Website www.leinie.com Founder Dick Leinenkugel | Owner SABMiller Founded 1867 | |
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Headquarters Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, United States Profiles | ||
The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company (/ˈlaɪnənkuːɡəl/), a subsidiary of SABMiller, is a regional American beer maker based in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, United States. Leinenkugel is mainly distributed in the Upper Midwest, but is available in limited quantities throughout all 50 states. The company is Chippewa Falls' oldest running business.
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History
The brewery was founded in Chippewa Falls in May 1867 by Prussian immigrant Jacob Mathias Leinenkugel (1842-1899) and John Miller. Miller sold his stake in the company in 1884.
During Prohibition, the company produced near beer (known as "Leino") as well as soda water. The company expanded from its local roots in the 1970s, introducing a light beer. Philip Morris owned Miller Brewing Company, now a subsidiary of SABMiller, bought the company in 1988. The brewery currently has distribution outlets in all 50 states.
Breweries
Leinenkugel, a subsidiary of SABMiller, has two breweries. The original, the company base of operations, is located in Chippewa Falls (that city's oldest business); and the 10th Street Brewery (formerly the Val Blatz 10th Street Brewery) located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The 10th Street Brewery, opened in 1986 by G. Heileman Brewing Company for the Blatz label, was purchased by Leinenkugel in 1995. It produces Leinenkugel's Big Eddy ale line, a series of seasonal, high alcohol beers.