The Central Brewing Company was a relatively late newcomer to U. S. brewing in the years before Prohibition, being organized as a company in May, 1901. The company was initially capitalized at $150,000, which was increased to $200,000 several months later. Construction was started at 1800 E. Broadway in East St. Louis, Illinois on July 27 of the same year, and went so quickly that the first brew was made in March of 1902. Central allowed this inaugural brew an ample aging period, waiting until June 14 for its public debut.

Built with a 100,000 barrel capacity, later raised to 150,000 barrels, the brewery was one of the first in the Midwest to use electricity as a motive power in the operations of brewing. The engine room featured a pair of 230-horsepower coal-stoked boilers. One 75-kilowatt and one 35-kilowatt dynamo furnished enough electric power for the entire plant.

A giant 120-ton daily capacity ice plant provided cold storage. Seventy men were employed at Central when operations began. It was in large part managed and financed by a branch of the Griesedieck family that had been in the malting and whiskey distillery businesses.

While the brewery was built in a part of town nicknamed "Denvertown" because factories were being put up there by capitalists from that Colorado city, the Griesediecks were from just across the river in St. Louis, and they must have been unafraid of competition. Not only were they willing to knock heads with the many breweries across the bridge in St. Louis, but East St. Louis itself was already home to the Heim Brewery, which had been started in 1865 and became a part of the consolidated St. Louis Brewing Association in 1889.

The Heim plant was producing over 50,000 barrels per year and must have been quite familiar to the Griesediecks as family members had been employed there in the past.

THE IBC YEARS

The Central Brewery surrendered its own autonomy when it joined the Independent Breweries chain in 1907. This coalition of nine St. Louis area breweries was formed in an attempt to better compete in a brewing industry hindered by over capacity and beginning to feel the heat of the Prohibitionists.

According to The Dawn of a Great City, a 1909 book extolling the virtues of East St. Louis, the Central Brewery covered a full city block and also boasted a large branch depot at 107 S. 16th Street in St. Louis. The company employed 100 people and was producing "Victor" bottled beer and "Standard" keg beer. All the major company players were Griesediecks, with Henry L. as president, Paul H. as vice-president, and August as plant superintendent. The brewmaster was Joseph Hirschel. E. H. Elzemeyer, the secretary and treasurer, had formerly been involved in another Griesedieck family brewery, the National Brewing Company in St. Louis.

Period newspaper ads claimed that "if anything will straighten out the blues or anything else, it is Victor Bottled Beer." 1909 also saw the brewery introduce a new brand of bottled beer dubbed "Paragon." Advertisements featured illustrations of a paper label bottle of Paragon. Touted as being "For the whole Family", Paragon was called "a beer that will strengthen and rejuvenate the old folks — a beer that will benefit every member of the household. And it’s just the best looking (amber colored), best tasting beer you ever drank. Mild, Pure, Nourishing. Try it and prove it."

To further promote this new beer, Central sponsored a contest the next year challenging entrants to guess what the population of East St. Louis would be according to the U. S. census. Those closest to 58,547 pocketed the many prizes. Henry Griesedieck continued running the Central Brewery until 1912, when he resigned to organize the stock company which took over the Western Brewery in nearby Belleville. This would prove to be a shrewd business move, as the Griesedieck Western Brewery would survive Prohibition and go on to brewing prominence before being sold to Carling in the 1950’s.

Meanwhile the pre-Prohibition Central Brewery continued under the Independent Breweries banner. Ironically, the Griesedieck influence continued at the brewery when IBC tabbed Frank Griesedieck to manage the East St. Louis plant. A distant relative of the founding brothers, he would move into town and continue managing the IBC’s Wagner Brewery in nearby Granite City, which he had been doing since 1910. Joining him at Central were assistant manager W. W. Steuernagel, keg beer salesman Walter Schott, and bottle beer agent Lee Aldrich.

During this time, as a branch of Independent, Central also produced some of the conglomerate’s brands, such as Alpen Brau and ABC Bohemian. In fact, some of Central’s early "Victor" chargers were converted to advertise "Alpen Brau" by painting the latter logos over the former. Alpen Brau became the predominant product of both the IBC and Central Brewery. Central began putting it in clear bottles in 1912, using the advertising slogan "You See What you Get When you Get it." Misfortune struck the Central Brewery in 1913 when a carbonic gas tank exploded, injuring four men. Engineer Edward Schultz, who was nearest the tank when it went up, was hurled into a brick wall and physicians were doubtful he would recover. The local paper never followed up on this story, so we do not know his fate. Luckier were chief engineer John Peterson, who was badly cut in the face but otherwise okay, and a bottler and helper who both received only minor injuries.

Central plugged along for the next few years. But by 1918 wartime fuel conservation and other measures were putting a crimp in the beer business, followed closely by the ultimate blow of national prohibition.

The Central Brewery continued operating upon the arrival of the "dry years." Whether any near beer was produced (or any real beer bootlegged) is not clear. The company stayed in the ice business, and soft drinks were manufactured. It is also not known if any of the locally famous IBC Root Beer, which the parent Independent Breweries Company began making in 1919, was made at Central, but the 1928 city directory still listed Central under the soda and soft drinks business heading.

Frank Griesedieck quit managing the company in the early 1920’s, going into the automobile sales and repair business at a cross-town location just a few blocks east of the shuttered Heim Brewery. He was replaced by E. R. Hauss, who was in turn followed by J. D. O’Brien. By the end of the decade, Central was in financial straits.

A foreclosure sale was held on April 24, 1931. The brewery sold for only $63,000. Included in the sale were a beer depot in nearby Granite City and an old saloon forty miles to the north in Mt. Olive. Some machinery said to be worth $20,000 was sold separately for $2,000. According to a newspaper article on the sale, a pair of area trust companies was foreclosing on the IBC, which owed a "blanket mortgage" of about $2.4 million. It is worth noting that the buyers (described in the paper as "St. Louis capitalists") were Mark C. Steinberg and Hugo A. Koehler. The later was from a brewing background, having been involved with his family’s American Brewing Company in St. Louis, which like Central had become part of the IBC. Exactly what the financial underpinnings of this transaction were are open to speculation, but within two years it was again legal to produce beer, making the Central Brewery worth considerably more than Steinberg and Koehler had paid for it!

INDEPENDENT AGAIN

Even before legislation was passed allowing the sale of 3.2% beer to begin on April 7, 1933, companies had rushed to get their breweries back in shape to begin production. Central and many others did not get organized quickly enough to sell beer on "opening night", leaving those who had the foresight to already be up and running in the enviable position of selling beer as fast as they could make it.

The East St. Louis brewery was not too far behind, though. In March of 1933, Alex Gast, president of the group controlling the brewery, as well as an active figure in the Gast Brewery of St. Louis, announced investors’ plans to spend $100,000 on improvements to prepare the Central Brewery for reopening. Gast said that brewery bondholders were organizing their finances and would soon incorporate. Since the brewing equipment was all still in place, the plant could be readied quickly. Between 50 and 75 employees were to be hired.

Central re-opened as a separate company again, under the corporate banner of Central Breweries, Inc. The management team consisted of corporate president Kirke Bonnell, who had previously been involved in the refrigeration business; Oscar Steideman, brewmaster and production manager; Walter Edwards, who had been in chain store management, sales manager; and George Bounds, formerly with Parks Air College, sales promotions manager.

Steideman had spent over 25 years as a brewing chemist, and toured several European breweries just prior to Central’s reopening. He brought back from Germany with him a number of experienced brewers as assistants.

St. Louis brewer "Papa" Joe Griesedieck made an offer to buy or lease this brewery early in 1933, seeking additional capacity to brew Falstaff. The offer was rebuffed by the Central Breweries’ owners, who thought they could make greater profits on their own. History proved them wrong.

The plant commenced brewing again in the summer of 1933. $200,000 had been spent in preparations. The publicity department hit the ground running, garnering more than a full page of coverage in the East St. Louis Journal and 25 other southern Illinois newspapers on Sunday, August 20. Central announced a contest offering a $50 first prize to the person selecting a name for its new brew. Second prize was worth $25, with five third prizes of five dollars each. Twenty-five additional runners-up would receive a case of Central beer.

According to brewery publicity moguls, the plant’s "strategic location, substantial buildings, facilities for further expansion and high caliber of men in charge of its operation, make possible the production of a product which will surpass many already on the market." The revitalized Central Brewery consisted of eight buildings on over two acres. The brewhouse could produce 1,200 barrels a day, with massive storage facilities including cellars capable of holding 25,000 barrels. Over 2,000 cases could be bottled in a day, and brewing water was provided by two deep artesian wells. A newly constructed railroad spur came right up to the door, providing for easy shipment of products to and from the brewery.

The company emphasized in this special newspaper section that its "Central (You Name It) Beer" would be packaged in protective brown bottles. The first keg was to be auctioned off, with proceeds going to the local Milk Fund. Kirke Bonnell announced that only union labor would be employed, and that the annual payroll would exceed $125,000. Central also pitched for agents and distributors in this insert. A picture of smiling brewery employees belied the fact that the post-Prohibition history of the Central Brewery would be a tumultuous one.

The "You Name It" contest attracted over 19,000 entries. The winning name ended up being Edelbrau, German for "pure beer." Miss Dorothy Armes of Mattoon, Illinois was feted as the contest winner. However, it is unclear if Central ever actually used the Edelbrau name, as no labels are known to exist, and the tradename was never registered by them. Whether this was due to copyright problems owing to the fact that at least three other breweries were already brewing their own versions of Edelbrau, or if the contest was just a sham, is open to speculation.

Central’s new beer hit the market on Monday, October 30. Again the brewery used the Sunday paper as a promotional tool, with fancy ads announcing an even dozen distributors in the bi-state area (with East St. Louis distribution to be directly from the brewery), and 77 local taverns listed as ready to serve Central Beer. A logo was used showing a hand holding a mug and the motto "Central Beer Hits the Spot."

Management seized upon the East St. Louis Pageant of Progress exhibition to publicize its local debut, setting up a large display that included live entertainment and inviting 5,000 area dealers to attend. The company now boasted of hoping to fulfill its annual capacity of 250,000 barrels, a full 100,000 more than the pre-Prohibition Central had been capable of producing. It was also mentioned that many men who had worked at the brewery before Prohibition had been able to return to their old jobs now that beer was legal.

Central Royal Beer was to become the brewery’s flagship brand. The company also produced Central bottled beer, with labels featuring a likeness of the brewery. Soon joining these labels would be Central Royal Six, a premium brand. Like other beers that began popping up all over the country with numbers as parts of their names, the "Six" referred to a healthy 6% alcohol content. Once the 21st Amendment was ratified and full-strength beer permitted, breweries wanted to publicize this strong beer, the opposite of the strategy they had employed a couple of decades earlier.Central Royal Six was advertised as "The Life of Any Party", and every Saturday the brewery sponsored a radio request program called the Royal Six Party.

By 1936, brewery employment had reached 120. As a public relations stunt the payroll was given out one week in silver dollars, an attempt to highlight for the community the economic importance of the business.

In April 1937, the bottling plant was expanded with the addition of a $5,000, 61’ x 90’ concrete building. Bottled beer sales had increased over 100% from the previous year. Later the same year, the $4,500 weekly payroll was again made in silver. Employees were pictured with company president Bonnell receiving their money in dinner buckets. Reporters were proudly informed that this was the 231st payroll Central had met since repeal.

It was also at this time that Central began putting poker hands and jokes on the inside of its bottle labels. According to period ad copy, Central Royal Six beer met all six points of brewing excellence. By using this motto, the brewery may have been hoping to retain the "Six" name, since the use of numbers denoting strength was being viewed with increasing disfavor by federal regulators.

As war began building in Europe, brewers who had stressed their German heritage found it necessary to alter their advertising pitches. While Central coasters had once boasted of the beer’s "Imported Flavor", in early 1939 Central Royal was said to be a "pure American lager" using American cereals and hops.

REBIRTH OF LEMP

Unfortunately, Central soon faced dwindling sales due to increased (and successful) competition by other local breweries, in particular from Falstaff and Griesedieck Brothers. Ironically, both were St. Louis companies owned by relatives of Central’s founders!

In response, Central accepted an offer from William J. Lemp III, a descendent of the Lemp brewing family of St. Louis, Missouri, to license his famous surname to again brew and sell Lemp beer. Production of the original Lemp beer by the William J. Lemp Brewing Company in St. Louis had ceased with the imposition of Prohibition, which led to the decision by the owners to close the business shortly thereafter, and to eventually auction the brewery buildings in 1922. Central agreed to pay royalties for all beer marketed under the Lemp name, and changed its name to the W. J. Lemp Brewing Company in late 1939, which was also part of the licensing agreement with William J. Lemp III. With much fanfare, Lemp Original Lager and Lemp Extra Pale beers were re-introduced to the public. Both brands were brewed under the careful supervision of the well known master brewer Adolph Merten.

The revived Lemp brands were marketed with a major newspaper advertising campaign. One full-page ad, signed by William J. Lemp III, read in part: "Out of the years, comes this famous old friend, Lemp Extra Pale beer. Faithful to its century-old formula — that made Lemp a favorite from St. Louis to Shanghai, from London, round-the-world. Lemp Extra Pale returns to tempt your palate, gladden your heart with its distinctive character and rare old-time flavor."

Lemp’s advertising campaign was developed by the Anfenger Advertising Agency, Inc., in St. Louis. Many full page ads were run in the St. Louis newspapers in the spring of 1940. According to an article in the Brewers Journal in April of 1940, "... the (Lemp) advertising and merchandising has been under the personal supervision of ... the president of the Anfenger Agency, and it has been an important factor in the rapid strides made by the Lemp Company."

The Anfenger Agency developed the catchy slogan of "Where there’s Life there’s Lemp." Students of Anheuser-Busch history may recognize this slogan, which was recycled in the 1950’s advertising Budweiser.

A great many local beer drinkers were indeed tempted to try the Illinois brewed Lemp beer due to the extensive local advertising. Unfortunately, while the Lemp beers initially sold well, apparently the novelty of the resurrected brands wore off quickly, leading to a marked sales decline after a few months.

Seeking to regain popularity, the William J. Lemp Brewing Company launched a second major round of advertising. Starting in the summer of 1940, the company reintroduced the original marketing theme, and extended advertising to areas in Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas, where distributors had already been set up. Anfenger Advertising Agency, in charge of the advertising blitz, stressed the virtues of Lemp beer in newspaper ads, and point of sale posters. Unfortunately, increased advertising did not re-ignite the public’s interest in the revived Lemp beer, and sales remained stagnant.

On August 31, 1940, the W. J. Lemp Brewing Company declared bankruptcy, alleging it was "...unable to pay debts as they matured, and possessed virtually no working capital." Henry L. Ruppert, president of the brewery at the time, and Norman L. Gundlach, a prominent East St. Louis attorney, were appointed trustees. Brewery liabilities outnumbered the $150,000 worth of assets (that included 13,000 barrels of beer), and over $100,000 of interest on a second mortgage was about to come due.

Hopes were high that the brewery could quickly get back on its financial feet. A creditor’s committee, headed by Walter W. Hiss, secretary of the Northwestern Malt & Grain Company of Chicago, cooperated in the reorganization. Area unionized workers of various trades voted in their local councils to support the brewery and its products. However, by December 1940, finances had deteriorated to the point that the St. Louis Stock Exchange suspended trading of the brewery’s common stock "on the statement of the disinterested trustee in the reorganization that company (Lemp) is insolvent." With the court’s help, the business was again reorganized in 1941 as the Lemp Brewing Company. The new company continued to use the cases and cooperage of its predecessor by painting out the "W. J." initials, leaving "Lemp Brewing Company."

By November the brewery was bankrupt again, and advertised for sale after creditors turned down a reorganization plan. Falstaff brewmaster Louis Walther testified in court that Lemp’s real estate and brewing equipment were worth about $150,000. Supplies on hand, which would deteriorate if brewing ceased, were valued at $68,000. A group calling itself the Independent Realty Investment Company made the winning bid of $150,000 at the bankruptcy sale, and brewing resumed, saving a work force that had shrunk to 85. The company acquired all the brewery stock and chipped in working capital of $100,000.

In 1943, brewmaster Merten was elected company president. Joining him at the brewing helm were Leopold Freund as vice-president, who was former sales manager of Papendick Baking, and three other members of the board of directors — Mark Steinberg, Edward D. Jones, and Jack Garden.

In the meantime William J. Lemp III, who had lent his name to try and revive the business, had dropped dead at age 42 in the Clayton, Missouri war rations office. The Lemp Brewing Company managed to limp along only until the end of World War II, when the brewery failed again.

EMS TO THE RESCUE

Nick Ems, who had been previously involved with the Carondelet Brewing Company of St. Louis, led a final financial re-organization of the brewery, renaming it, not surprisingly, the Ems Brewing Company. Ems terminated its contract with William J. Lemp III, and on March 1, 1945, stopped utilizing the Lemp name to sell its beers. The first reincarnation of Lemp beer was dead. Ems featured two brands, Ems, and Ems Select. Production in the first year reached about 50,000 barrels, and was distributed through a number of outlets in Missouri and Illinois, and via a distributor in Fort Worth, Texas.

In terms of advertising campaigns, their primary slogan was "Ems the Word," which could help to explain why the brewery lasted less than three years! A cardboard point-of-purchase display, featuring the Ems name in attractive, large blue letters above a depiction of an Ems bottle, carries the slogan of "A new taste thrill, brewed by a famous brewmaster." J. Adolph Merten had continued under the new management, and during this time collaborated with several other St. Louis area brewers on a book entitled "The Practical Brewer" for the Master Brewer’s Association of America.

Like the Central and Lemp incarnations before it, the Ems Brewing Company was unable to generate enough profit to remain in business. Ems merged with the Columbia Brewing Company of St. Louis on March 31, 1947. Run as Plant #2 by Columbia for less than two years, the plant, ironically, brewed some Alpen Brau beer again, just as it had done in pre-Prohibition days, when it was still a part of the Independent Breweries Company. However, the primary product out of Plant #2 was the new Courtney’s Ale brand, named after Columbia president, J. S. McCourtney.

While the 1933 effort by Falstaff to obtain the East St. Louis plant had failed, the makers of "the choicest product of the brewer’s art" ultimately obtained ownership of the former Central brewery by default, when Columbia merged with Falstaff Brewing Company in July 1948. Falstaff killed both the Alpen Brau and Courtney’s Ale labels after the merger was completed. In fact, Falstaff got permission from the ATF for Columbia to brew Falstaff as a "contract brand" before the merger was finalized. Columbia had shut down the former Ems plant as being inefficient (i. e., unprofitable) shortly before it entered into merger talks with Falstaff. However Falstaff, still seeking additional brewing capacity beyond what Columbia’s St. Louis plant would bring them, due to growing sales, had entertained the possibility of reopening the old Ems brewery.

While Falstaff did brew a few "test" batches of Falstaff Beer in the plant, unfortunately the untimely rupturing of a sewer main in the lower levels of the East St. Louis facility precluded any further thought Falstaff had of reopening this brewery. The plant was disposed of by Falstaff on 29 December 1949, sold for a mere $35,000. It was turned into a warehouse and continued to function as such for a number of years. No trace of the former Central Brewery (or its later incarnations) exists today, as it was torn down a number of years ago. Even so, the memory of the Central Brewing Company, and its successors, is kept alive by local breweriana collectors.

Sources for this article included The Dawn of a Great City; One Hundred years of Brewing, by H. S. Rich and Company, (1903); the Falstaff Story, by Alvin Griesedieck; 1907 St. Clair County History; various issues of The Brewers Journal; East St. Louis Journal and Gazette; and Belleville Daily Advocate. From the American Breweriana Journal, issue #101, November-December 1999 By Donald Roussin & Kevin Kious