In 1915, Washington's state-wide prohibition gave brewers until 1 January 1916 to liquidate their inventories and cease operations. The Seattle Brewing & Malting Co. chose to build a new plant in California believing that national prohibition would not happen. Before the year was out the Rainier Brewing Company of San Francisco was on-line with Louis Hemrich overseeing the operation.

Of course, Prohibition was voted in, but the plant continued to operate by producing soft drinks and near-beer. By 1932 people had had enough and elected Franklin Roosevelt, in part for his promise to end Prohibition. With the Repeal in sight, Rainier geared up.

In 1932 the plant underwent extensive improvements and additions in preparations for Repeal, and by early 1933 the brewery's capacity was 350,000 barrels per year. The company was still under the leadership of Louis Hemrich who, with partner Joseph Goldie, had purchased both the Seattle and the San Francisco breweries from the Hemrich family in 1925. At that time they also the San Francisco plant of Pacific Brg. & Mltg. from its Tacoma, WA owners.  Like Rainier, Pacific Brewing & Malting moved to SF when Washington's state-wide Prohibition shut them down in January 1916.

Since the company had maintained production of near-beer during Prohibition, it was easily ready to offer beer immediately upon Repeal. On April 7, 1933, Rainier was again brewing real (3.2%) beer under Calif. U-Permit 1101.

To celebrate the return of its flagship brand, the company reprised its pre-prohibition "Rainier Beer" label (below left). The same label was also used for the Seattle market, but rather than "Rainier Brewing Company, Inc." it reads: "Rainier Distributing Company, Seattle Washington." This beer was shipped to the old Georgetown plant, which now served as the brewery's Washington & Alaska distribution center.

In Sep. '33, they introduced "Rainier Dark" - a Culmbacher-type dark beer (below right). The ad (above)  introduces these two early products.

In April of '35, Rainier introduced it's "Special Export - a natural malt beer," (below left) with the slogan: "A lift without a letdown." "Special Export" remained a primary brand into the '50s. A couple of other products were early brands, one named after the president, and chairman of the Board, Louis Hemrich (below right).

Two other budget brands were early products, "Piedmont Pale Lager Beer" (above left), and "Pale Lifestaff Beer" (above right). "Lifestaff" was a product of Louis and brother, Alvin's Hemrich Staff Products Co. during Prohibition. Alvin chose "Hemrich's Select" as the primary product of his Hemrich Brewing Co. and dropped "Lifestaff" but received a partial royalty for its use by the SF brewery.

To further utilize the plant's capacity, the company contracted with wholesalers and grocers to produce private label brands. These beers included Full Value, Gold Medal, Ace Hi, Original Old German style (the Independent Brewing Company's old brand),  Old Vienna, Old Mission Steam, Brown Derby, Leideg's, Lisco, Schwartz & Weiss, Krug, B&B, Tally Ho, and Pilsen Brau.

In the Spring of '35, the company introduced its English Type, "Old Stock Ale" (left). It was advertised as Rainier Beer's "Big Brother" containing 6% alcohol. About this time they adopted the tag line: "In the West it's Rainier Beer" or Ale.

In May of 1936, "Special Export" was available both in bottle, and in the new Low-profile, cone top cans (see ad at right). It was soon followed by "Old Stock Ale" - also in the Continental Can Company's "Cap-Sealed" beer can.

By now both "Rainier Pale" and "Rainier Dark" had been dropped from the line-up. "Rainier Dark" was replaced by their new, "Extra Export Stout" (below left).

In Sept. of '37, the company test marketed a new brand in the East Bay city of Oakland called "Rainier Club" (below center). The brand was well received and early in '38 "Rainier Club" was launched with a new label (below right) - which would remain a flagship brand until the late '40s.

The waiter character in the 1941 ad was a popular figure and Rainier had him made into a back-bar, point-of-sale, chalk figurine. He came in 8" and 13½" sizes. See Breweriana (below).

In May of '51 another product appeared - "Rainier Old Time Kuäusen Beer" - shown in the ad (right) and label (above), but it was too little, too late. The introduction of new brands and more colorful packaging did nothing to slow the loss of market share to Lucky Lager , as well as to the penetration of eastern brewers. That, combined with some questionable business practices, led to the demise of the Rainier Brewing Company of San Francisco.

On 22 July, 1953, Rainier was purchased by Emil G. Sick, who then sold the plant to the Theo. Hamm Brewing Co. of MN, retaining sole rights to the Rainier brand. In a matter of month Rainier Beer was again available in California, but it was now brewed in its birthplace of Seattle.

 

Breweriana from Rainier of SF

The Rainier Brand in Seattle
(1933-1999)

Emil Sick was responsible for returning the venerable brand back to the place of its birth, but it was a struggle that lasted 20 years and cost him over a million dollars.

With the end of Prohibition this Canadian brewer sought opportunities in the U.S. market. He began with the 1933 acquisition of three breweries in Montana. First he formed a partnership with the owners of the Montana Brewing Co. and the American Brewing & Malting Co., two Great Falls firms dating from the 1890s. They turned the Montana Brg. plant into a malt house, and the American plant into the primary - thus forming Great Falls Breweries, Inc. They remained a part of the Sick empire until September of 1949 when Sick returned control to the Jensen and Johnson partners.

Next he partnered with the owners of the old Garden City Brewery in Missoula. The new company was established as the Missoula Brewing Co. The brewery remained a Sick satellite for 16 years. Then, at the same time he relinquished his interest in his Great Falls holdings, he sold his shares back to the Steinbrenner family. The Missoula Brg. Co. was then more commonly referred to as the Highland Brewing Co.

Sick then joined forces with an old friend, Harry Goetz, and re-opened the old Henco Brewery in Spokane. Demand soon exceeded the plants capacity and in December of 1936 they bought the old Galland-Burke Brewery, establishing Spokane Breweries, Inc. While Rainier was never brewed in Montana, it was produced in Spokane until Sick closed the plant in 1962.

Seattle Brewing & Malting Company
(1935-1944)

In May of 1935, Emil Sick and Louis Hemrich of San Francisco agreed to a $2M merger agreement and formed Seattle Brewing & Malting. This allowed Sick to brew and market "Rainier Beer" in Washington and Alaska under a royalty arrangement.

Sicks' Seattle Brewing & Malting Company
(1944-1957)

Sicks' Rainier Brewing Company
(1957-1970)

Rainier Brewing Company
(1970-1999)

A book on the Rainier Brewing Co. and the Rainier brand is in the works ......
so there may not be too many changes to this page.

Occasionally I'm asked if Rainier is still being brewed. The answer is yes and no! Of course there is no longer beer flowing from the Seattle plant, however the Pabst Brewing Company still owns and markets the brand. Currently the Miller Brewing Company has been contracted by Pabst to produce Rainier Beer in their Irwindale, CA. So yes, you can still get a Rainier Beer! But only in these Western States - CA, NV, OR, WA, ID, MT, and WY. Check the "Locator" to see if it's available in your area of

But for those of you nostalgic for the classic Rainier commercial of the motorcycle..