Falstaff Beer – The St. Louis Giant That Fell
Falstaff has quite a storied past, with this discontinued beer that we’re not getting back having changed hands numerous times since it was created by St. Louis-based Western Brewery in 1840. The brand name was sold off to the Griesedieck Beverage Company in 1921 (later renamed the Falstaff Brewing Corporation), and it grew in popularity, reaching top three heights in the United States market by 1960. In the 1960s, Falstaff was the third-largest beer brand in the U.S. and a fixture at ballparks and backyard barbecues.
By 1975, Falstaff had fallen to eleventh-place in the beer world, and Pabst parent company S&P bought out the corporation. By 1990, only a single plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, still made Falstaff beer, before S&P discontinued it entirely in 2005. What’s really shocking is how quickly this beer titan crumbled from its peak position. Falstaff wasn’t just another beer – it was the beer that defined backyard barbecues and baseball games for millions of Americans.
Schlitz – The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous (Then Infamous)
Schlitz first became the largest beer producer in the U.S. in 1902 and enjoyed that status at several points during the first half of the 20th century, exchanging the title with Anheuser-Busch multiple times during the 1950s. It was bought by Stroh Brewery Company in 1982 and subsequently sold along with the rest of Stroh’s assets to Pabst Brewing Company in 1999.
But here’s where things get wild. Faced with a desire to meet large volume demands while also cutting the cost of production, the brewing process for Schlitz’s flagship Schlitz beer was changed in the early 1970s. The primary changes involved using corn syrup to replace some of the malted barley, adding a silica gel to prevent the product from forming a haze, using high-temperature fermentation. That stabilizer had an unexpected side effect: It caused protein in the beer to settle out in little white flakes, which customers complained about. The company had to recall 10 million bottles, losing $1.4 million.
A series of business decisions, including a disastrous ad campaign, dubbed the “Drink Schlitz or I’ll kill you” campaign, precipitated the downfall of America’s biggest beer brand. One threatened to “play Picasso” and rearrange a guy’s face. Public reaction was horror. The campaign was mocked as “Drink Schlitz or I’ll Kill You.” It lasted ten weeks before being pulled.
Red White & Blue – The Patriotic Budget Beer
The patriotic name made sense, but Red White & Blue’s biggest selling point was its value. It was a crisp, light lager that was highly drinkable in part because of its low alcohol content – 3.2% – and a six-pack could cost as little as 89 cents in the 1970s. Imagine paying less than a dollar for six beers – those were different times!
Red White & Blue was so inexpensive that Milwaukee bar The Avalanche used it as the liquid of choice for its “naked beer slide” in the 1980s. In the decades after, Red White & Blue faded from prominence to where Pabst no longer produced it in any meaningful quantity. In July 2018, the Pabst Milwaukee Brewery and Taproom officially revived the parent company’s old brand, holding a beer garden party and adding the product to the pub’s taps. Never mass-produced again in bottles or cans, Red White & Blue died off for good when the taproom closed in 2020.
Pete’s Wicked Ale – The Craft Beer Pioneer
Purported to be the first American brown ale, Pete’s Wicked Ale was bottled in Connecticut from the mid-1980s to 2011, making its mark during the early days of America’s craft beer revolution. This brown ale, brewed by the independent Pete’s Brewing Company, burst onto the scene in the early 1990s with a bold flavor and robust character that set it apart from the bland mainstream lagers of the time.
When homebrewers Pete Slosberg and Mark Bronder released Pete’s Wicked Ale in December 1986, the craft beer movement was just beginning. As demand grew, production moved between various contract brewers, and in 1998, the Gambrinus Company acquired the brand. The new owners changed the recipe, making the beer lighter in flavor and body. Long time fans noticed the difference and stopped buying it, causing sales to plummet rapidly. By 2011, with sales continuing to fall and new craft breweries opening at an exponential rate, Gambrinus discontinued Pete’s Wicked Ale.
Bud Dry – The Failed Japanese Experiment
Bud Dry was one of America’s first domestic dry beers, introduced by Anheuser-Busch in April 1990. This beer style, characterized by lower residual sugars, was first popularized by Japan’s Asahi Super Dry in 1987. At its launch, Anheuser-Busch made a significant commitment to the brand. The company reported that Bud Dry would be “the most extensively funded new brand produced by any brewer.”
Those around at the time might remember the catchy ads with the slogan “Why ask why? Try Bud Dry.” Despite the massive marketing push and the memorable slogan, Bud Dry’s popularity declined over time. By December 2010, Anheuser-Busch officially discontinued the brand due to declining sales and changing consumer preferences. Sometimes even billion-dollar corporations can’t force consumers to love something they simply don’t want.
Brown Derby – The Grocery Store Beer
Brown Derby is a pilsner-type brand that was first bottled in 1933 by the small-time Humboldt Brewing Company. This post-prohibition brew took advantage of Krueger’s lead and in 1935 it released its own product in those newfangled cans. Brown Derby’s tins debuted wearing a green and brown label with a target audience of at-home imbibers. Consumers could pick it up individually or in a six-pack, something that was groundbreaking during this old-school era.
After a lawsuit brought by the Brown Derby restaurant for branding violations, the beer hit shelves with fresh silver packaging. Just two years later, the California-based brewery earned the spot as the store brand for Safeway and by the mid-50s, distribution expanded across the company’s network of supermarkets. When Safeway sold off many of its stores to Vons in 1988, the new owners decided to discontinue the grocer’s private-label brew. The most surprising part? A collector shelled out a history-making $93,600 at auction for a vintage can of Brown Derby beer clad in the original infringing artwork.
Knickerbocker Beer – New York’s Lost Legend
Knickerbocker Beer defined a generation. This iconic brew was a staple in New York’s lively jazz clubs and bustling neighborhoods. Its smooth, balanced flavor made it a go-to choice for many. Made by the Ruppert Brewery, Knickerbocker was the official beer of the New York Giants, a bit ironic given that Jacob Ruppert, a.k.a. “The Colonel,” was the owner of the New York Yankees during the heyday of Ruth and Gehrig.
The son of German immigrants became one of the Empire State’s most prominent brewers, thanks in part to this lager. Ruppert opened his family-owned Uptown brewery in 1913, and in its heyday the operation produced 2 million barrels of beer by the hands of 1,000 workers. It was branded “New York’s Favorite” with its filtered water and sterilized beer that delivered its signature “pure” and satisfying flavor. The brewery was located at 92nd and Second, but it closed in the late 1960s. The Knickerbocker brand was acquired by another brewery, but discontinued during the 1970s.
Olympia Beer – “It’s The Water”
Known for its distinctive yellow cans and yellow beer, Olympia Beer was an icon of the Pacific Northwest beer market for over a century. Brewed by the Olympia Brewing Company in Tumwater, Washington, this classic brew was introduced to celebrate the region’s pristine water – earning it the tagline, “It’s the Water.” Designed as a regional alternative to larger national brands, Olympia Beer quickly developed a loyal following among locals. Its crisp, well-balanced flavor suited Washington beer drinkers, making it a staple in neighborhood bars and family gatherings alike.
After more than 125 years of production, shifting market trends, corporate restructuring, and fierce competition from major brewing conglomerates forced Olympia Beer to pause production in 2021. While the beer was never officially “discontinued,” its production halt marked the end of an era for a beer that once symbolized regional pride and the rich heritage of local craft. There’s something deeply melancholy about a beer that lasted over a century suddenly going silent.
Meister Brau – Chicago’s Working Class Hero
Meister Brau beer became a popular local brew in Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century. However, when business slowed in the 70s, Miller Brewing Company bought up the struggling brewery and in 2005 the Brau was phased out. Despite its local success, the full-bodied Meister Bräu label struggled to expand beyond Chicago’s borders. Its appeal remained largely regional, and as larger national breweries began flooding the market, the brand’s share gradually shrank. Financial challenges eventually led the company to bankruptcy in 1972.
Following this downturn, Miller Brewing Company acquired the brand and discontinued the original Meister Bräu. The company later reworked the recipe and introduced the popular Miller Lite beer, aiming to capture a broader audience while paying homage to the original beer’s legacy. However, Miller Light evolved from Meister Brau Light, so the impact is still felt. In a twisted way, Meister Brau achieved immortality by becoming Miller Lite – though purists would argue that’s not really survival.
Rainier Beer – The Seattle Staple
Throughout the 1900s, Rainier became a regional powerhouse in the West Coast beer world. In 1954, the iconic Rainier “R” sign was raised above the brewery and became a landmark of the Seattle skyline. Henceforth he ensured all Rainier Beer was made in Seattle, its original home, and Spokane. The Spokane brewery was closed in 1962, Seattle’s continued until a buy-out in 1999 when it was closed.
According to the comments the recipe changed when Miller Brewing subsequently made the beer in Irwindale, California (under contract to Pabst. Pabst bought the Rainier labels when then-owner Stroh closed the Seattle brewery in 1999). The beer became a combination of “streams”, according to one likely knowledgeable comment, meant to emulate the Seattle recipe. While Rainier still exists today, many longtime fans argue it’s not the same beer that once defined Pacific Northwest drinking culture. The soul of Rainier died when production left Seattle.
