Henry Weinhard's

The Henry Weinhard's line of craft beers, a Miller subsidiary since 1999, has a rather typical history for a regional brewing company. Founded in Portland, Oregon in 1856 by German immigrant, Henry Weinhard, this company, later called Blitz-Weinhard, after an early 20th Century buyout, enjoyed wide popularity in the American Northwest, was staggered by Prohibition, bounced back in 1933, and slowly faded under intense competition from major national brands, like Budweiser, Miller, Pabst, and Schlitz. In 1982, The G. Heileman Brewing Company of Lacrosse, Wisconsin bought Blitz-Weinhard, and Heilemann was, itself, purchased by The Stroh Brewing Company of Detroit in 1996. Three years later, Stroh sold out to Pabst Brewing Company of Chicago (headquartered in Los Angeles, California as of 2011). As part of the purchase agreement, Weinhard beers, along with other brands, were turned over to Miller Brewing Company (Philip-Morris, and since 2002, SAB of England). Pabst also ceded all of their breweries to Miller, who either rebranded them as Miller facilities, or in the case of the Weinhard brewery in Portland, closed them. This Portland brewery had been open since 1862.

Today, Weinhard beers are positioned by SAB as mass-produced, above-premium, craft-style beers, much like the Leinenkugel division. In 2012, SAB began to expand availability of the line from the West and Midwest into other parts of the United States. One will find that these beers, sold in 12-oz. bottles, have a flavor and body in the craft vein, yet have characteristics mellow enough to give them a mass-market appeal.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Samuel Adams Boston Lager was introduced in 1985 by Jim Koch and his partners in Boston Massachusetts. They called their new brewing company The Boston Brewing Company, and this new beer quickly gained notoriety, winning the "best beer in America" award at the Great American Beer Festival that same year. By 1989 Boston Lager was enjoying production of 63,000 barrels per year. For the first two decades of its life, Boston Brewing relied almost solely on contract brewing for its production, although today this is not as important, as the company does own brewing facilities of its own. Miller Brewing was the predominant contract brewer over the years. Contract brewing with major producers probably helped ensure quality control and consistency for Samuel Adams Boston Lager, a feature that is not always associated with other craft-brewed beers.

Although Boston Brewing is noted for rolling out an incessant variety of beer brands, often on a limited or one-off basis, their Boston Lager remains the company's flagship brand. This beer, at 4.9% alcohol, is classed as a Vienna lager, being darker, maltier, and more bitter than typical American-style lagers. Also, it is not made with corn or rice adjuncts, and this fact, while causing the price of the beer to be elevated, relative to other mass-produced American lagers, has earned Samuel Adams accolades for taste and quality. The beer uses gourmet hop varieties (Hallertau Mittelfrueh and Tettnang Tettnanger), which enhance its flavor and aroma.

Today, Samuel Adams is quite common and can be found in all areas of the United States. Over 2.5 million barrels of the company's various beer brands are produced as of 2012. It is hoped that Samuel Adams Boston Lager will continue to be sold and enjoyed for many years to come.

Leinenkugel's

The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company was founded in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin in 1867 by Jacob Leinenkugel and Joseph Miller, who was bought out in 1884. This company is a Midwestern regional favorite, and they operate two breweries, the original, in Chippewa Falls, and another in Milwaukee, which was acquired in 1995. The Milwaukee brewery, which produces only 5% of the Leinenkugel volume, was originally opened by G. Heilemann Brewing in 1986 to produce their Blatz line of beers, and it was known as the Val Blatz 10th Street Brewery. Leinenkugel's was purchased by Miller Brewing Company (Philip Morris) in 1988, yet the Leinenkugel family continues to oversee and promote the extensive brand line. Miller Brewing was sold to South African Breweries in 2002.

The Leinenkugel's brand line is very large today, and one will find lagers, ciders, stouts, India Pale Ales, Shandies, a light beer, adjunct lager (the original Leinenkugel's), wheat beers, fruit beers, and lots of others. Many of the Leinenkugel beers are today found all across the United States, thanks to the powerful and widespread Miller-Coors distribution effort, which was launched in 2008.

I have tried a few of the "Leini" brands, and have noted their high level of quality, which is a hallmark of Miller Brewing.

Blatz Beer

Blatz Beer is a regional brand sold in the Northern US from Minnesota east to Pennsylvania.
Founded in 1851 in Milwaukee by Valentine Blatz, this brewing company was a strong
national player into the 1950s, producing many brands such as Private Stock, Pilsener,
Old Heidelburg, Milwaukee Dark, Culmbacher, Continental Special, Tempo, and
English Style Ale.  Although Blatz was the first Milwaukee brewer to sell on a national
basis, competition forced the company's buy-out by Pabst Brewing Company in 1958, who
sold it as their craft-style beer.  Still a Pabst brand, Blatz is now sold as an economy beer.
Brewed with six-row barley, Blatz has 4.9% alcohol and is usually sold in 24-count cases
of 12 oz. cans.  Blatz Light has 3.5% alcohol.  For a time, Milwaukee 1851 Beer was sold
by Pabst as a companion Blatz brand, but was dropped at some point.

Schoenling Little Kings Original Cream Ale

Schoenling Little Kings Original Cream Ale was introduced in 1958 by the Schoenling Brewing Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. At one time this American Cream Ale brand, famous for its green, seven ounce bottles, was a regional favorite. However, as with many other local brands, the incursion of the heavy-hitting national beers eroded the popularity of Little Kings in the Ohio River region. In the 1990s the brand was discontinued. In 2004, however, it, and other regional brands, such as Burger Classic, were revived by the newly-formed Christian Moerlein Brewing Company, based in Cincinnati.

Little Kings, at 5.5% alcohol, is presently becoming available nationwide in 7 oz. green bottles and 12 oz. Slim King cans. This writer intends to purchase a sample at the next opportunity.

Genessee Beer

The Genesee Brewing Company was founded in Rochester, New York in 1878, when Mathius Kondolf purchased the Reisky and Spies Brewery (built in 1857), changing the name to The Genesee Brewery. After Prohibition, the brewery was reopened under new ownership (Louis A. Wehle). The brewery continues in operation, with 400 employees, and was acquired by North American Breweries (K.P.S. Capital Partners, L.P.) in 2009. Along with the original brew, the company also sells Genesee Light (3.6% abv, 1978), Genesee Bock (5.2% abv., 1951), Genesee Ice (5.5% abv, 1993), Genesee Cream Ale (5.2% abv, 1960), and a Genesee N.A. (non-alcoholic, 1991) product. Many other brands are held under the N.A.B. umbrella, and contract brewing is a large part of the Genesee business. 

Genesee Beer (4.5% alcohol) is sold in the Eastern United States. I have tried it twice (1997- 
12 oz. bottle & 2010- 12 oz. cans) and found it to be a tasty, enjoyable, stereotypical 
American-style lager. If you ever run across it, pick some up and give it a chance.

Ballantine XXX Ale

In 1840, Scottish immigrant, Peter Ballantine, moved to New Jersey and began brewing ale.
By 1895, Ballantine was one of the top five brewing companies in the United States.
Unfortunately, like many other brewing firms, Prohibition dealt the business a body blow, and
after that failed experiment in social engineering was abandoned, Ballantine was sold to Carl
and Otto Badenhausen, who brought in a Scottish brewmaster, Archibald MacKenchnie, who
help to revitalize the business. In the 1940s and 1950s Ballantine was a major New York City
sports sponsor, with Yankee announcer, Mel Allen calling every Yankee home run a "Ballantine
Blast". The consolidation trend has resulted in Ballantine becoming a Pabst product
(since 1999). It is still sold in the New York City region.

Ballantine XXX (triple export) Ale is 4.85% alcohol and has "hefty bitterness and aromatic hop
character." Apparently, Ballantine is a hybrid beer, as the brand website states it is fermented
"at higher temperatures for that 'ale' likeness, Ballantine combines a lager's best attributes with
the smoothness of an ale."

This writer has tried Ballantine a few times and found it to be an enjoyable and unusual beer. I hope to be able to try it again.