolved over time, it remains similar to the original Meister Brau recipe. So, Cousin Eddie's beer of choice, Meister Brau, was indeed the predecessor of Miller Lite.

The choice of Meister Brau as Cousin Eddie's drink of choice in the movie was likely due to its popularity in the 1980s when the film was made. It also added a layer of humour to the character, who was often dressed in a robe and hat, looking out of place in the snow while enjoying his beer.

Meister Brau was popular in the 80s when the film was made

In the film National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Cousin Eddie is often seen with a beer in his hand. In one memorable scene, he is drinking a beer while emptying his trailer septic tank outside the Griswold house. The beer he is drinking is Meister Brau, a popular beer brewed in Chicago for much of the 20th century.

Meister Brau was first brewed by the Peter Hand Brewing Company in Chicago, Illinois, in 1899. The brewery was founded by Peter Hand, a Prussian immigrant and veteran of the American Civil War. The beer was likely chosen for the film due to its popularity in the 1980s when the film was made. Meister Brau was sold to Miller in the early 1970s, and at the time of filming, it had been owned by Miller for over a decade.

The popularity of Meister Brau can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the beer was widely available in the Chicago market, where it was heavily sponsored by many professional sports teams. This exposure during sporting events likely contributed to its success. Additionally, the launch of Meister Brau Lite, a "diet" beer recipe, was incredibly popular and contributed to the overall success of the brand.

Despite its popularity, Meister Brau is no longer manufactured today. However, after the sale to Miller, the beer was rebranded as Miller Lite, which is still available and shares a similar recipe. So, while you can't drink the exact beer as Cousin Eddie, you can get a taste of the same brew by picking up a can of Miller Lite.

Meister Brau was created by Prussian immigrant Peter Hand

In the movie Christmas Vacation, Cousin Eddie can be seen drinking Meister Brau beer. This beer was created by Prussian immigrant Peter Hand, who founded the Peter Hand Brewing Company in Chicago, Illinois, in 1891. Hand, a veteran of the American Civil War, had previously worked for the Conrad Seipp Brewing Company. By the time of his death in 1899, his brewery had achieved success with a lager called Meister Brau.

The Peter Hand Brewing Company survived Prohibition and continued to expand. In 1965, an investor group purchased the company and renamed it Meister Brau Inc. The new owners invested heavily in marketing, sponsoring several Chicago sports teams and a popular radio show. They also distributed various promotional items, such as bottle openers and posters. Their advertising campaign included a large number of billboards, second only to those for Mayor Richard J. Daley's re-election campaign.

The company also reformulated and relaunched a previously unsuccessful light beer recipe, which became widely popular under the name Meister Brau Lite. By the end of the 1960s, the company was producing a million barrels of beer annually and had sales exceeding $50 million. Despite this success, the company encountered financial difficulties due to mismanagement and heavy debt. As a result, in 1972, most of their brands, including Meister Brau, were sold to Miller Brewing.

Miller repackaged Meister Brau Lite as Miller Lite, and the original Meister Brau brand was repositioned as a cheaper competitor to Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser. Despite the cash infusion and a reversion to the Peter Hand Brewing name, the company filed for bankruptcy in 1973. It was then purchased by a group headed by Fred Huber, but ultimately closed down for good in 1978.

Meister Brau Lite was a popular spin-off of the original recipe

In the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Cousin Eddie is often seen with a can of beer in hand. The beer he drinks is Meister Brau, a popular beer brewed in Chicago for much of the 20th century. The Peter Hand Brewing Company, founded by Prussian immigrant and American Civil War veteran Peter Hand, created the beer.

Meister Brau was sold to Miller Brewing Company in 1972, and while it is no longer manufactured, it was rebranded as Miller Lite. The Miller Lite recipe has evolved over time but remains similar to the original Meister Brau recipe.

Following the sale of Meister Brau to Miller, the new owners decided to expand the business by launching new types of the brand. One of these was Meister Brau Lite, a spin-off of the original Meister Brau recipe. This spin-off was based on a "diet" beer recipe that had previously been developed. Meister Brau Lite was an inspired idea that skyrocketed to popularity, almost as much as its main Meister Brau.

The investors behind the spin-off recognised the power of advertising and sponsored many professional sports teams in Chicago, knowing that many people like to drink beer while watching a game. This strategy paid off, and Meister Brau Lite became incredibly popular. However, despite the success of Meister Brau and its spin-off, financial mismanagement led to the brand being sold to Miller in 1972.

While you can no longer buy Meister Brau, you can still get a taste of it by trying Miller Lite, which is largely based on the Meister Brau Lite recipe. So, if you want to drink like Cousin Eddie, pick up a can of Miller Lite and enjoy a piece of beer history!

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