Charles D. Kaier Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 1880 |
| Founder | Charles D. Kaier |
| Defunct | 1968 |
| Fate | Brewery closed; ownership transferred to Ortlieb Brewing Company in 1966 |
| Headquarters | Mahanoy City , United States |
| Products | Beer (Kaier's label) |
The Charles D. Kaier Company operated as a beer brewery located in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, producing beer under the Kaier's label from 1880 until 1968 through multiple corporate structures. Ownership transferred to Philadelphia's Ortlieb Brewing Company in 1966, with the brewery closing two years later in 1968.
Founding and Early Years
Charles D. Kaier, originally named Anslem Troian Kaier, was born on March 6, 1837, in Binningen, within the Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany. He emigrated to the United States with his family during the mid-1850s. Residing in Norristown and St. Clair, Pennsylvania, Kaier served a brief three-month term in a Pennsylvania volunteer infantry unit during the American Civil War. Subsequently, he adopted the Anglicized name Charles D. Kaier.
Following his marriage to Margaret Curry, whose parents were Irish immigrants, Kaier established his residence in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania. There, he acted as an agent for the Philadelphia-based Bergner and Engle brewery. In 1862, he launched the Chas. D. Kaier Co., initially focusing on liquor by acquiring whiskey barrels and bottling them for retail sale. Additionally, he began packaging and distributing beer on behalf of local breweries.
Development of the Brewery
Toward the end of the 1870s, Kaier invited his cousin Franz Kaier from Germany to study at the American Brewing Academy in Chicago, Illinois. Franz was later appointed brewmaster at the brewery established in 1880 under the name Chas. D. Kaier Brewery. Over time, the business experienced several renamings: from Chas. D. Kaier & Co. Brewery (1882–1884) to Francis X. Kaier Brewery until 1891, then to Chas. D. Kaier Brewing Co. until 1894 when it became known as Chas. D. Kaier Co. Ltd. Brewery. This title remained in use for 26 years until Prohibition commenced in 1920. During Prohibition, operations continued under the name Kaier Brewing Co.. Alternate records indicate corporate names such as Chas D. Kaier Brewing Co. (1891–1894) and Chas D. Kaier Co., Ltd. up until 1966; a legal case from 1932 refers to it as Charles D. Kaier Company, Inc..
Throughout Prohibition, the company held authorization to produce cereal beverages including low-alcohol beer, renewing its permit annually until 1930 when the U.S. Prohibition Commissioner denied further renewal. Although a district court initially ordered continuation of the permit, an appellate court overturned this decision after investigators uncovered evidence implying illicit beer production and concealment at the brewery premises—such as sealed cellars and suspicious activities suggesting unauthorized brewing operations.
See also
External links
- Grants received for Kaier Brewery demolition, Republican Herald, Pottsville, Pennsylvania, November 15, 2014
- United States v. Charles D. Kaier, Circuit Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 61 F.2d 160 (3d Cir. 1932) (archived)