Falstaff Beer: The Rise and Fall of America’s Third-Largest Brewery
Founded in 1903 but with roots back to St. Louis’ Lemp Brewery of the mid-1800s, Falstaff became one of this country’s best selling beer brands, often buying or building additional breweries throughout the country on its way to the top. Production peaked in 1965 with 7,010,218 barrels brewed and then dropped 70 percent in the next 10 years. The Shakespearean knight’s name became synonymous with American working-class culture and baseball broadcasts. While its smaller labels linger on today, its main label Falstaff Beer went out of production in 2005. Pabst discontinued production of Falstaff beer in 2005.
Pabst only sold 1,468 barrels (a barrel equals 31 gallons) of Falstaff nationwide last year, and that figure was falling, making it clear the brand had lost its relevance in modern America. The business mistakes of the past decades now finally revealed their true costs, aging breweries that had become far too inefficient to keep up with Anheuser-Busch’s brand new “super breweries,” among them.
Anchor Beer: San Francisco’s Craft Brewing Pioneer Goes Dark
The San Francisco-based company announced Wednesday it’s ceasing operations and liquidating the beloved business “following a combination of challenging economic factors and declining sales since 2016,” a press release said. The brewery, which produced Anchor Steam beer and Liberty Ale – which it claims is one of the first versions of the now infamous America pale ale style – was originally founded in 1896, and claims to be the first craft brewery in the entire country. This wasn’t just another brewery closure – it represented the end of craft beer’s founding father.
On July 12, 2023, Sapporo announced it was ceasing operations at Anchor and liquidating the business. Sapporo blamed the closure on decreased sales at restaurants and bars caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, competition from other local brewers, and a shift in consumer preferences to alcoholic beverages other than beer. Billionaire Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya purchased Anchor Brewing in May 2024. One year later, the brewery still remains closed.
Olympia Beer: Washington’s Golden Legacy Fades to Black
Known for its distinctive yellow cans and yellow beer, Olympia Beer was an icon of the Pacific Northwest beer market for over a century. Brewed by the Olympia Brewing Company in Tumwater, Washington, this classic brew was introduced to celebrate the region’s pristine water – earning it the tagline, “It’s the Water.” The crisp lager embodied regional pride in a way that few beers ever achieved. After more than 125 years of production, shifting market trends, corporate restructuring, and fierce competition from major brewing conglomerates forced Olympia Beer to pause production in 2021. While the beer was never officially “discontinued,” its production halt marked the end of an era for a beer that once symbolized regional pride and the rich heritage of local craft.
Despite an ever-widening national reputation – movie star Clint Eastwood drank the brand and even used it as a prop in many of his hit movies – sales of Olympia Beer began to lag in the ’90s. And while the Pabst Brewing Company initially made a commitment to continue brewing Olympia, they ultimately closed down the original Tumwater brewery in 2003 and moved production of the beer to their plant in Irwindale California. Sales of the brew in the iconic gold can languished for another two decades, but Pabst finally pulled the trigger and discontinued the brand for good in 2021, citing reduced sales of this once-classic lager.
Meister Bräu: Chicago’s German-Inspired Icon
Meister Bräu was born in Chicago in 1891, emerging when the city’s brewing traditions were in full swing. Local brewers developed this robust lager to capture the rich, German-inspired brewing techniques that had been a hit with the growing immigrant communities. Designed to offer a distinct, full-bodied flavor with a smooth finish, Meister Bräu quickly became a favorite among Chicagoans, embodying the spirit of the Windy City and its hardworking culture. The beer’s German roots ran deep in a city that embraced immigrant brewing traditions.
Founded in 1891 in Chicago by Prussian immigrant Peter Hand, Meister Bräu – German for “Master Brew” – quickly grew to become one of the Midwest’s most popular beers. In the late ’60s it was purchased by a group of investors who overzealously leaned into marketing their new product through association with Chicago’s sports teams and handing out millions of promo items that eventually contributed to the brand’s financial troubles. The marketing blitz couldn’t save the brewery from changing consumer tastes and increased competition.
Bud Dry: Anheuser-Busch’s Failed Answer to the Dry Beer Craze
Bud Dry was Bud Light’s pale ale cousin and Anheuser-Busch’s answer to Michelob Dry. This pale lager was introduced at a time when dry beers like Michelob Dry were starting to make a splash in the market, largely influenced by Japanese innovations like Asahi Super Dry. The late eighties and early nineties saw a brief fascination with crisp, less-sweet beer profiles that promised to cut through the competition. It first appeared in the United States in April 1990, brewed by Anheuser-Busch at its iconic St. Louis brewery in Missouri. Anheuser-Busch launched Bud Dry to capture the growing interest in beers with a crisp, less-sweet profile, positioning it between the classic Budweiser and the lighter Bud Light.
The dry beer trend proved to be a passing fad rather than a lasting consumer preference. While Japanese beer drinkers had embraced the style, American palates eventually returned to more traditional lager profiles, leaving Bud Dry without a sustainable market position in the increasingly crowded beer landscape.
Brown Derby Lager: The Auction Gold Mine from California
The low price and quality of Brown Derby Lager made it a popular choice among consumers, leading to such high demand that Humboldt Brewing couldn’t keep up with production. To meet this demand, Safeway contracted with different regional breweries over the years to continue production. This grocery store brand became something of a phenomenon in California, proving that good beer didn’t need fancy marketing to find its audience.
Despite its success, changes in ownership and market dynamics led to the discontinuation of Brown Derby Lager in the late 1980s. Today, original Brown Derby cans are considered collectibles, with some rare designs fetching significant sums at auctions. Brown Derby cans have become collectibles, with rare designs commanding premium prices at auctions. The collectible market has turned this forgotten grocery store beer into liquid gold for those lucky enough to have saved the cans.
Heineken Dark: The Netherlands’ Lost Robust Offering
For fans of richer, darker brews, Heineken Dark was the go-to choice. Known for its smooth finish and robust flavor, this beer left a lasting impression on those who enjoyed it during their bartending days. This wasn’t just another dark beer – it represented Heineken’s attempt to diversify beyond its flagship green-bottle lager. Professional bartenders remember it fondly as a quality option that bridged the gap between light lagers and heavy stouts.
The international beer market’s focus on lighter, more universally appealing lagers eventually led Heineken to discontinue its darker offerings in most markets. Consumer preferences shifted toward the crisp, clean taste of the original Heineken, leaving little room for the more complex dark variant in the company’s streamlined global strategy.
Rainier Ale: The Pacific Northwest’s “Green Death”
Known affectionately as “Green Death” due to its powerful flavor and high alcohol content, Rainier Ale was a Pacific Northwest favorite. Fans still sing its praises for being bold and unfiltered. This wasn’t a beer for casual drinkers – Rainier Ale commanded respect and loyalty from those who could handle its punch. The nickname “Green Death” became a badge of honor among serious beer drinkers in Washington and Oregon.
The craft beer revolution in the Pacific Northwest ironically contributed to the decline of regional stalwarts like Rainier Ale. As smaller breweries offered increasingly sophisticated options, the simple brutality of high-alcohol ales lost appeal. Modern drinkers wanted complexity and flavor profiles that Rainier Ale’s straightforward approach couldn’t match in the new competitive landscape.
The Collector’s Paradise: When Beer Becomes Treasure
These beers are more than just beverages – they’re memories in a bottle. From regional specialties to nationwide icons, each one reflects the deep, personal connections people have with their favorite brews. The discontinued beer market has created an unexpected economy where empty cans and bottles command serious money from nostalgic collectors.
As with other food and beverage items, each discontinued beer brand gives us a glimpse into America’s history and reminds us that nothing stays the same. These beers mirror changing tastes over time. We researched the rise and fall of these beers that now exist only in our memories to discover the origin story of each, the brewery behind it, and why you won’t find these beers on the shelf in 2025. The auction results for Brown Derby cans prove that sometimes the packaging outlasts the product in value and cultural significance.
These ten classic beers represent more than just discontinued products – they’re chapters in America’s drinking history that closed when changing tastes, corporate consolidations, and economic pressures proved too much to overcome. What would you have guessed would fetch nearly a hundred thousand dollars at auction?