Christian Moerlein Brewing Co.

Lore & Background

Christian Moerlein, a Bavarian immigrant born in Truppach, Kingdom of Bavaria, in 1818, traveled to America in 1841 after becoming an apprentice brewer and blacksmith. He settled in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, a heavily German and German-American area, and opened the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company in 1853. In its first year, the brewery produced 1,000 barrels of beer; just over a decade later, annual production reached 26,000 barrels. At its peak, Christian Moerlein beer was shipped as far as Europe and South America, making it the only Cincinnati beer exported internationally. In 1890, Moerlein purchased the Nashville Brewing Company in Nashville, Tennessee, which was managed by his apprentice William Gerst, who assumed sole operations in 1893 and renamed it the William Gerst Brewing Company. Moerlein died in 1897, but the company continued until Prohibition began in 1919, after which it never recovered.

The brand was revived in 1981 by the Hudepohl Brewing Company, and the Christian Moerlein Select Lager became the first American beer to certifiably pass the Reinheitsgebot, the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. In 2004, Greg Hardman purchased the Christian Moerlein brand and over five years acquired Hudepohl, Hudy Delight, Hudy 14-K, Burger, Little Kings, and 65 other historic Cincinnati brand names, bringing many under one ownership. In 2010, Hardman purchased the former Husman Potato Chip factory at 1621 Moore Street in Over-the-Rhine, and the first beer brewed there was the 1861 Porter, released on New Year's Eve 2010. The Christian Moerlein Lager House restaurant opened in February 2012 at The Banks development, adjacent to Great American Ball Park, serving 19th-century German cuisine and functioning as a working microbrewery. The production brewery opened to full operations in 2013 at the site of the historic Kauffman Brewery and former Husman Potato Chip factory, with capacity to brew 15,000 barrels in its first year.

Reader's Guide

Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. holds significance as a pioneer of the American craft beer movement, having been revived in 1981 as a 'better beer' before the craft category formally emerged. Its revival by Hudepohl Brewing Company marked an early attempt to reintroduce a historic, high-quality lager, and the Christian Moerlein Select Lager was the first American beer to certifiably pass the Reinheitsgebot. The brand's legacy is deeply tied to Cincinnati's brewing heritage: under Greg Hardman's ownership from 2004, it gathered over 65 historic local brands under one roof, including Hudepohl, Burger, and Little Kings, making it the first American craft brewery of the current era to consolidate a city's heritage beer brands. The company's physical presence in Over-the-Rhine, with breweries near the Cincinnati Streetcar route, and the Lager House at The Banks development, reinforced its connection to the city's history and revitalization. However, the company faced challenges: in late 2019, a new ownership group renamed it Cincinnati Beverage Company (CinBev), and in December 2020, production halted at the Moore Street facility due partly to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Greg Hardman let go. A complete rebrand of the beer lineup was announced in March 2021, though some former beers remained available seasonally at the Lager House. The brand's enduring cultural resonance was evident when, after the Cincinnati Bengals' playoff run to Super Bowl LVI, the company resurrected 'Hu-Dey' cans, previously produced by Hudepohl in 1981 and 1989, with long lines forming in Over-the-Rhine.

Did You Know?

• Christian Moerlein was a Bavarian immigrant who worked as an apprentice brewer and blacksmith before founding the brewery in 1853.
• At its peak, Christian Moerlein beer was exported to Europe and South America, the only Cincinnati beer to achieve international export.
• In 2022, after the Cincinnati Bengals reached Super Bowl LVI, the company resurrected 'Hu-Dey' cans, with only 2,800 six-packs produced.