Meister Brau Beer: Where To Buy And Enjoy It

Meister Bräu was a popular beer produced in Chicago by the Hand Brewing Company, which was founded in 1891 by Prussian immigrant Peter Hand. The brand was bought by Miller in the 1970s and reformulated into Miller Lite. While it is no longer possible to buy Meister Bräu, the trademark is currently held by Red Sky Brands of Rye, NY, suggesting that the brand could be revived in the future.

Meister Bräu is now Miller Lite

If you're looking to buy Meister Bräu beer, I'm sorry to say that you're out of luck. Meister Bräu has not been produced since the 1970s. The brand was bought by Miller Brewing in Milwaukee in 1972 and reformulated into Miller Lite. So, if you want a taste of Meister Bräu, your best bet is to try Miller Lite.

The History of Meister Bräu

Meister Bräu has a long and interesting history that began in Chicago in 1891. Prussian immigrant Peter Hand founded the Hand Brewing Company and began brewing European-inspired beers. Sadly, Hand died in 1899, but his brewery survived and even thrived for a time. By 1965, the brewery employed 600 people and was purchased by a group led by investment banker James Howard. The company was renamed Meister Bräu, Inc. and expanded its production significantly. By the end of the 1960s, Meister Bräu was producing one million barrels of beer per year and had sales of $50 million.

The Birth of Lite Beer

In the late 1960s, Meister Bräu reintroduced a beer first formulated by Dr. Joseph L. Owades, a biochemist and employee of the Rheingold Brewing Company, as Meister Bräu Lite. This new beer was one of the first low-calorie beers on the market, targeting diet-conscious consumers. However, despite its early success, Meister Bräu began to struggle financially and eventually declared bankruptcy in 1972. This is when Miller Brewing stepped in and purchased three of Meister Bräu's brands, including Meister Bräu Lite.

The Transformation into Miller Lite

Miller reformulated and rebranded Meister Bräu Lite as Miller Lite, with the help of ad agency McCann Erickson. They developed a marketing campaign targeting blue-collar bar flies and retired athletes. One of their most famous slogans, "Everything you want in a beer. And Less.", was even coined by retired New York Jets player Matt Snell during a commercial shoot. After a few rounds of field tests, Miller Lite was launched nationally in January 1975 and quickly became an overnight success, changing the way Americans drank beer.

So, while you may not be able to buy Meister Bräu today, its legacy lives on in Miller Lite, one of America's most popular beers.

It was originally produced by the Hand Brewing Company

Meister Bräu was originally produced by the Hand Brewing Company, founded in 1891 by Prussian immigrant Peter Hand in Chicago, Illinois. Peter Hand, a veteran of the American Civil War, had previously worked for the Conrad Seipp Brewing Company. By the time of Hand's death in 1899, he had found success with a lager named Meister Bräu.

The Hand Brewing Company continued to grow, although it was "officially" closed between 1920 and 1933 due to prohibition. The company survived this period and expanded several times. In 1965, an investor group purchased the brewery and renamed the company Meister Brau Inc., with the intention of expanding the brand and beginning national distribution. The new company spent heavily on marketing, particularly in Chicago, and sponsored several of the city's sports teams, including the White Sox, Blackhawks, and Bulls. They also sponsored a popular radio show and distributed a wide array of ephemera, including bottle openers and posters.

The company also acquired an unsuccessful light beer recipe, which they reformulated and relaunched as "Meister Brau Lite". This beer became widely popular, and by the end of the 1960s, the company was producing a million barrels of beer each year, with sales in excess of $50 million. However, due to mismanagement and heavy debt, the company ran into financial trouble. In 1972, most of their existing brands were sold to Miller, who repackaged Meister Brau Lite as Miller Lite. 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 group headed by Fred Huber. The brewery closed permanently in 1978.

The brand was bought by Miller in the 1970s

Miller repackaged Meister Brau Lite as Miller Lite and the Meister Brau brand as a cheaper competitor to Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser. Miller's youth-oriented, heavy-advertising approach worked, and Miller Lite became the first successful mainstream light beer in the United States. Miller's early production totals of 12.8 million barrels quickly increased to 24.2 million by 1977, and the company rose to second place in the American brewing marketplace.

Miller continued to market Meister Brau, reformulating it in 1983 and launching a serious marketing campaign to promote the beer and reach premium segments. However, in 2005, Miller announced that it was pausing the production of Meister Brau Lite due to sagging sales. Regular Meister Brau beers are still produced, although they are now a regional brand.

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

Meister Bräu was a product of the Hand Brewing Company, founded in 1891 by Prussian immigrant Peter Hand in Chicago. The lager was popularised and later sold to Miller Brewing, which was then rebranded as "Light Beer from Miller" and, ultimately, Miller Lite.

The trademark for Meister Bräu is currently held by Red Sky Brands of Rye, NY. Red Sky Brands is a broker for dead brands and trademarks, including Red White & Blue Beer (previously made by Pabst), Punch magazine, and Sports Heroes sporting equipment.

The Meister Bräu name was already in use before Hand's death in 1899. By 1965, an investor group purchased the brewery and renamed the company Meister Bräu Inc., intending to expand and begin national distribution. The company spent heavily on marketing, particularly in Chicago, and sponsored several sports teams, including the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks, and Chicago Bulls. They also distributed bottle openers, posters, and other ephemera.

The company also acquired an unsuccessful 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 each year with sales exceeding $50 million. However, due to mismanagement and heavy debt, the company ran into financial troubles, and in 1972, most of their brands, including Meister Bräu, were sold to Miller.

Today, the trademark is held by Red Sky Brands, and while there are no indications of plans to revive the brand, it is not out of the question, as other "retro" brands have been successfully relaunched.

It was once the most popular beer produced in Chicago

Meister Bräu was once the most popular beer produced in Chicago. The beer was the brainchild of Prussian immigrant Peter Hand, a veteran of the American Civil War, who founded the Peter Hand Brewing Company in 1891. By the time of Hand's death in 1899, he had found success with a lager named Meister Bräu.

The brewery continued to grow, and despite being "officially" closed between 1920 and 1933 during Prohibition, the company survived and expanded several times. In 1965, an investor group purchased the brewery and renamed the company Meister Bräu Inc., intending to further expand and begin national distribution. The company spent heavily on marketing, particularly in Chicago, and sponsored the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks, and Chicago Bulls sports teams, as well as a popular radio show. They also distributed a wide array of bottle openers, posters, and other ephemera. Their advertising campaign also included billboards; their number was second only to those advertising the re-election campaign of Mayor Richard J. Daley.

The company also acquired a previously unsuccessful 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 each year with sales in excess of $50 million. However, due to mismanagement and heavy debt, the company ran into financial trouble, and in 1972, most of their existing brands were sold to Miller, who repackaged Meister Bräu Lite as Miller Lite. 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. However, in 1978, the brewery closed permanently.

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