Falstaff Beer: Where To Buy And Enjoy It

Falstaff beer was once one of the largest-selling beer brands in America, with 7 million barrels brewed at its peak in 1965. However, production dropped by 70% in the next decade, and the last Falstaff brewery closed in 1990. The brand was discontinued in 2005, but there have been hints of a possible return since Pabst acquired it. So, where can you buy Falstaff beer? Unfortunately, it seems like you can't buy Falstaff beer anywhere at the moment, but Pabst has hinted at the possibility of bringing the brand back in the future.

Falstaff beer is no longer produced

Falstaff Beer is no longer in production. The brand was owned by the Falstaff Brewing Corporation, an American brewery that was based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company's roots can be traced back to the Lemp Brewery, founded in 1840 by German immigrant Johann Adam Lemp. Over the years, the Lemp family built a beer empire, but they also experienced several personal tragedies.

The company was renamed the Falstaff Brewing Corporation in 1903, after the Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff. In 1965, the company reached its peak production, brewing over 7 million barrels of beer. However, by 1975, production had dropped by 70%. The company was bought by the S&P Company in 1975, and the original plant in St. Louis closed that same year.

Over the next decade, several other plants were closed, including those in New Orleans, Galveston, Omaha, and Vancouver, Washington. The last Falstaff brewery, in Fort Wayne, closed in 1990, and the brand name became a licensed property of Pabst. Despite Pabst's efforts, sales of Falstaff beer remained low, and the company discontinued its production in May 2005.

While Falstaff Beer is no longer available, the story of the Falstaff Brewing Corporation and its rise to become the third-largest brewer in America is an interesting one. The company's success was due in part to the efforts of the Griesedieck family, who took over the failing Lemp Brewery and turned it into a multi-million-dollar company. However, the company's fortunes declined in the 1970s, and it was ultimately unable to recover.

Pabst owns the Falstaff brand

Falstaff beer was once one of the largest-selling beer brands in America. The brand was created in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1903, by the Western Brewery, also known as the Lemp Brewery, or the William J. Lemp Brewing Co. of St. Louis. The brewery was founded in 1840 by German immigrant Johann Adam Lemp.

The company was renamed the Falstaff Brewing Corporation in 1903 after the Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff. By the 1960s, Falstaff was the third-largest brewer in America, with several plants nationwide. However, its fortunes began to decline in the 1970s as consolidation swept the beer industry. In 1975, the company was bought by the S&P Company, which owned several other beer brands, including Pabst.

The original Falstaff plant in St. Louis closed in 1977, and the last Falstaff brewery, in Fort Wayne, closed in 1990. After that, the brand name became a licensed property of Pabst, which continued to produce Falstaff beer through other breweries. However, sales continued to decline, and in 2005, Pabst discontinued production of Falstaff beer.

Pabst owns the rights to the Falstaff brand and has considered selling it to another company. However, as of 2024, the brand does not appear to be in production, and it may be difficult to find Falstaff beer for sale.

Falstaff was once the third-largest brewer in the US

Falstaff beer was created by the Western Brewery, a company founded in 1840 by German immigrant Adam Lemp. The brewery was based in St. Louis, Missouri, and was renamed the Falstaff Brewing Corporation in 1903, after the Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff. By the 1960s, Falstaff was the third-largest brewer in the US, with several plants across the country.

The company's success was due in part to the efforts of the Griesedieck family, who took over the failing Lemp brewery and turned it into a multi-million-dollar business. The family had a long history in the brewing industry, dating back to the 18th century in Stromberg, Germany. Anton Griesedieck, who arrived in St. Louis in 1866, was instrumental in the company's success, as were his sons, who followed him into the business.

Falstaff Brewing Corporation was a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange, a rarity in an industry where families closely guarded their ownership. The company survived Prohibition by selling near beer, soft drinks, and cured hams under the Falstaff name. When Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the company expanded rapidly, acquiring several other breweries across the country.

However, Falstaff's success was short-lived. In 1965, the company acquired the Narragansett Brewing Company of Rhode Island, which proved to be a disastrous decision. The state government of Rhode Island pursued an antitrust case against Falstaff, and although the Supreme Court found in their favour in 1973, the company never recovered. Consolidation swept the beer industry in the 1970s, and Falstaff's fortunes declined. The original company was purchased in 1975, and plants began to close. The last Falstaff brewery closed in 1990, and the brand was discontinued in 2005.

The Lemp Brewery created Falstaff in 1903

The Lemp Brewery, founded in 1840 in St. Louis, Missouri, by German immigrant Johann Adam Lemp, was the earliest iteration of the Falstaff Brewing Corporation. In 1903, the company was renamed the Falstaff Brewing Corporation after the Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff.

Johann Adam Lemp arrived in the United States in 1836, settling first in Cincinnati before moving to St. Louis. Initially, Lemp intended to establish himself as a grocer, but he soon found that his homebrewed lager was more popular than his groceries. In 1840, he closed his grocery store and opened a brewery and saloon known as the Western Brewery. Over the next two decades, Lemp expanded his operations, and by the 1860s, his lager was well-known across the country.

Tragedy struck the Lemp family in 1901 with the death of Frederick Lemp, the "favourite" son. His father, William J. Lemp, was devastated by the loss and never fully recovered. In 1903, William J. Lemp registered the Falstaff trademark and logo, but before the family could debut the new brand at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, he committed suicide.

Control of the family brewery passed to Billy Lemp, and the Falstaff brand was successfully launched. However, the Lemp Brewery faced increasing competition and the growing forces of Prohibition. By the time Prohibition went into effect, Billy Lemp had lost interest in the business, and the brewery was converted to produce Cerva, a near-beer. Ultimately, Billy Lemp sold the rights to the Falstaff name to the Griesedieck Beverage Company in 1920, and the Lemp Brewery closed in 1921.

Although the Lemp Brewery is no more, the Falstaff brand survived for many decades, becoming the third-largest brewing company in the nation by the 1960s. However, the main Falstaff Beer label went out of production in 2005, and today, only the smaller labels remain.

Falstaff was named after a Shakespearean character

The Falstaff Brewing Corporation was an American brewery located in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was named after the Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff in 1903. Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. Shakespeare's character inspired several musicians to compose music about him.

Sir John Falstaff is a fat, vain, and boastful knight who spends most of his time drinking at the Boar's Head Inn with petty criminals, living on stolen or borrowed money. He is a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V of England, and leads the prince into trouble. When Hal becomes king, he repudiates Falstaff.

Falstaff is a comic figure, but he also embodies a depth common to Shakespeare's major characters. He is known to have been very popular with audiences at the time and for many years afterward. Falstaff's significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays "Henry IV, Part 1" and "Part 2", where he plays a central role in the plot and the character development of Prince Hal.

The choice to name the Falstaff Brewing Corporation after this Shakespearean character may have been influenced by the character's popularity and cultural resonance. The name "Falstaff" likely carried associations of jollity and debauchery, which could have been appealing for a beer brand. Additionally, the character's rejection by the future king may have had a symbolic resonance with the idea of a "fallen" or discontinued brand.

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