Chicago-based Molson Coors announced today that it will close the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. brewery in Chippewa Falls and its craft beer brewery near downtown Milwaukee and will consolidate beer production from those facilities at its Miller Brewing Co. facility on the west side of Milwaukee.
The move ends production of Leinenkugel beers at the company’s iconic Chippewa Falls brewery. Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. was founded in Chippewa Falls in 1867, it was sold to Miller Brewing Co. in 1988 and is now a subsidiary of Molson Coors.
In 1997 Leinenkugel Brewing Co. purchased a facility on North 10th Street near downtown Milwaukee and I-43. The facility because the home of MillerCoors’ Milwaukee-based craft beer division, Tenth and Blake Beer Co., which included the production of Leinenkugel beers. In 2017, the company began a $50 million expansion project there to add 65 jobs and increase capacity from 25,000 to 250,000 barrels of beer a year.
But now Molson Coors has decided to shut down the Chippewa Falls brewery and the 10th Street facility in Milwaukee.
“Following the end of a large contract brewing agreement and amid an ongoing canning line investment project at our (main) Milwaukee brewery, we’ve made the decision to close two of our smaller brewing operations in Wisconsin and centralize statewide production at our main site in Milwaukee,” said Molson Coors chief supply chain officer Brian Erhardt. “While never easy, these choices are made with much thought and consideration to position Molson Coors for continued success in Wisconsin and beyond.”
In response, former president of Leinenkugel’s, Dick Leinenkugel released a lengthy statement: “I am deeply saddened by the decision of the Molson Coors leadership team to close our Chippewa Falls brewery and home. For over 157 years and six generations of family management, Leinenkugel’s has been brewing great beers for our legions of fans throughout Wisconsin and across the country. I feel for all impacted employees and their families in Chippewa Falls and trust that the Molson Coors leadership will do everything possible to ease their pain during this challenging time. I know the Molson Coors leaders don’t take these decisions lightly. It’s clear to me that they determined that the savings resulting from the closure were significant enough to justify this difficult decision. None of our family members were aware or counseled ahead of the decision. It’s a sad day for our family and our fans. In 2017, we came together in Chippewa Falls to celebrate our brewery’s 150th anniversary. It was the defining moment of my career in beer. Alongside my brothers, Jake and John, and members of our fourth, fifth, and sixth generations of family, we proudly toasted our beer drinkers, retail customers, and distributors to thank them for their loyalty and support. Today, on behalf of the Leinenkugel family, I thank them again and will toast them this evening with a Leinenkugel’s Original and a tear in my eye.”
The Leinie Lodge and adjacent pilot brewery at the Chippewa Falls plant will remain open, Erhart said.
“Ever since Leinenkugel’s joined Miller Brewing in 1988, the brand and Chippewa Falls have been a cherished part of our company and culture,” Erhart said. “That’s not changing. Leinie’s Summer Shandy and the rest of the portfolio will continue to play a role in our premiumization plans, and the Leinie Lodge and adjacent pilot brewery will remain open year-round for guests to enjoy and experience the Leinenkugel’s beers and history.”
