Anchor Brewing
San Francisco
Founded: 1896
Current rank: 32
How it survived Prohibition: Shut down for duration.
How it survives today: Fritz Maytag’s legacy.
Anheuser-Busch
St. Louis
Founded: 1852
Current rank: 1
How it survived Prohibition: Grape soda, ginger ale, carbonated coffee.
How it survives today: Resistance is futile.
Cold Springs
(formerly Gluek)
Cold Springs, MN
Founded: 1857
Current rank: 47
How it survived Prohibition: Near beer and soda.
How it survives today: Energy drinks, O.P.B. (Other People’s Beer)OK?
Coors
Golden, CO
Founded: 1873
Current rank: 2 (as Miller Coors)
How it survived Prohibition: Mars candy bars, porcelain manufacturing.
How it survives today: Inexplicable allure of pure Rocky Mountain spring water.
Genesee
Rochester, NY
Founded: 1878
Current rank: 8
How it survived Prohibition: Shut down for duration.
How it survives today: Private equity, discount pricing.
Leinenkugel
Chippewa Falls, WI
Founded: 1867
Current rank: 2 (as Miller Coors)
How it survived Prohibition: Soda water.
How it survives today: Dogged family principles in face of assimilation.
Lion
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Founded: 1905
Current rank: 15
How it survived Prohibition: Near beer, dye manufacture.
How it survives today: Stegmaier beers, Goya Malta, O.P.B.
F.X. Matt
Utica, NY
Founded: 1888
Current rank: 13
How it survived Prohibition: Utica Club soda.
How it survives today: Saranac beers, O.P.B.
Miller
Milwaukee, WI
Founded: 1855
Current rank: 2 (as Miller Coors)
How it survived Prohibition: Near beer, malt tonic.
How it survives today: Tastes great, less filling.
Minhas
(formerly Joseph Huber)
Monroe, WI
Founded: 1845
Current rank: 14
How it survived Prohibition: Ice cream, near beer, farm equipment.
How it survives today: Insatiable thirst of Canadians.
August Schell
New Ulm, MN
Founded: 1860
Current rank: 22
How it survived Prohibition: Near beer, soda and candy.
How it survives today: Craft brewing, lingering appreciation of retro Grain Belt.
Spoetzl
Shiner, TX
Founded: 1909
Current rank: 10
How it survived Prohibition: Near beer, though local legend says they never stopped brewing the real thing.
How it survives today: Don’t mess with Texas.
Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI
Founded: 1857
Current rank: 44
How it survived Prohibition: Near beer, Orange Crush.
How it survives today: You can teach an old dog new tricks.
Straub
St. Marys, PA
Founded: 1872
Current rank: 50
How it survived Prohibition: Near beer.
How it survives today: Think small.
Yuengling
Pottsville, PA
Founded: 1829
Current rank: 4
How it survived Prohibition: Near beer and ice cream.
How it survives today: American icon.