The Birthplaces of America’s Iconic Regional Lagers [Map]
Some beers are emblematic of American culture as a whole, while others are regional gems that drinkers in their respective pockets of the nation can enjoy with pride. Sure, anyone can sample their slice of American pie by cracking an ice cold Miller High Life at a backyard barbecue, but posting up on a beach in Rhode Island with a tallboy of Narragansett Lager just hits a little harder.
While the flavor differences between regional lagers are rarely night and day, these beers distinguish themselves via longevity, marketing, nostalgia, and being tied to a certain place. Nowadays, most towns in the country have a local brewery, but before the craft beer boom, regional lagers were one of the only ways American drinkers could truly “drink local.”
Sadly, these beers are largely a dying breed. Only a fraction of historic regional lagers survived Prohibition, and in the late 1900s, many got swallowed up by larger conglomerates only to be axed within a few years. Many of those that did live to see the 21st century eventually bit the dust. The Pacific Northwest’s Olympia Beer was discontinued in 2021. The Deep South’s Dixie Beer is now called Faubourg Beer. And California’s Lucky Lager has officially migrated to Canada, save for a handful of sporadic revival runs in the Golden State.
But a few beloved regional lagers have held out, stood the test of time, and continue to be enjoyed to this day, although most are no longer brewed at their original facilities or, for that matter, in their original regions. Some went dormant for decades and were later revived. And a lucky few have been brewed and distributed by the same company from the get-go. Regardless of the case, the following infographic and list showcase the nation’s regional lagers that are still available today and include the city in which each one was born.
Mid-Atlantic
Iron City Beer
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Iron City Beer has been the flagship lager of Pittsburgh’s Iron City Brewing (now Pittsburgh Brewing Company) since it opened its doors in 1861. For decades, the beer was the refreshment of choice for locals and laborers across the nation’s Rust Belt, but the good times eventually came to a halt. In the ‘80s, the brewery ran into some financial issues and changed ownership several times before eventually filing for bankruptcy in 2005. Luckily, the Unified Growth Partners purchased the brand and brought it back to life in 2007. Now, Iron City Beer production is up and running at the Pittsburgh Brewing Company’s facility in Creighton, Pa., and enjoys distribution throughout Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas.
National Bohemian
Baltimore, Maryland
Known colloquially as “Natty Boh,” National Bohemian is a beer inextricably tied to its home town of Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay. It was born in 1885 at the city’s now-defunct National Brewing Company, and is perhaps best known for its one-eyed, mustachioed mascot Mr. Boh. Even though the beer hasn’t been brewed in its home state since the ‘90s — it’s currently owned by Pabst and contract brewed at Molson Coors facilities in Georgia and Ohio — it still maintains a strong presence in Baltimore with nearly 90 percent of sales occurring within Maryland’s borders.
Yuengling Traditional Lager
Pottsville, Pennsylvania
D.G. Yuengling & Son isn’t just the oldest operating brewery in the country, having been established in 1829, but it’s also one of the few legacy lager brands to remain under family ownership since its inception. The company currently owns several brewing facilities in Pennsylvania and Florida, and distributes its beers in 28 states. Although Yuengling produces multiple brews, none are as ubiquitous as its flagship amber lager.
Midwest
Grain Belt
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Named after the country’s Grain Belt — a swath of land across the Midwestern U.S. where the bulk of the nation’s corn, barley, and grain is grown — this beer began its life as Golden Grain Belt Old Lager in 1893. By 1947, the beer was replaced by Grain Belt Premium, which is still in production to this day. Though originally produced by Minneapolis Brewing Company, the Grain Belt brand shifted ownership through a series of ownership changes, eventually falling in the hands of Minnesota’s August Schell Brewing Company.
Hamm’s
St. Paul, Minnesota
German immigrant Theodore Hamm took the helm of what would become his namesake brewery in St. Paul, Minn., in 1865 following the untimely death of his business partner Andrew F. Keller, and recruited Jacob Schmidt (of Schmidt lager beer fame) as Hamm’s brewmaster. After enjoying steady growth in the Midwestern market for roughly 90 years, Hamm’s acquired additional brewing facilities in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Houston in the ‘50s and early ‘60s in an attempt to become a nationally distributed brand. Sadly, the brand never achieved its distribution dream, and the Hamm family sold the brewery in 1965. These days, the beer “from the land of sky blue waters” is a part of the Molson Coors portfolio, and can be found in select markets throughout the U.S.
Old Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Endorsed by actor Will Ferrell — for free, no less — Old Milwaukee is a humble, beloved Midwestern lager first introduced by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company in 1934 as a cheap, budget-friendly alternative to the other brews in its portfolio. Through straightforward, Americana marketing, Old Milwaukee developed a loyal following over the decades, and apparently it doesn’t taste all that bad, either. The flagship Old Milwaukee lager has brought home an impressive five gold medals in the American-Style Lager category at Denver’s Great American Beer Festival. As is the case with many legacy lager brands, Old Milwaukee is now owned by Pabst, and sees limited distribution in nearly all 50 states.
Old Style
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Like Old Milwaukee, Old Style got its start in Wisconsin. At the turn of the 20th century, G. Heileman Brewing Company unleashed Old Times Lager, but after getting hit with a lawsuit by another brewery with a similarly named beer, the company renamed its beer as Old Style Lager. Due to a series of events, including a decades-long sponsorship of the Chicago Cubs, the beer eventually became more famous in the Windy City than it ever did in its hometown. Although the G. Heileman Brewing Company is no more, Old Style is still produced by Pabst in Wisconsin, albeit using a slightly different recipe.
Schlitz
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Schlitz, a.k.a. “the beer that made Milwaukee famous,” was once the best-selling beer in the country, but many consider it to be a regional beer considering its longstanding Midwestern pride and current state of distribution. Between the late 1800s and mid-1900s, the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company experienced meteoric growth, but eventually lost steam due to cost-cutting formula changes and a series of cringe-worthy advertisements. The brand eventually got bought out by Detroit’s Stroh Brewing Company, which was then acquired by Pabst in 1999. It’s now available in select markets all over the country, but predominantly in the Midwest and Southwest.
Schmidt
St. Paul, Minnesota
“The Brew that Grew With the Great Northwest” may no longer be growing, but it ain’t dead yet. From the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Schmidt is a lager and the brainchild of late brewer Jacob Schmidt. After leaving his position as the brewmaster at Hamm’s, he purchased the nearby St. Paul Brewing Company in 1900 and renamed it the Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company. Schmidt produced his namesake beer, lagering batches in a series of caves underneath the brewery until he died in 1910. Nonetheless, the brand continued to grow until the mid-’50s when it got wrapped up in a series of buyouts, mergers, and shady corporate affairs that ultimately led to the demise of the Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company in 1990. Luckily, Pabst now owns the rights to Schmidt, and continues to brew it today, although no longer at the original St. Paul location.
Stroh’s
Detroit
Bernard Stroh learned how to brew in Germany before moving to the U.S. during the German Revolution in 1849. A year later, he established Detroit’s Stroh Brewing Company. He began brewing Bohemian-style pilsner beer, and the brewery grew steadily until Prohibition, when it coasted by making near beer, soft drinks, and even ice cream, as did many other breweries to stay afloat during the dry spell. As the brewery continued to expand post-Prohibition, it went on an acquisition spree, eventually running into financial troubles after taking on the struggling Schlitz brand. Pabst came in and purchased the Stroh empire in 1999, and now produces Stroh’s beer in Milwaukee and distributes it in select markets around the country.
Northeast
Genesee Beer
Rochester, NY
Although arguably more renowned for its cream ale, Genesee Cream (or “Genny Cream,” as devotees call it), the Genesee Brewing Company began its journey with the release of its flagship lager Genesee Beer. Since its inception, the brand has always kept its marketing low-key, opting for clean, minimalist packaging on all of its year-round offerings — a decision that’s allowed the brand to maintain an air of nostalgia through the years. Even though it’s now owned by the FIFCO USA brewing conglomerate, the original brewery overlooking Rochester’s Genesee River is still in operation, brewing up Genesee Beer for distribution in most states.
Narragansett Lager
Cranston, Rhode Island
Introduced in 1890, Narragansett Lager is a no-frills, 5 percent ABV beer first brewed along the salty seashores of Cranston, R.I. It’s been featured in Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws,” promoted by the Boston Red Sox, and has essentially become a staple in New England culture. Although brand ownership changed hands multiple times throughout its history, it’s now privately owned by former Nantucket Nectars president Mark Hellendrung, based in Providence, R.I., and enjoys distribution in 27 states.
Schaefer Beer
NYC
It’s hard to imagine a large-scale brewery operating in Manhattan these days, but that’s exactly where German brothers Frederick and Maximilian Schaefer established the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Company back in 1842. Eventually, the brewery relocated to Brooklyn, and after going public in 1968, the Schaefers set up another brewing facility in Pennsylvania to keep up with demand. Like many regional lager breweries, the Schaefer Brewing Company was one of the brands that got purchased in the Stroh’s-Pabst acquisition pipeline of the early ‘80s and late ‘90s. Today, Pabst still owns all the rights to the Schaefer name and sells the lager in select markets.
Utica Club
Utica, NY
Utica, N.Y.’s Matt Brewing Company is best known today for its Saranac line of brews, but before Saranac, there was Utica Club. Oddly enough, Utica Club was originally a soft drink that the brewery produced during Prohibition, but the company used the name for its flagship lager it began brewing when the American dry spell came to an end. In fact, it was the first beer legally sold after Prohibition. Since then, Utica Club has remained a cult favorite in upstate New York, and we can’t help but give a nod to its mascots, Schultz and Dooley, for supporting it along the way.
Pacific Northwest and the West Coast
Acme Beer
San Francisco, California
After an earthquake and subsequent fire destroyed many of San Francisco’s breweries in 1906, Leopold Schmidt, owner of Washington’s Olympia Brewing Company, saw a spike in demand for Olympia Beer, but the brewery struggled to keep up. So, he took the opportunity to establish a new production facility in the heart of SF. Allegedly, the brewmasters at the new Acme Brewing Co. couldn’t recreate Olympia Beer’s profile due to the difference in water quality between Washington and San Francisco, leading the brewers to create a new lager altogether. Although the brewery prospered throughout the early 20th century — with the exception of Prohibition — it ultimately made a few cost-cutting ingredient changes to Acme Beer during WWII that earned it a bad reputation. Even after enlisting a new brewmaster, reformulating the beer’s recipe, and revamping its marketing, Acme’s brewing facilities were sold to the Liebmann Breweries of New York in 1954. The lager itself stuck around for a few more decades with some periods of inactivity, hopping from contract brewery to contract brewery, before being discontinued in 1989. However, Fort Bragg, Calif.’s North Coast Brewing Company bought the rights to Acme Beer in 1995 and still produces it to this day. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for its predecessor, Olympia Beer, which was discontinued in 2021.
Rainier
Seattle, Washington
Named after the tallest mountain in the state of Washington, Rainier was the flagship lager of the Seattle Brewing & Malting Company, founded by Wisconsin-born brewer Andrew Hemrich in the late 19th century. Over the years, the beer became so popular that many drinkers in the Pacific Northwest subscribed to the myth that Mount Rainier was actually named after the beer, and not the other way around. After the repeal of Prohibition, two Canadian brewers, Fritz and Emil Sick, purchased the brand and continued to drive its success for decades. As was the case for many regional lagers, the late ‘70s proved to be a tough time for Rainier as larger breweries began cutting in on its market share. The brand was scooped up by the G. Heileman Brewing Company in 1977, and eventually acquired by Pabst. It’s currently brewed at a facility in Irwindale, Calif.
South Central
Lone Star
San Antonio, Texas
“The National Beer of Texas” got its start in 1883 when businessmen John Henry Kampmann and Edward Hope established the Lone Star Brewery in San Antonio. In the early 1900s, the brewery went through a boom period, during which Adolphus Busch (of the Anheuser-Busch empire) served as its president. From the beginning, the beer’s marketing has been all about promoting Texas culture. It’s been endorsed by country music legend Willie Nelson, its mascot is a giant armadillo, and it can be found at nearly every bar and barbecue joint in the Lone Star state to this day. The brand eventually fell into the hands of — you guessed it — Pabst, and although it’s still brewed in Texas (at an AB-InBev facility in Houston, specifically) the original Lone Star Brewery closed down in 1996. The beer is currently distributed in select markets around the nation.
Pearl Beer
San Antonio, Texas
A longtime local rival of Lone Star, Pearl Beer was the flagship lager of the City Brewery in downtown San Antonio. The beer itself was first concocted in Germany at the Kaiser-Beck Brewery (the creator of Beck’s), and named “Pearl” because the brewmaster thought that the beer’s foam resembled a cluster of sparkling pearls. Between its founding in 1883 and the 1950s, the brewery ascended to become the largest in Texas, and even began distributing Pearl Beer nationally. The brand got swallowed up in a series of acquisitions and mergers in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, leading to the brewery’s closure in 2001. These days, the brand is owned by Pabst, and fans can find the beer adorned with its original “xXx” emblem in Texas and a few nearby states.
Shiner Bock
Shiner, Texas
At the turn of the 20th century, a motley crew of individuals from the small town of Shiner, Texas, banded together to build a brewery called the Shiner Brewing Association. In 1914, Bavarian brewer Kosmos Spoetzl entered the picture, acquired the keys to the brewery within a year, and renamed it as the Spoetzl Brewery, but kept the Shiner name for its brews. Four years later, he brewed the first batch of Shiner Bock as a seasonal spring beer, and by 1973, the dark lager became both a year-round offering and the brand’s flagship brew. Shiner, which is now a part of the family-owned Gambrinus Company portfolio, produces a variety of beers these days, but Shiner Bock accounts for the vast majority of its sales. And even though the beer is stocked in stores nationwide, the Spoetzl brewery still makes every drop of it.
*Image retrieved from @ironcitybeer via Instagram
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