Beer Buzz History

The G. Heileman Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA, was a brewery firm that operated in 1858-1996. It was acquired in the latter year by Stroh's, and its independent existence ended. From 1872 until its acquisition, the brewery bore the family name of its co-founder, brewer Gottlieb Heileman.

Other key brewery CEOs in the life of Heileman's were Heileman's son-in-law and successor, Emil T. Mueller, and Russell Cleary.[1] Mueller introduced what was to become Heileman's leading "premium" beer label, Heileman's Old Style Beer, in 1902. Cleary headed an acquisition and consolidation effort in the 1970s and early 1980s that gathered a significant percentage of old-line brewery names and intellectual properties into the Heileman family. After doing this he lost control of the firm to Alan Bond of Australia.

Bond, who already controlled the Tooheys name and beer interests in Australia, hoped to build a worldwide brewing combine. Lacking cash, he financed the acquisition of G. Heileman with junk bonds. The collapse of Bond's financial empire led indirectly to the end of Heileman's existence as an independent brewer. After further consolidations, G. Heileman's brewery names and intellectual properties became part of the Pabst Brewing Company, the current owner (as of 2007). Pabst oversees the brewing of several well-known Heileman brands, including Old Style and Special Export, under the G. Heileman name.

Historic U.S. brewing names that were consolidated into G. Heileman during its final years include Blatz, Blitz-Weinhard, Drewry's, Grain Belt, National Bohemian, Olympia, and Rainier. At its height the Heileman's combination was the third largest brewer in the United States, behind Anheuser-Busch and Miller.

As of 2007, the former Heileman's flagship brewery in La Crosse is owned and operated by the City Brewing Company. The new brewery chose to use the name that the former Heileman's used as its startup name in 1858-1872.

This is actually the first beer purchase I ever made underage and solo.. A case of Heileman's Special Export.. I thought I was bad ass!!!! I went up to the counter like what the fuck, how much for this beer? and got away with it. As I pulled out of the parking lot of E&S liquors in beautiful Posen IL. I neglected to turn on my headlights and got pulled over!!! I shit a golden HoHo right there.. I thought I was toast. The cop was a black chick and didn't even see the case sitting in the back seat she was more concerned with my safety and wanted me to keep my lights on.. Yeah cause the beer was not going to help my vision!!!
Anyhow not a bad beer. Much like Dog Style.. Er a I mean Old Pile or aa Old Style which I like.. Special Export has a good beer flavor to it kind of slight for the malt and hoppyness. What gets me is it has a lot of carbonation.. I guess to give the beer that "CRISP" flavor and me heartburn!!
Not much else to report I am more than likely gonna try a different beer this weekend up at the lake.. Lets see what kind of old piss they sell up there!!!!
Yummmyy