The History of Rainier Beer - part 2
(1933-1999)
 

In 1915, Washington's state-wide prohibition gave brewers until 1 January 1916 to liquidate their inventories and cease operations. The Seattle Brewing & Malting Co. chose to build a new plant in California believing that national prohibition would not happen. Before the year was out the Rainier Brewing Company of San Francisco was on-line with Louis Hemrich overseeing the operation.

Of course, Prohibition was voted in, but the plant continued to operate by producing soft drinks and near-beer. By 1932 people had had enough and elected Franklin Roosevelt, in part for his promise to end Prohibition. With the Repeal in sight, Rainier geared up.

Emil Sick was responsible for returning the venerable brand back to the place of its birth, but it was a struggle that lasted 20 years and cost him over a million dollars.

With the end of Prohibition this Canadian brewer sought opportunities in the U.S. market. He began with the 1933 acquisition of three breweries in Montana. First he formed a partnership with the owners of the Montana Brewing Co. and the American Brewing & Malting Co., two Great Falls firms dating from the 1890s. They turned the Montana Brg. plant into a malt house, and the American plant into the primary - thus forming Great Falls Breweries, Inc. They remained a part of the Sick empire until September of 1949 when Sick returned control to the Jensen and Johnson partners.

Next he partnered with the owners of the old Garden City Brewery in Missoula. The new company was established as the Missoula Brewing Co. The brewery remained a Sick satellite for 16 years. Then, at the same time he relinquished his interest in his Great Falls holdings, he sold his shares back to the Steinbrenner family. The Missoula Brg. Co. was then more commonly referred to as the Highland Brewing Co.

Sick then joined forces with an old friend, Harry Goetz, and re-opened the old Henco Brewery in Spokane. Demand soon exceeded the plants capacity and in December of 1936 they bought the old Galland-Burke Brewery, establishing Spokane Breweries, Inc. While Rainier was never brewed in Montana, it was produced in Spokane until Sick closed the plant in 1962.

Seattle Brewing & Malting Company
(1935-1944)

Sicks' Seattle Brewing & Malting Company
(1944-1957)

Sicks' Rainier Brewing Company
(1957-1970)

Rainier Brewing Company
(1970-1999)

Occasionally I'm asked if Rainier is still being brewed. The answer is yes and no! Of course there is no longer beer flowing from the Seattle plant, however the Pabst Brewing Company still owns and markets the brand. Currently the Miller Brewing Company has been contracted by Pabst to produce Rainier Beer in their Irwindale, CA. So yes, you can still get a Rainier Beer! But only in these Western States - CA, NV, OR, WA, ID, MT, and WY. Check the "Locator" to see if it's available in your area of

A book on the Rainier Brewing Co. and the Rainier brand is in the works ......
so there won't be many changes to this page.

But for those of you nostalgic for the classic Rainier commercial of the motorcycle..