Burger Brewing Company
A Cincinnati staple tied to the Reds and Waite Hoyt.
Burger Brewing Company was a Cincinnati, Ohio brewery that remained a regional staple through the 1960s. At its height, the brewery was closely tied to the Cincinnati Reds and radio broadcaster Waite Hoyt through its advertising. Today, Burger Classic and Burger Light are owned by Christian Moerlein Brewing Company, having returned to local control in 2009.
German immigrants Charles and Louis Burger ran the Burger Brothers Malting Company starting in 1880. After Prohibition ended, company president W.J. Huster decided to move into brewing. In 1934, Burger took over the former Lion Brewery on Central Parkway, which had originally been the Windisch-Muhlhauser Brewery. Its first beers were sold under the Burger and Buckeye names, plus a Red Lion Ale honoring the building’s past. A legal dispute forced the brewery to drop the Buckeye brand and Red Lion Ale, replacing them with its own ale. By 1942, less than a decade after starting, Burger produced 460,000 barrels and ranked as the 28th largest brewery in the United States.
World War II kept the brewery from expanding on its early success. Anti-German sentiment led the company to remove the umlaut from its name and a Germanic character from its Burger Brau label. Burger was one of about forty brands allowed to ship beer to military personnel under a Table of Allowance.
After the war, television and radio marketing brought new challenges. Burger faced competition from national brands like Schlitz, Pabst, and Anheuser-Busch outside Cincinnati. The brewery upgraded and expanded its facility, doubling capacity to one million barrels, and added a 300,000-square-foot bottling and shipping building nearby. By 1951, sales reached 710,000 barrels, making it the second-largest brewery in Cincinnati. Burger also brewed Munich’s Löwenbräu under contract after the war.
Burger sponsored Cincinnati Reds radio broadcasts from 1942, when former major league pitcher Waite Hoyt became the broadcaster, until 1965. Hoyt’s call of a home run at Crosley Field—“Headed for Burgerville!”—became familiar to fans. Despite struggling with alcoholism, Hoyt was central to Burger’s marketing success. His “Burger Beer Network” aired on over 27 stations across the brewery’s core market, helping Burger hold its position for years.
As time passed, the company reintroduced German elements.
Quick Facts
- Location City
- Cincinnati
- Location State
- Ohio
- Location Country
- United States
- Opened
- 1883
- Closed
- 1973 (Purchased by Hudepohl)
- Key People
- Charles Burger, Louis Burger, and W.J. Huster
- Owner
- Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Company
- Parent
- Christian Moerlein Brewing Company
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Brothers Charles and Louis Burger, German immigrants, founded Burger Brothers Malting Company in 1880. After Prohibition, under president W.J. Huster, the company entered brewing in 1934, occupying the former Lion Brewery on Central Parkway. Initial beers included Burger, Buckeye, and Red Lion Ale. A legal battle forced the dropping of the Buckeye brand, and Red Lion was dropped in favor of Burger's own ale. By 1942, Burger produced 460,000 barrels, ranking 28th in the United States.
World War II prevented expansion; the brewery distanced itself from its German heritage, removing the umlaut from its name and a Germanic character from Burger Brau labels. It was one of roughly forty brands permitted to ship beer to military personnel. After the war, television and radio marketing brought competition from Schlitz, Pabst, and Anheuser-Busch. Burger upgraded its facility, doubling capacity to one million barrels, and added a new bottling and shipping building. By 1951, sales reached 710,000 barrels, making it second largest in Cincinnati. Burger also brewed Löwenbräu under contract after WWII.
Burger sponsored Cincinnati Reds radio broadcasts from 1942 to 1965, with Waite Hoyt as broadcaster. Hoyt's exclamation during home runs—'Headed for Burgerville!'—became iconic. The 'Burger Beer Network' covered over 27 networks. In the 1950s, the company revived German-themed slogans and imagery. In 1956, Burger purchased the Burkhart Brewing Company in Akron for $2 million, but closed it in 1964. By the mid-1960s, competition forced costly marketing and equipment upgrades. In 1965, Burger added Bohemian Tap Beer, but profitability remained elusive. The company purchased four Pepsi-Cola bottling plants. A fatal mistake came in 1968 when the brewery switched from city water to well water, marketed as 'artesian spring water'; the taste change caused a 14 percent sales drop in Cincinnati. The company never recovered, and its assets were sold to Hudepohl Brewing Company in 1973.
Reader's Guide
Burger Brewing Company's significance lies in its deep regional identity and its role as a Cincinnati institution for decades. Its association with the Cincinnati Reds and broadcaster Waite Hoyt created a lasting cultural imprint, with Hoyt's 'Headed for Burgerville!' catchphrase becoming part of local baseball lore. The brewery's ability to survive and compete against national giants like Schlitz and Anheuser-Busch for years, while also brewing Löwenbräu under contract, demonstrated its adaptability. However, a series of missteps—including an ill-advised water source change in 1968—led to its decline and sale to Hudepohl in 1973. The brand's legacy was revived in 2009 when Christian Moerlein Brewing Company relaunched Burger Classic and Burger Light, restoring the umlaut and reconnecting the beer with its German heritage. As of 2020, the beer is brewed under contract by the Latrobe Brewing Company. The story of Burger Brewing Company illustrates the challenges faced by regional breweries in the post-war era and the enduring power of local brand loyalty.
Did You Know?
- Broadcaster Waite Hoyt, a former major league pitcher, coined the phrase 'Headed for Burgerville!' for home runs at Crosley Field.
- Burger Classic and Burger Light were relaunched in 2009 at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.
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