Below are a few of the Lancaster area breweries from back in the old days. Breweries like Wacker, Sprenger, Haefner, and Rieker were just some of the major breweries in the area. Check back later as I will be adding more breweries to the list along with reference photos.
Wacker Brewing Company
201-223 West Walnut & Water Streets, Lancaster, PA
Eagle Brewery 1859-1863
Joseph Wacker 1865-1877
S. V. S. Wacker Bros, 1877-1879
C. C. Wacker & Bro. 1879-1884
Chas V. Wacker & Bro. 1884-1920
Brewery operations shut down during Prohibition in 1920-1933
Prohibition Ends!
Old Lancaster Brewing Co. 1933-1938
Wacker Brewing Co. 1939-1956
Closed in 1956
Status of the “original” building: Unknown.
Beer Produced: Little Dutch Porter | Wacker’s Half & Half | Wacker’s Ale | Wacker Premium Beer | Wacker Premium Porter | Wacker’s All Malt Ale | Wacker’s All Malt Beer | Wacker’s Bavarian Brand Weiss Beer | Little Dutch Ale | Wacker’s Beer | Little Dutch Beer | Old Bohemian Beer | Wacker Porter | Wacker’s Bohemian Beer | Wacker Bock | Olde Lancaster Beer
Wacker Brewing Co. was resurrected in 2014 and is now brewing craft beer based off old recipes.
Sprenger Brewing Company
205-217 Locust Street, Lancaster, PA
J. A. Sprenger Brewery 1873-1883
Excelsior Brewery 1883-1891
J. A. Sprenger, Excelsior Brewery 1891-1895
Sprenger Brewing Co. 1895-1920
Brewery operations shut down during Prohibition in 1920-1933
Prohibition Ends!
Sprenger Brewing Co. 1933-1951
Closed in 1951
Status of the building: Currently being renovated into the Excelsior Brewery Complex
Beer Produced: Sprenger Famous Red Rose Beer | Sprenger Famous Red Rose Bock Beer | Sprenger Famous Red Rose Pilsener Beer | Sprenger Quality Unexcelled | Sprenger Quality Unexcelled Half & Half | Sprenger’s Red Rose Cream Ale | Sprenger’s Red Rose Dark Beer | Sprenger’s Red Rose Porter | Red Rose Ale | Red Rose Bock | Red Rose Beer | Red Rose Half & Half | Red Rose Porter | Old Munchner Beer | Sprenger Beer | Old English Ale | Sprenger Lager Beer
Haefner Brewing Company
123-143 Locust Street, Lancaster, PA
Lawrence Knapp, Empire Steam Brewery 1870-1886
Joseph Haefner 1886-1907
Joseph Haefner Estate 1907-1911
Empire Brewery 1911-1920
Brewery operations shut down during Prohibition in 1920
Prohibition Ends!
Haefner Brewing Co. 1933-1946
Lancaster Brewery, Inc. 1946-1949
Closed in 1949
Status of the building: Unknown.
Beer Produced: Knapp’s Lager Beer | Haefner’s Lager | Bock Beer | Haefner’s Pilsener Beer | Haefner’s Ale | Haefner’s Bock | Haefner’s Porter | Haefner’s Beer | Haefner’s Pale Ale | Old Bohemian Beer | Royal Premier Pilsener Beer | Old German Beer | Tivoli Beer | Signet Beer
Rieker Brewery
West King, West Reiker, 1st Street & Brewery Avenue, Lancaster, PA
Stroebel, Senn & Klink 1867-1874
H. Stroebel & Co., Senn & Rieker 1874-1876
Frank A. Rieker, Star Brewery 1876-1907
Frank A. Rieker Estate, Star Brewery 1907-1912
F. A. Rieker Brewing Co. 1912-1920
Brewery operations shut down during Prohibition in 1920
Prohibition Ends!
Penn Star Brewery 1933-1935
Closed in 1938
Closed in 1938
Status of the building: Demolished.
Columbia Brewing Company
251/255 South 4th Street, Columbia, PA
Columbia Brewery 1873-1897
Loder Brewing Co. 1897-1901
Columbia Brewing Co. 1901-1920
Rieker Brewing Co. 1904-1905
Rieker’s Columbia Brewing Co. 1905-1906
Brewery operations shut down during Prohibition in 1920
Issued permit for the production of non-alcoholic beverages during Prohibition
Prohibition Ends!
Columbia Brewing Co. 1933-1934
Closed in 1934
Status of the building: Demolished.
Mount Joy Brewing Company
102 North Market Street, Mount Joy, PA
Mount Joy Brewery 1860-1874
Frank Lenhard Brewery 1874-1877
Alois Bube Brewery 1877-1908
Mount Joy Brewery 1908-1917
Closed in 1917
Status of the building: Still standing; is currently being used by the Bube’s Brewery.
Beer Produced: Mount Joy Light Beer
Schoenberger Brewing Company
Locust & Rockland Streets, Lancaster, PA
August Schoenberger 1852-1859
August Schoenberger & John Miller 1860-1863
Augustus Schoenberger 1863-1884
Closed in 1884
Status of the building: Unknown.
Lion Brewing Company
329 Church Street, Lancaster, PA
H. Erisman 1871-1874
Lion Brewery 1874-1877
B. Landis 1877-1882
Closed in 1882
Status of the building: Demolished.
Action Brewing Company
41 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA
Hillaire Zaeppel 1860-1864
The Action Brewing Co., Ltd. 1864-1869
Hillaire Zaeppel 1869-1872
Closed in 1872
Status of the building: Unknown.
Franke Brewing Company
216 North Lime Street, Lancaster, PA
Henry Franke Brewery 1848-1877
Closed in 1877
Status of the building: Unknown.