Molson To Close Leinenkugel’s Chippewa Falls Brewery

When I first heard the news, it took me a couple seconds to understand what I was reading, then I was like……WHAT??….THAT’S CRAZY!

Some may argue that the brewery doesn’t have the capacity for the quantity demand of the beer and some are also arguing that the Leinenkugel family shouldn’t have sold to a macro beer in the first place.

Now that’s it’s been a couple days and I’ve had time to think about it and read what others have commented, the decision to close the 157 year old brewery makes sort of sense….maybe? But there’s definitely arguments for not closing it also.

As of right now, 75% of Leinenkugel beer has been brewed in Milwaukee, the other 25% has been brewed at the Chippewa Falls brewery. From a business standpoint, moving all production to one location is a big money and logistics saver for the corporation. For us fans of the beer and heritage, that’s not the best decision.

Molson has also decided to close the relatively ..newly remodeled 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee which was once key to brewing the majority of Leine’s portfolio and the craft brands they owned until just recently, which they have sold to Tilray. With all those brands gone and the canning contract they had with Pabst now done, they no longer have any use for that brewing facility anymore. And as a result of these closings on January 17th of 2025, a total of 90 people will lose their jobs. The last I heard was all future Leinenkugel beers will then be produced at the Miller Valley Brewery on State Street.

Last years production strike probably didn’t help with the current situation either, that might have put the brewery on the target of the corporate headhunters on where to cut costs. The Chippewa brewery could’ve been flying under the radar until that point…who knows?

Then you have the people saying they shouldn’t have sold to big beer but back in the late 80’s Leinenkugel’s was struggling and were facing bankruptcy and had to find a way to save it, which they did with the Miller purchase. That was the best solution if you ask me, have the funding and distro from the old big boy in the state while still being able to run things as they always have been. Perfect.

Sadly beer corporations are never happy with what they have and the consolidations and acquisitions started happening and that’s when Miller was merged with Coors and also the Molson takeover of that ….and wasn’t there even a Budweiser purchase of Miller or something that forced the separation of things which is why Miller Coors became Molson Coors?? …I cant even keep track anymore.

Another thing that was shocking to me was that apparently the Leinenkugel family wasn’t even informed of this idea of possibly closing the brewery. Dick Leinenkugel is quoted as saying “None of our family members were aware or counseled ahead of the decision” and to me that’s super cruel and almost like they were trying to sneak attack the closure…which they did.

The Chippewa brewery is more than a production facility, it’s a landmark and place for the community and other beer fans like all of us to come to and enjoy. I myself have been out there about 8-10 times since I started this website and actually I was there just a couple months back for the annual collectors show.

The one good thing out of all this is that the Leine Lodge and the pilot brewery inside said lodge will remain open for visitors….but for how long? They always try to soften the blow with things like this by giving that “small” saving grace to the fans before they decided to pull the plug on that too. It would be insane to not keep it open for years to come because as I said, Leinenkugel’s means something to Chippewa Falls and Chippewa Falls means something to Leinenkugel’s. Every time I have visited, it’s been busy with tourists and beer drinkers alike, so that right there shows the popularity of this brewery. But right now, they have cut out the heart to what was a hidden gem in the Northwoods.

To close, I’ll say this one hit hard for me because I love old school beer and to have a 157 year old brewery still in operation with a modern flair, it’s everything that I try to bring to all of you through this website.

Visiting the Chippewa brewery was like going back in time but still recognizing what beer is today. Sure we will still be able to visit the lodge and see the brewery but the fact that it isn’t being used for brewing beer on a weekly basis as it has been since 1867, just isn’t the same.