Miller says Dean has secured the building and made it safe for occasional tours, though the inside of the main building is covered in grime. Three to six beers are made each month, and the flagship Roedys Red has won some local awards. Join our newsletter for exclusive features, tips, giveaways! The conglomerate ownership means Goose Island isnt technically a craft brewery anymore. We dug through available records, followed craft beer history timelines, and evaluated many (many) competing claims between breweries claiming to be the true first in the state, to find the oldest brewery in every state. Outfield Beer Company - 611 W 2nd St, Bonner Springs, KS 66012. Breweries: Nimble Brewing - 1735 Oak St, Kansas City Weston Brewing Company & O'Malley's Pub - 540 Welt St, Weston Bars & Eateries: DraftCade - 7260 NW 87th St, Kansas City Oak & Steel - 120 W 17th Street, Kansas City Waldo Pizza - 7433 Broadway St., Kansas City The Belfry - 1532 Grand Blvd, Kansas City Beer Kitchen - 435 Westport Rd, Kansas City Some of the original beers are still fan favorites, like the Burly Irish Ale, which also won a Gold Medal at the Great International Beer Competition, and one of the original East Coast style IPAs, Bombay Grab IPA. Tennessee got what today is the oldest modern brewery in 1994 when. The brewery offers a range of IPAs, brown ales, and stouts, and is open for tours, tastings, and events. It was the natural culmination of a homebrewing hobby shared by Jason Malone and Mike Sellers, who started the business in Pickwick Plaza on Magnolia Avenue. In 2002, Dogfish Head started distilling gin, rum, and vodka to further diversify its options. When it started: 1993 Great Lakes Brewing Co. started brewing on a 7-barrel system and selling its beer commercially in 1988. There was also the Pabst Building in the middle of the current Crossroads, which was constructed in 1911 and operated as a bottling and distribution factory for The Pabst Brewing Co. Boss Tom purchased the building in 1920, where his operation sold near beer and bottled waterand was rumored to be a front for an underground bootleg operation. What to order: Willibrew Certified Gold blonde ale. Where: 2455 N Highlands Holw, Boise, ID 83702 When it started: 1993 Beer was produced using a large red malt mill found in an abandoned meadow in England, and its still in use today. Richardson acquired not only the Cincinnati Beverage Co., but also three historic Over-the-Rhine brewery buildings: Clyffside Brewery, Felsenhaus and the Jackson Brewery. Today, its also the most award-winning brewery in Nashville. Nicole Bradley is Kansas City magazine's former Associate Editor and forever friend. in Rochester opened in 1878 but thanks to a nearly $50 million renovation project its one of the most modern looking breweries in the state. When it started: 1986 Welcome to The Greater Kansas City News Site. Imperial Brewery made two lager style beers: the Mayflower and the Imperial Seal. A lot has changed since horse and buggy transported cases of small batch beer. Imperial Brewery in Kansas City Katie Sgroi (Used with Permission) The imposing brick building watching over Kansas City's 1-35 is a remnant from the city's golden age of brewing. Where: 701 W Glendale Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53209 As the brewery grew, so did the movement of prohibition across the country. Subscribe for exclusive city guides, travel videos, trip giveaways and more! Theres also the modern line up of a variety of IPAs, amber ales, seltzers, and limited edition porters. Maxwell says they were able to build a brewery with all new technology. What to order: Roedys Red. What to order: I.P.A. Kansas Citys reputation in the 1920s and 30s as a destination for revelry earned it the nickname The Paris of the Plains, a clever moniker that alluded to the alcohol which flowed freely despite national Prohibition. Sprecher ran the brewery up until February 2020, when he took his retirement. Our website uses cookies to provide you the best experience. It quickly racked up the accolades, and the company today remains a fixture in the beer community as one of the largest craft brewing companies that also owns brands like Delawares Dogfish Head and non-beer brands like Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, and Truly Hard Seltzer. In 2010, it moved to its current location on 14th street near Railroad Park. Today, like Kona in Hawaii and Widmer Brothers in Oregon, Redhook Brewery is part of the Craft Brew Alliance thats owned by AB InBev. 4-9 pm Friday, 1-9 pm Saturday, 1-7 pm Sunday. Owners Dennis and Tauna Arnold couldnt ignore their love for craft beer, however, and soon transformed the restaurant into Gentle Bens Brewing Co. It opened on a gravel road in the Old Manchester District of Richmond in 1994 and served sandwiches and fries (food was required to sell alcohol at the time), but there wasnt a whole lot there in terms of what could draw people in. In addition to beer, theres a range of food, much of which incorporate beer into the recipe. After several lives as a warehouse for various companies, the facility was renovated in 2018 and became the Crossroads Hotel, a chic boutique property in KCs thriving hotel scene. Where: 636 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044 To this day its one of the only US breweries that uses a fire-brewing process to caramelize flavors in the beers. The state didnt repeal Prohibition until 1952, and legal limits on beers alcohol percentage have long been roadblocks. The states modern beer reputation, however, starts with Goose Island, which opened in 1988. Father-son duo Cameron Healy and Spoon Khalsa opened Kona Brewing in 1994. In 1988, a cowboy named Mike Levis founded the, . K&S plans to offer all the Yuengling products that will be introduced in Kansas, including the company's lager, pilsner and Flight (its light beer). Photo: Firehouse Brewing Company/Facebook, Where: 610 Main St, Rapid City, SD 57701 What to order: Black Radish German Lager. Where: 923 W 7th St, Little Rock, AR 72201 When it started: 1986 Hickenlooper would go on to become governor of Colorado, a presidential candidate, and a US Senator, but first he launched a brewpub that became a local staple for decades to come. It still makes the classics that it started with (a lager, pilsner, porter, and brown ale), as well as a few seasonal and limited offerings, like a Belgian-style tripel. It opened on a gravel road in the Old Manchester District of Richmond in 1994 and served sandwiches and fries (food was required to sell alcohol at the time), but there wasnt a whole lot there in terms of what could draw people in. This Liberty brewery is conjoined with Jousting Pigs BBQ and known for flagships like Desert Gold, a light wheat beer named after the old Liberty grain company. Heim Brewing Company. Few states are as famous for beer as Michigan. H. James Maxwell, author of Hometown Beer: A History of Kansas Citys Breweries, says there were many advantages to producing beer in Kansas City at the time, including good railroad access. Heim Brewing closed. Its designed like an English pub with a fireplace, stained glass windows, and dark wood, and most of the beers are European styles, like English-style ales and IPAs, German-style lagers, and Irish-style red ales. If youre looking for the oldest brewery in Oklahoma that operates as people commonly expect today, that brewery is Choc, which helped change the law to allow full-strength craft brewing in 1995. Theres something about a ski town that makes local beer taste all the better, and Snake River Brewings longevity proves thats a common perception. The beers are a favorite throughout the South, especially the Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale, which is the rare beer made with whole roasted pecans. Established in 1993, Vino's is Arkansas's oldest continually operating craft brewery. It moved to a bigger space in Fremont in 1991, and opened a production brewery in Washington in 1994, and an East Coast brewery in New Hampshire in 1996, making it the first craft brewery to have bicoastal locations. Beer and tavern food are served up to this day in the former Union Station train depot. The brewery was also one of the first to make an American spiced holiday ale, which is well loved. Yuengling & Son Inc., the oldest brewery in the United States, started selling kegs of its beer in Kansas City for the first time in early February. Bayern Brewing opened in Missoula in 1987, and it gets its name from where the owner and master brewer, Jurgen Knoller, grew up: Bayern, which literally translates to the German state of Bavaria. On a visit to the brewery, youll see many parts of the original building, which is listed on the National Historic Register, such as the original fire pole, ladders, and patches. Where: 929 N Russell St, Portland, OR 97227 Boulevard Brewing Co. was among the largest craft breweries in the country before selling to the Belgian brewing company Duvel Moortgat in 2014, bringing the Belgian influence full circle. Today, its owned by the Gambrinus Company and you can find the Spoetzl Brewerys most famous beer, Shiner Bock, across the country. The ever-changing beers available range from hoppy double IPAs to fruited sours to bourbon barrel aged stouts. That includes the Alaskan Amber recipe, alder-smoked malts, and Sitka spruce tips. Kirkwood Station Brewery - in Kirkwood, MO opened in 2009 and closed on February 28, 2019 [38] . Breweries such as George Muehlebach Brewing Company, established in 1868 and J. Rieger & Co., a whiskey and spirits distillery started in 1887 in the West Bottoms wet many whistles. What to order: Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale. This brewery making our list probably comes as no shock to you considering it's one of KC's largest and oldest breweries. The buildings were designed for a specific purpose. That was the year that Greg Schirf, whos originally from Milwaukee, started. For the name, the owners picked Empyrean, which means the highest heaven and the land of fire. Consolidation of brewing 1950-1980.. A. Gettelman . For more information read our privacy policy. KANSAS CITY, Mo. In 2010, the brewery changed its name to Red Brick Brewing Company after its original and popular Red Brick Ale. The brewery has around 20 beers, from an unfiltered organic amber to traditional pilsners and doppelbocks. Washingtons craft brewing history is about as long as it is storied. The first beer was a hit and came to be known as Banana Beer, and Redhook quickly grew out of its first location. Heim Brewing Company closed, the two entrepreneurs began renovating the companys old bottling plant. It reinvented itself as Harrison Hollow Brewhouse in 1992, then changed its name to Highlands Hollow Brewhouse in 2004. Email us at centralstandard@kcur.org. Where: 38 Evergreen Dr, Portland, ME 04103 And of course no proper tour is complete without sampling the brews themselves! Electric Park lived on for a couple middling decades until, with no money to invest in its upkeep and two devastating fires that destroyed the infrastructure, the Heim brothers were forced to close it in 1934. Today, the northeasternmost state in the US is well known as the home of some of the most beloved craft breweries in the country. When it started: 1993 When it started: 2008 Where: 800 E 16th St, Tucson, AZ 85719 Excursions can also include winery and distillery stops. But in terms of the first brewery overall, that honor goes to Bricktown Brewery. Kansas City's oldest distillery operates today inside a place that was built by the largest beer brewery west of St. Louis at the time. Oregon is a craft beer state through and through. The brewery crafts over 40 different styles of beer, from sessionable ales and lagers to seasonal and experimental offerings like a stout made with bull testicals. Frankenmuth Brewing Company traces its roots to Geyer Bros. Brewing Co., which opened in 1874. Kansas's oldest active brewery is the Free State Brewery, which was established in Lawrence, KS in 1989. He purchased an old saloon on Pacific Street, and in 1896, it was bought by German brewer Ernst F. Baruthand his son-in-law Otto Schinkel Jr. D.G. In December, 1919, J. Rieger & Co. shut its doors as well. Because that opened up, the Santa Fe railroad that ran from Chicago all the way out to Los Angeles and served the southwest part of the United States.". By some accounts, that makes it the 122nd oldest bar in the US. What to order: Tucson Blonde Ale. Youre likely familiar with the brand if youve ever glanced at beer lists and tap handles across the country. At the time, Kansas City had a handful of breweries and brewery depots. The business went by Lazlos Brewery & Grill at the time, and was located in Lincolns Historic Haymarket. The oldest brewery in Texas started in 1909 to satisfy Bohemian immigrants in the area with fresh beer produced right there in Shiner, Texas, rather than being shipped in from San Antonio or Houston. J. Rieger now has two bars, a full-scale distilling room and a barreling room. Today, Wasatch has locations in Sugar House and the Salt Lake City airport in addition to the original location on main street in Park City. Its stayed small over the years, but you dont stay around for so long by over extending yourself. It refers to an old German drinking rule, which translates to You will drink again.. Dean Realty took it over in 2007. The states modern beer reputation, however, starts with. The Oregon Brewers Guild is one of the oldest state brewing guilds in the country. The brewery stayed relevant by sticking to German beer styles while the mainstream national breweries like Budweiser and Miller capitalized on easy drinking lagers. Lost Evenings Brewing Company - 8625 Hauser Court, Lenexa, KS 66215. When Spoetzl died in 1950, his daughter, Cecilie, became the only woman brewery owner in the country, and she helped build on the brewerys legacy. As one of the last states to have a craft brewery, winning the award of oldest and longest running isnt as hard as it is in, say, Minnesota. New brewers, inspired by the countrys booming craft beer industry and inexpensive local real estate, founded breweries throughout the region, with major hubs locating in the East Crossroads and North Kansas City. While these two historic Kansas City businesses just overlapped in 2019, their unlikely marriage was actually more than 100 years in the making. Illinois has a long brewing history that dates back to, . He plans a more than. Like many of the oldest breweries in America, Montanas longest running brewery has a strong German influence. What to order: Firebrick Vienna-style Amber Lager. It had a humble start making 1,500 barrels of beer, but is now one of the largest craft breweries in the country and makes more than 125,000 barrels a year. And theres a new brewery in the Crossroads called Brewery Emperial. Dont think that means a limit in styles, though. North End Brewing opened in 1997 using equipment from Cardinal Brewing, which had just closed. Its not a theme picked at random the owner, John Hill, was born in Middlesbrough North Yorkshire, while his wife Nancy is from Indiana. Specifically, a 1989 Ford School Bus that now has a full kitchen dishing out burgers, fries, fish and chips, and other classic bar food whenever the taproom is open. Oklahoma has never made it easy for people who make alcohol for a living. A production brewery that makes Budweiser, Rolling Rock, and other AB InBev brands has been operating in Newark since the 1950s, though. Traditional German-style beers are what youll find at. The Oregon Brewers Guild is one of the oldest state brewing guilds in the country. Theres the heritage line up made with open fermentation that includes English-style pale ales and a winter warmer, and the contemporary line up, which are modern, closed-fermentation beers (think raspberry lagers and hazy IPAs). A few other craft breweries started around the same time, but Goose Island is the oldest left standing. Where: 21084 LA-36, Covington, LA 70433 The brewery in the southern part of the state near the Gulf of Mexico has an inviting taproom and restaurant called The Porch thats worth a stop on a Southern road trip. It was started after founders Ed Falkenstein and Louis Bruce visited Full Sail Brewery (one of Oregons oldest craft breweries in the Hood River Valley), and they were instrumental in getting craft brewing laws on the books in South Carolina. BridgePort Brewing, which opened in 1984 and was long the oldest craft brewery in the state, closed in 2019. Boulevard Brewing Co. was among the largest craft breweries in the country before selling to the Belgian brewing company Duvel Moortgat in 2014, bringing the Belgian influence full circle. In 2010, the brewery changed its name to Red Brick Brewing Company after its original and popular Red Brick Ale. When it started: 1989 When it started: 1995 The future is still bright for KCs spirits scene. In Kansas, all alcohol production was made illegal decades before in 1881. opened in Missoula in 1987, and it gets its name from where the owner and master brewer, Jurgen Knoller, grew up: Bayern, which literally translates to the German state of Bavaria. Today, it makes a variety of classic beer styles and innovative ones, like the Biere de Cafe, a brown ale made with chocolate and locally roasted coffee. In 1988, geologist John Hickenlooper started. What to order: air. "Be it residential, or maybe an engineering, or architectural studio type atmosphere, he says. Quick Buy . Duvel Moortgat now has 12 breweries, which will bring its total brewery count to . mobile app. The Munich-style Amber Lager was the first beer made at the brewery and remains the top seller, though a long list of creative beers keeps things interesting. One has survived, though: , which opened in 1984 and is still going strong. Its stayed small over the years, but you dont stay around for so long by over extending yourself. Quick Buy Big Grove - Easy Eddy $ 23.95. Randy Sprecher opened his brewery with his own custom-built brewing equipment right after a four-year stint at Pabst from 1980 to 1984. So Good! is an original distillery slogan from the early 1900s. Where: 1800 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago, IL 60614 That means Highlands Hollow in Boise takes the designation when it comes to oldest in the state. George Muehlebach Brewing Company - in Kansas City, purchased by Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company in the 1950s, discontinued in 1973. So its a great time to open more breweries, and represent Kansas City as a brewing community, Thompson says. What to order: German Pilsner. On a visit to the brewery, youll see many parts of the original building, which is listed on the National Historic Register, such as the original fire pole, ladders, and patches. Portsmouth Brewery is committed to sustainability; much of its menu is vegetarian friendly, beer byproducts are reused as animal feed, and all food is composted. $10. The brewery itself deserves a stop no matter how long your Portland brewery travel list is, and the beer garden features food trucks and live bands in the summer. Sparks, Nevada, is where youll find the original location of Great Basin Brewing Company. The firehouse itself was central to the concept of the brewery. The brewery earned early awards for its Black Bavarian and Special Amber. The oldest brewery in Pennsylvania is also the oldest running brewery in the US: . Traditional German-style beers are what youll find at Millstream Brewery, Iowas oldest brewery. What to order: Fiegwild English-style pale ale. I sat out here in this parking lot one day and watched a man walk across here, and he went over to the mule barn, the horse stable next door and knocked on the door and someone opened it like it was his home, Miller said. Yuengling will be available in the three-state area in early 2023. In 1993 it became the first brewery in the world with its own in-house distillery. Where: 603 E Brewery St, Shiner, TX 77984 The vandals and the taggers really came in and did a number on the building, she explains. But wait, theres more. Times vary. Where: 30 Germania St, Boston, MA 02130 Prohibition, world wars, and changing tastes in beer couldnt close the brewery. Outlaw Cigar Brewery - 309 E 10th Avenue, North Kansas City, MO 64116. America's Oldest Brewery Every Story has history. Where: 1634 18th St, Denver, CO 80202 Soon, new distilleries like Toms Town and Lifted Spirits joined in on the action while Holladay Distillery returned to its former glory by celebrating its 160th anniversary in 2016 with an enhanced visitor experience and its first bourbon operation in 30 years. What to order: 60 Minute IPA. Where: 74-5612 Pawai Place Kailua Kona, HI 96740 He brewed the first batch of Santa Fe Pale Ale which is still served at the brewery today. Joe's Kansas City Leawood - 11723 Roe Ave., Leawood, Kansas 66211. Duvel Moortgat Brewery is a well-known and respected brewery that has produced good beer for a long time. When it started: 1992 Despite the history and a lively beer hall that would draw in any passing beer lover, theres a good chance you would miss Millstream if you didnt make a designated trip just to visit its located in the 400 or so person town of Amana. It still makes the classics that it started with (a lager, pilsner, porter, and brown ale), as well as a few seasonal and limited offerings, like a Belgian-style tripel. Where: 842 E 65th St, Indianapolis, IN 46220 It was originally launched in 1991 as a restaurant called Gentle Bens in Tucson. When it started: 1991 By 1997, the brewing part of Brewery & Grill became big enough to split off into a separate business. The food is a draw as well, with breads made from spent beer grains and a hearty list of brewpub favorites like pizza on the menu. It started, as with many things, with one: in Portland. In the early 2000s, the brewery employed a German master butcher, to create sausage and charcuterie recipes using free range beef and pork. that opened in 1993 takes the cake as the oldest in Rhode Island. Kansas City is known as a good beer town. When it started: 1994 Today, it has a beer garden, 180 seat restaurant, and a 200 seat deck overlooking the James River. Specifically, a 1989 Ford School Bus that now has a full kitchen dishing out burgers, fries, fish and chips, and other classic bar food whenever the taproom is open. A few years after the Heim family came to KC, Jacob Rieger arrived. When it started: 1988 Kansas City's oldest brewpub will soon be shutting down to make way for a new ramen restaurant. To this day its one of the only US breweries that uses a fire-brewing process to caramelize flavors in the beers. The beer menu depends on the owner's choice and whatever they have decided to brew at the time. Vermont is another state that is synonymous with craft beer today, but the industry got its start with a humble beer put thats still in operation. One of the most unique features of Boulevard is its beer hall, which offers free tours that give you an inside look at its brewing process. The brewer's factory was constructed in 1901 and only a short time later became the largest pre-Prohibition beer producer west of the Mississippi and was especially known for its German-style lagers. What to order: Ichthyosaur ICKY IPA. By 1905, Imperial Brewery was in financial trouble and was forced into involuntary bankruptcy. All of this is to say that while Frankenmuth Brewing Company has a storied background, its had fits and starts with years of closures in between openings. The brewery was the first in New England and one of the first in the US, and it has federal craft brewing license number 13 to prove it. It became a regional favorite on the backs of original and classic beer styles the brand put out.