Leinenkugel’s Closing after 150 Years in Chippewa Falls

[Uncle Rico]

https://www.startribune.com/leinenkugels-brewery-wisconsin-closing-molson-coors/601176876

Dealt with a lot of people who worked there through the years.  Pretty disappointing move by Molson Coors but hardly surprising.  Leinenkugel family should have known this day would come.

https://www.startribune.com/leinenkugels-brewery-wisconsin-closing-molson-coors/601176876

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I'm so sorry to hear.

I have been cleaning out a room in my house that was basically storage the last 3 decades and just last week I threw in the recycle bin a 30 year old empty bottle of Leinenkugel I found.
I saved the bottle for reasons unknown.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

That is bad news. Enjoyed most of their products especially Honey Weiss in summer. Made a special pilgrimage to Chippewa Falls brewery and gift shop about 10 years ago. Really miss Leinie Lodge at Fiserv.

[Uncle Rico]

That is bad news. Enjoyed most of their products especially Honey Weiss in summer. Made a special pilgrimage to Chippewa Falls brewery and gift shop about 10 years ago. Really miss Leinie Lodge at Fiserv.

Local breweries muscled into their spots in the Milwaukee market and Leinie's image has become mostly associated with their Shandies.

Molson Coors has done a terrible job with the brand for the past decade or so and the family hasn't been actively involved in awhile.  Kind of a shame but like I said, not surprising.  This was always the concern of the folks in Chippewa Falls.

[MuggsyB]

This is terrible.  Am I missing something or does Coors/Molson own a beer better than Lienenkugel Summer Shandy? I'm not a fan of Blue Moon. 

[Uncle Rico]

This is terrible.  Am I missing something or does Coors/Molson own a beer better than Lienenkugel Summer Shandy? I'm not a fan of Blue Moon. 

Eye of the beholder and all that jazz.  Blue Moon was pretty trendy before the craft brew craze really picked up steam.  But I agree, not a fan

[The Sultan]

This is terrible.  Am I missing something or does Coors/Molson own a beer better than Lienenkugel Summer Shandy? I'm not a fan of Blue Moon. 

They own the Terrapin brands...so yes.

But Rico is right. They have largely ignored the Leinies brands lately except the Shandys. And part of that is understandable. The early microbrews (if that's what Leineys could be called) were groundbreaking at the time but have largely been bypassed by better stuff. (Sam Adams falls in that category too.)

[Uncle Rico]

They own the Terrapin brands...so yes.

But Rico is right. They have largely ignored the Leinies brands lately except the Shandys. And part of that is understandable. The early microbrews (if that's what Leineys could be called) were groundbreaking at the time but have largely been bypassed by better stuff. (Sam Adams falls in that category too.)

I always thought of Leinie's as a regional beer more than a craft beer.  Red Label has been around forever and was kind of the local beer of the northwestern part of the state.

The Miller money let them add the Honey Weiss and other extensions.  I know the efforts to go national didn't go as planned but that doesn't really surprise me. 

[MuggsyB]

They own the Terrapin brands...so yes.

But Rico is right. They have largely ignored the Leinies brands lately except the Shandys. And part of that is understandable. The early microbrews (if that's what Leineys could be called) were groundbreaking at the time but have largely been bypassed by better stuff. (Sam Adams falls in that category too.)

But Lienenkugel is still a great name with a tremendous tradition.  And have they ignored their other beers because, as far as I know, they don't have anything that competes with Sammy Adams.

[MuggsyB]

I always thought of Leinie's as a regional beer more than a craft beer.  Red Label has been around forever and was kind of the local beer of the northwestern part of the state.

The Miller money let them add the Honey Weiss and other extensions.  I know the efforts to go national didn't go as planned but that doesn't really surprise me. 

They should have Marzens and Kolsch's?

[The Sultan]

They should have Marzens and Kolsch's?

They have both..Canoe Paddler and Oktoberfest.

[The Sultan]

I always thought of Leinie's as a regional beer more than a craft beer. 

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Uncle Rico]

Yeah, that makes sense.

Though, I can see why some thought of it as craft beer.  I know people that rave about Yuengling and call it a craft beer, so that word has lost all meaning.  Always like telling them how the first time I was at PNC in Pittsburgh, I got one for $3

[MuggsyB]

They have both..Canoe Paddler and Oktoberfest.

How good are they realistically?  Anywhere near Ayinger?  Or Fruh/Reissdorf/Goffel?

Staghorn is a pretty good o-fest.

[Uncle Rico]

How good are they realistically?  Anywhere near Ayinger?  Or Fruh/Reissdorf/Goffel?Coffee?

Staghorn is a pretty good o-fest.

Mediocre but fine if that's all that's available

[MuggsyB]

Mediocre but fine if that's all that's available

That's what I assumed.  I believe New Glarus is expanding. 

[The Sultan]

How good are they realistically?  Anywhere near Ayinger?  Or Fruh/Reissdorf/Goffel?

Staghorn is a pretty good o-fest.

There are a bunch of good Octoberfests out there better than Staghorn. (It is probably my favorite style.)  Ahnapee Brewing up in Algoma has one of my favorites, but there are others as well.

[swoopem]

Wednesday night/bucket night at Angelo's was the best. $5 for 6 reds. I probably only missed a handful throughout my 4 years

[Uncle Rico]

That's what I assumed.  I believe New Glarus is expanding. 

They are.  Do wonder when that bubble bursts for them.  Maybe it doesn't because they've pulled back to Wisconsin only and out-of-staters love it.

[Uncle Rico]

Wednesday night/bucket night at Angelo's was the best. $5 for 6 reds. I probably only missed a handful throughout my 4 years

There was a bar I frequented back in the day that had $1 bottles of Red every Friday

[MuggsyB]

There are a bunch of good Octoberfests out there better than Staghorn. (It is probably my favorite style.)  Ahnapee Brewing up in Algoma has one of my favorites, but there are others as well.

I'm sure there are.  I only buy the Ayinger Marzen if I want to go the O-Fest route.

[MuggsyB]

There was a bar I frequented back in the day that had $1 bottles of Red every Friday

$1 altbiers??? 

[Uncle Rico]

$1 altbiers??? 

No, regular Leinie's red label

[MuggsyB]

God bless the Sumerians for inventing 🍺.  And the monks for their contributions.  I'm having an Orval after a brutal work day. 

[JWags85]

I echo the statements about MolsonCoors, which is a shame cause under the MillerCoors umbrella in the early 2010s, it was a cherished brand, given a ton of respect, and was a favorite product to work and market for a majority of the marketing and media teams.

Working on/with MillerCoors and being in their HQ in Chicago a lot, I saw tons of the random trinkets and branded items the industry is known for.  Leinies had the coolest stuff by far.  We had 5-6 different tap handles on our apartment wall, an amazing collection of coozies, and a bunch of other stuff.  I'm not a super outdoors or "Up North" aesthetic person, but the stuff just transcended it.  It was awesome.

Also, for the shandies and such they became known for, I remember at least a dozen other varieties they had ready but didn't launch for one reason or another and they were fantastic.  There was one that I could only describe as a thinner/shandy-esque framboise lambic that was unreal.  Was real bummed when it never launched but I can see it not being approachable for the Summer Shandy crowd.