Wisconsin Breweries History: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company Owned by Miller Brewing Company
When Jacob Leinenkugel first came to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in
1866, he found wide rivers, lush forests, clean water. And 2500 thirsty
lumberjacks. As the son of a German brew master and brother to two others,
Jacob knew an opportunity when he saw one. So he and business partner John
Miller set to work building the Spring Brewery. The name held the secret of
their rich, tasty product—the pure water that flowed from the Big Eddy Spring.
Neither acidic nor alkaline, the water was perfect for brewing full-bodied
beer. And, in 1867, the first batch of Leinenkugel’s beer was born.
Within thirteen years, Jacob and his crew were handcrafting 1800 barrels of
Leinie’s per year to meet the growing thirst for quality beer in the Chippewa Valley.
By 1890 he had expanded the renamed Jacob Leinenkugel’s Spring Brewery to include a new
brew house, three-story malt house and a barn to house the teams of horses that drew the
Leinie’s delivery wagons. After Jacob’s death in 1899, son Matt stepped in as the
second-generation Leinenkugel to oversee the precious family heritage that is
Leinenkugel’s beer.
Since being purchased by Miller in 1988, their production has been
increased, but the beer is still good, and family members are still involved
with the company.
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