Lemp Beer: Best Places To Buy

The Lemp Brewery was established in St. Louis, Missouri, in the 1840s by German immigrant Johann Adam Lemp. After arriving in the US in 1836, Lemp set up a grocery store in St. Louis, where he began brewing small batches of beer. As its popularity grew, he expanded to a new facility and established the Western Brewery, which would become the Lemp Brewery. The Lemp Brewery was a success, and Lemp died a millionaire. After his death in 1862, his son, William J. Lemp, took over the business and continued to grow the company. However, the Lemp family experienced several personal tragedies, and the business eventually closed. Today, Lemp beer is contract-brewed by the Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. So, if you're looking to buy Lemp beer, that's where you should start your search.

Lemp Brewery Complex, St. Louis

The Lemp Brewery Complex in St. Louis holds a prominent place in the city's history. The Lemp Brewery was a beer brewing company established in 1840 in St. Louis, Missouri, by German immigrant Johann Adam Lemp. Adam Lemp first sought to become a grocer but soon realized his lager beer was more popular than his groceries. He soon closed his grocery store and, in 1840, opened a brewery and saloon, then known as the Western Brewery.

During the 1840s, Lemp moved the brewery to a larger complex in south St. Louis and began training his son, William J. Lemp, to take over the operations. After Adam Lemp died in 1862, William J. Lemp took over the brewery and purchased the property that would become the Lemp Brewery complex in 1864. This property, at 3500 Lemp Avenue, still stands in St. Louis today. and is designated as a St. Louis City Landmark.

The Lemp Brewery Complex was the manufacturing site of two of the most successful businesses in American history: the William J. Lemp Brewing Company and the International Shoe Company. The property is significant as an early manufacturing center that contributed to the preeminence of St. Louis in both the brewing and shoemaking industries of the 19th and 20th centuries. From 1864 to 1922, the complex was owned by the Lemp family to produce and distribute beer and other beverages. The Lemp family designed their buildings with architectural significance that corresponded to the magnitude of their business. As their brewery continued to expand and prosper, the Lemps became a symbol of civic wealth and power in St. Louis.

The Lemp Brewery is built upon a complex of natural caves that were used for the lagering of beer by early German brewers. The caves are naturally cool, which was especially attractive to brewers before refrigeration. The Lemp family selected the site for its two natural features: underground limestone caves and closeness to the Mississippi River. Before mechanical refrigeration was available, ice was cut from the Mississippi River during winter and stored in the property’s natural caverns to preserve and age Lemp’s lager beer.

The Lemp Mansion, St. Louis

The Lemp Mansion, located at 3322 DeMenil Place in Benton Park, St. Louis, Missouri, is a historical house and the former residence of the Lemp family, who founded the Lemp Brewery in 1840. The mansion, built in the early 1860s, was purchased by William J. Lemp, the son of brewery founder Johann Adam Lemp, and served as both a family home and an auxiliary brewery office.

The Lemp Brewery, established by Johann Adam Lemp, was a successful beer brewing company that operated in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1840 until it was forced to close due to Prohibition in 1919. Adam Lemp, a German immigrant, initially started brewing small batches of lager beer in his grocery store, which proved to be very popular with customers. As demand grew, he expanded his operations and established the Western Brewery, which later became the Lemp Brewery.

The Lemp Mansion reflects the wealth and power of the Lemp family during their heyday. William J. Lemp transformed the thirty-three-room house into a grand Victorian showpiece, adding luxurious features such as an open-air lift, an Italian marble mantle, a hand-painted ceiling, intricately carved mantles made of African mahogany, and a unique glass-enclosed shower that he discovered in an Italian hotel. The mansion also included three massive vaults where the Lemps stored their extensive art collections.

Today, the Lemp Mansion stands as a testament to the family's legacy and has become a popular tourist attraction. It operates as a restaurant and inn, offering paid tours to visitors curious about the history and hauntings of the mansion. The tragic history of the Lemp family, marked by personal tragedies and suicides, has contributed to the mansion's reputation as a haunted site, with reports of paranormal activity and ghost sightings.

The Lemp Brewing Company

Adam Lemp's beer became very popular, particularly among the growing German population in the area. He was one of the first in the country to produce German lager, which was quite different from the English ale and porters that were more common at the time. As the popularity of his beer grew, he expanded his operations, purchasing caves under the site of present-day Cherokee Street and DeMenil Place to use for storage and temperature control.

After Adam Lemp's death in 1862, his son, William J. Lemp, took over the business. William further revolutionised the brewery business by modernising beer production and sales with artificial refrigeration, mechanical bottling, pasteurisation, and his own distribution network. Under William's leadership, the Lemp Brewing Company, now known as the Western Brewery Company, became the largest brewer in St. Louis. By 1885, the brewery had a production capacity of four hundred thousand barrels of beer per year and one hundred thousand bottles of beer per day.

In 1892, the brewery was incorporated as the William J. Lemp Brewing Co., and in 1896, the Lemp family launched the successful Falstaff label. However, in the early 20th century, the Lemp family and their brewery experienced several setbacks. In 1901, William's favourite son and heir apparent to the brewery presidency, Frederick Lemp, died under mysterious circumstances. William never recovered from the loss of his son and committed suicide in 1904. The brewery was then passed on to William J. Lemp Jr., who faced his own challenges, including a very public and painful divorce.

Ultimately, it was the implementation of Prohibition in 1919 that led to the demise of the Lemp Brewing Company. The brewery attempted to stay afloat by producing a non-alcoholic beverage called Cerva, but it was not profitable. The doors to the Lemp Brewery closed permanently in 1919, and the Falstaff label was sold to Joseph Griesedieck in 1920. The land and buildings were sold at auction to the International Shoe Company in 1922 for a fraction of their previous value.

Today, the Lemp Brewing Company trademark is owned by St. Louisian Steve DeBellis, who put Lemp beer back on the market as an American adjunct lager in 1987. Lemp beer is currently contract-brewed through the Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

The Griesedieck Beverage Company

Over the years, the Lemp Brewery expanded and became a thriving business, with Adam Lemp's son, William J. Lemp, taking over after his father's death in 1862. However, tragedy struck the Lemp family in the early 20th century, with the unexpected death of William's son, Frederick, in 1901. The family's struggles continued, and with the implementation of Prohibition in 1919, the Lemp Brewery was forced to cease its beer-brewing operations.

This is where the Griesedieck Beverage Company enters the narrative. In 1920, the Lemp Brewery sold its Falstaff brand and logo to Joseph Griesedieck, and the company was renamed the Griesedieck Beverage Company. This acquisition marked a turning point, as the Griesedieck Beverage Company subsequently became the Falstaff Brewing Corporation. During Prohibition, the newly named company survived by selling near beer, soft drinks, and cured hams under the Falstaff name.

The impact of the Griesedieck Beverage Company extended beyond the Lemp Brewery. After Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the company expanded its reach by acquiring other brewing facilities across the country. By the 1960s, the Falstaff Brewing Corporation, which had started as the Lemp Brewery, had become the third-largest brewer in America. However, fortunes changed, and by the 1970s, the company faced challenges, eventually leading to its closure in 1990.

Lemp Beer's international expansion

Lemp Brewery was established in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1840 by German immigrant Johann Adam Lemp. The company was renamed the William J. Lemp Brewing Company in 1892, after Lemp's son, who took over following his father's death in 1862. Under the leadership of William J. Lemp, the brewery expanded significantly, becoming the largest in St. Louis and the largest outside of New York with a single owner.

The company's early success was built on the popularity of its lager-style beer, which was stored and aged in the natural cave systems under St. Louis, providing the perfect temperature for aging beer. By the 1870s, the Western Brewery Company, as it was then known, was the largest brewer in St. Louis, with a production capacity of 400,000 barrels of beer per year and 100,000 bottles of beer per day by 1885.

The expansion of the Lemp Brewery continued under subsequent generations of the Lemp family, with the company adopting the famous "Blue Ribbon" moniker and launching the successful Falstaff label in 1896. By the time Prohibition was implemented in 1919, the Lemp Brewery was well-established, with its beer being sold worldwide.

However, the company struggled to adapt to the new legal landscape. While it attempted to stay afloat by producing a non-alcoholic beverage called Cerva, this proved unprofitable, and the Lemp Brewery closed its doors permanently in 1919. The Falstaff trademark was sold, and the brewery complex was eventually purchased by the International Shoe Company in 1922.

Despite the closure of the original Lemp Brewery, the Lemp name would make a return to the beer market. In 1939, the Central Brewing Company of East St. Louis licensed the Lemp name and became the Wm. J. Lemp Brewing Company. This company lasted until 1945 when it was bought out by Ems Brewing. More recently, in 1987, St. Louis beer historian Steven J. DeBellis reintroduced Lemp beer as an American adjunct lager, contract-brewed through the Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

While the current Lemp Brewing Company appears to be primarily focused on the domestic market, with its website bearing the tagline "St. Louis' Original Lager," there is potential for international expansion. With the resurgence of craft beer and the growing popularity of lager-style beers, Lemp Brewing Company could find success in international markets with a taste for craft lager. The company could leverage its rich history and unique lagering process, aging its beer in natural caves, to differentiate itself from other craft brewers and appeal to international consumers seeking unique, high-quality beers.

To facilitate international expansion, the Lemp Brewing Company could consider partnering with established international breweries or distributors to handle production and sales in foreign markets. Additionally, investing in targeted marketing campaigns that highlight the company's heritage and commitment to quality could help build brand awareness and loyalty in new markets. By carefully selecting markets with a strong demand for craft lager and implementing a strategic expansion plan, Lemp Brewing Company could find success on a global scale, reintroducing the world to the unique beers of St. Louis.

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