Rhinelander Brewing Company

History

The original company was founded in 1882 by Otto Hilgermann and Henry Danner. The original brewery burned down in 1897, and was subsequently rebuilt. During the Prohibition era, the company closed its operations. In 1933, the company issued stock and reopened. Financial difficulties led to the company closing its doors in 1967. However, the Joseph Huber Brewing Company (since purchased by the Minhas Craft Brewery) purchased the Rhinelander brands and their recipes and other assets and began producing Rhinelander beer in Monroe, Wisconsin, where it has been brewed ever since. At its peak, the Rhinelander Brewery produced 40,000 barrels annually. It was once among the most prominent local breweries in the country. At a time when small breweries dotted the landscape, Rhinelander stood out with its aggressive marketing and inventiveness. The company patented the 7-ounce “Shorty” bottle and advertised the product heavily, with great success.

Jyoti Auluck acquired the Rhinelander and Rhinelander Light beer brands and all related assets in 2009. The company's plans for the brand’s future are similar to the marketing methods used by the Pabst Brewing Company to promote two other retro brands with great success — Pabst Blue Ribbon and Schlitz. The company also wants to take the Rhinelander brands back to the original secret recipe. The plan is to continue making Rhinelander Export and Rhinelander Light beers in Monroe on a contract basis, and eventually build a brewery in downtown Rhinelander. The proposed $2 million brewery will be built with a production capacity of 30,000 barrels of beer in kegs, cans and bottles.

In May, 2011, the company announced the reintroduction of the Rhinelander Shorty.

Rhinelander also manufacturers the "Boatswain" brand beers for Trader Joe's.

Brands