Small and local didn’t necessarily mean bad. Those beers showed Minnesota drinkers accustomed to the same old pale lagers that small breweries had something to offer - something flavorful. Craft beers such as hefeweizen, pilsner, bock and others offered Schell’s a pathway to survival, while staying true to their German heritage. That’s just a recipe to go out of business.’ ”īut the success of then-new craft beers like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Anchor Steam suggested there was a growing desire in the market for something different. “Prior to me taking over, your choice was to try to go cheaper and hope you could compete. “We were shrinking and shrinking,” said Ted Marti, Schell’s president. The small breweries that remained couldn’t compete with the mega-brewers’ marketing might, which created a perception among consumers that bigger meant better. Just across the border in La Crosse, Wis., the Heileman brewery was shuttered. In Minnesota, both Hamm’s and Grain Belt had sold out to larger companies. The industry was consolidating into an ever smaller number of large corporations. The early 1980s were a tough time for small breweries, both locally and nationally. ![]() That brew session could arguably mark the start of craft brewing in Minnesota. It was a departure as well for members of the broader beer community in the state who were accustomed to drinking those same lagers. Schell’s hefeweizen was a departure for the southern Minnesota brewery known for their light, American-style lagers. began the process of making what is believed to be the first wheat beer brewed in the United States post-Prohibition. In the late-night hours of July 16, 1984, the brewers at August Schell Brewing Co.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |