The History of Rainier Beer

In 1978 the Rainier Brewing Company of Seattle observed their Centennial - celebrating 100 years of Rainier Beer. This actually recognized the fact that beer had been brewed on that site since 1878. The familiar slogan: "Rainier...since 1878" was merely a catch phrase dreamed up in the early '30s by the marketing people at Louis Hemrich's Rainier Brewing Co. of San Francisco.

Actually, Hemrich & Kopp started their brewery on the site in early 1883. From steam beer to lager, the site saw improvements in brewing and plant construction that eventually became the Bay View Brewing Co. Then in late 1892 plans were made for the Bay View plant to merge with two others to form Seattle Brewing and Malting Company. A brand of beer was then needed to identify the new company's product, and the name of the mountain that dominated the southern view was chosen. On January 10, 1893 "Rainier" was adopted as the brand for the new firm.

Rainier was the creation of one great brewing family - known as the "House of Hemrich." The brand was then furthered by another brewing family - the Sicks, who's brewing dynasty was referred to as the "House of Lethbridge."

Rainier was born in the Territory of Washington, re-located to San Francisco, and Canada, and finally returned to Seattle only to suffer the fate of most great regional brands - a corporate buyout. The brand survives, but is now a contract brew for Pabst, and produced in a southern California plant owned by Miller.

So, the story of Rainier is not that of a brewery, but of the Rainier brand itself, and the story of the two families that made it all happen.

Part 1 of the Rainier story will begin with the "House of Hemrich" (below), and covers the period prior to Repel - in Seattle, San Francisco, and Canada.

Part 2 of the Rainier Beer story deals with the period after Repeal in 1933, both in San Francisco and in Seattle.

The House of Hemrich

An internet search for Rainier Beer or Andrew Hemrich will often result in the following:

"Rainier Beer dates back to 1878, when Andrew Hemrich, a German immigrant, started the Seattle Brewing & Malting Company."

This is totally incorrect, and when repeated over and over it eventually becomes accepted as the "truth."
The Rainier story did begin with Andrew Hemrich (born in Wisconsin - not Germany). He was the eldest son of John Hemrich, who was a German immigrant, and a master brewer in his own right. John settled in Alma, Wisconsin, in 1855 and established a brewery that would continue in operation until closed by Prohibition in 1920. His story is covered in his biography (John Hemrich). He also raised a large family that included five boys who followed the family tradition of brewing:

1.) Andrew (b. 1856) left Alma at an early age and was employed in numerous brewing enterprises before finding his way to Seattle in 1883. There, he and a friend from Montana, established a small brewery which produced "steam beer" (photo below). He is credited for founding the Bay View Brewing Co. and for establishing the Seattle Brewing & Malting Company in January of 1893. He also has a separate biography of his own - (Andrew Hemrich).

2.) John, Jr. (b. 1858) assisted his younger brother William in running the family brewery in Alma. Then he and William ran the Bay View Beer Depot & Bottling Works in New Whatcom (now Bellingham). He died in 1904.

3.) William (b. 1860) took over the family brewery in Alma - assisted by older brother, John. In 1888 they sold their interests and they too moved to Seattle. William was involved in the family's brewing activities until they were shut down by state-wide prohibition in 1916.

4.) Alvin (b. 1870) also worked in the family's Alma plant, and after a job with a brewery in Victoria, B.C. He then bought the North Coast Brewery in Seattle and established the Hemrich Bros. Brewing Company. He also purchased a brewery in Grays Harbor County, establishing the Aberdeen Brewing Co.

Following Prohibition he established the Hemrich Brewing Co., followed by the Apex Brewing Co., and he too has a separate biography (Alvin M. Hemrich).

5.) Louis (b. 1872) worked in the Bay View Brewery, and was the other "Brother" in Alvin's "Hemrich Bros. Brg. Co." After his brother Andrew died in 1910, Louis became the president of Seattle Brewing & Malting. Then in 1915 he built a new Rainier Brewery in San Francisco. Consequently, he too rates a biography of his own (Louis Hemrich).

6.) John's oldest child, and only daughter, wasn't personally involved, but her husband, Frederick Kirschner was very much a part of the brewery's development.
So, his contribution warrants a closer look (Frederick Kirschner).

Early photo of the Bay View Brewery

Distribution was now world wide. Bottlers such as John Rapp and Sons in San Francisco distributed Rainier Beer to their local areas. The earlier, blob top bottles were usually embossed with only the name of the local agent/bottler, but carried a "Rainier Beer" label on the reverse. Two examples of these embossed bottles are:
"K. M., Oakland" or "Kirchner & Mantie / Oakland, Cal."; and "John Rapp & Son, S.F., Cal." Some of the later, crown top bottles still had paper labels but also had "Rainier" embossed on the bottle as well as the bottler's name. Two examples are: "Rainier Beer / Fresno Bottling," and "Rainier / Beer Bottling Works / Reno, Nev."

Rainier Breweriana

Rainier Beer enamel corner sign - image
curved enamel sign

earliest ½ pint bottle

Seattle Brg.& Malting stein, c.1900 - image
beer stein by Mettlach, c.1900

A book on the Rainier Brewing Co. and the Rainier brand is in the works ......
so there won't be many additions to this page.

	"Rainier" beer mug, c.1910. Go to: STEINS
	"Bay View Brewing Co." embossed quart, c.1890. Go to: BOTTLES
	Six different beer glasses from Rainier or Sick's Rainier Brewing Co. Go to: GLASSES

The History of Rainier Beer

The House of Hemrich

Seattle Brewing and Malting Company

Rainier Breweriana

Rainier Beer Collectibles - For Sale