Rainier Brewing Company
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| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1878 in Seattle, WA |
| Founder | Andrew Hemrich |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California |
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Key people
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Andrew Hemrich Emil Sick |
| Products | Beer |
| Owner | Pabst Brewing Company |
| Website | www.rainierbeer.com |
Andrew Hemrich
Rainier Brewing Company (1878–1999) was a Seattle, Washington, company that brewed Rainier Beer, a popular brand in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Although Rainier was founded in 1884, the Seattle site had been brewing beer since 1878. The beer is no longer brewed in Seattle, nor is the company owned locally. In the late 1990s, the company was sold to Stroh's, then to Pabst Brewing Company, though Miller contract brews most of Pabst's beers. The brewery was closed by Pabst in 1999 and sold.
The brewery itself is a well-known fixture in the south end of town, adjacent to I-5 just north of the Spokane Street Viaduct. The plant is also home to the Tully's Coffee headquarters, Bartholomew Winery, Red Soul Motorcycle Fabrications, as well as artist lofts, band practice spaces, and a recording studio. The trademark red neon "R" that sat atop the building was replaced with a green "T" when Tully's was using the plant to roast coffee. The neon "R" is now on display at Seattle's Museum of History and Industry. The green "T" was removed on September 30, 2013 by Tully's, and a red neon replica "R" returned to the top of the brewery on October 24, 2013. The brand is currently owned and operated by Pabst Brewing Company. In Canada, it is brewed and distributed by Sleeman Breweries as Rainier Lager.
The original brewery dates all the way back to 1854 when A.B. Rabbeson opened Washington Brewery, which was Seattle’s first commercial brewing company. In 1872, Rabbeson renamed his brewery Seattle Brewery. They launched Rainier beer in 1878 and would produce and distribute Rainier for the next decade. Concurrently, John Kopp and Andrew Hemrich founded Seattle Brewing and Malting in 1883. In 1888, Rabbeson sold his brewery, along with the Rainier brand, to Kopp and Hemrich.
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