Is Rainier Beer Still Around? A Pacific Northwest Love Story

Is Rainier Beer Still Around? A Pacific Northwest Love Story

Rainier Beer. Just the name conjures up images of snow-capped mountains, evergreen forests, and maybe a slightly tipsy Sasquatch. That iconic red “R” isn’t just a logo; it’s practically a Northwest badge of honor. So, the burning question: can you still get your hands on a cold Rainier? Yep, you can! But the story behind that simple answer is a bit of a twisty mountain road.

Rainier’s tale starts way back in 1878. Picture this: a German immigrant named Andrew Hemrich, with brewing in his blood, sets up shop in Seattle. He calls it Seattle Brewing and Malting Company at first, but it soon becomes Rainier Brewing Company, a nod to that majestic peak looming over everything. For generations, Rainier WAS the Pacific Northwest beer. The brewery in Georgetown? At one point, it was the biggest darn factory in the whole state of Washington! Heck, they even sidestepped state prohibition by cleverly opening a brewery down in San Francisco. Talk about resourceful!

But, like a lot of good stories, there were some bumps in the road. In 1977, the brewery got sold off to G. Heileman Brewing Company. That was the start of a whole game of “who owns Rainier now?” Eventually, Pabst Brewing Company ended up with the keys in the late 90s. And, ouch, they shuttered the Seattle brewery in ’99, sending production elsewhere.

So, where’s Rainier made these days? Well, it’s still under the Pabst umbrella. For a while, they were brewing it at the old Olympia Brewery down in Tumwater, which felt kind of right. But then, things shifted again, and it ended up being made at a Miller plant in Irwindale, California. As of last year, Pabst was planning to move production to City Brewing in Wisconsin. And up in Canada? Sleeman Breweries handles Rainier Lager. It’s a bit of a nomadic beer, isn’t it?

Despite all the corporate shuffling, Rainier is still kicking around, especially here in its home territory. Sure, it’s not brewed in Seattle anymore, which stings a little. But they still have a sales and marketing team based here, trying to keep the dream alive. Word on the street is that in 2023, Rainier was set to ship out more beer than it had in years! Of course, there was that little hiccup earlier this year when draft Rainier was temporarily MIA around Seattle. Just a reminder that contract brewing can be a bit of a juggling act.

You can still find Rainier in cans and bottles, thankfully. It’s a classic American-style lager – crisp, clean, and goes down easy. Perfect for a summer BBQ or just kicking back after a long day.

So, there you have it. Rainier Beer is still very much a thing, even if its journey has been a bit of a rollercoaster. It might not be exactly the same as it was back in the day, but that red “R” still sparks a bit of nostalgia, a reminder of simpler times and a damn good beer. And that, my friends, is worth raising a glass to.