Leinenkugel Family Pursues Purchase of Closing Historic Brewery

Jake and Dick Leinenkugel say they’re making an effort to purchase the brewery that features their name as the facility nears its closing.

Molson Coors, which owns the brewery, announced that the historic facility would be closed and production moved to Milwaukee this past November. The brewery is scheduled to officially close on Friday after being part of the Chippewa Falls community for over 150 years.

While the popular Leinie’s Lodge will remain open, 56 brewery employees were notified that they would be laid off. The facility was only producing about 25% of the company’s products before Molson Coors made the decision to centralize production.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the brothers announced that they asked Molson Coors to enter into a non-disclosure agreement to begin discussions on purchasing the facility. They say on January 6th, Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley declined to pursue the agreement, and said the company remains fully committed to the Leinenkugel’s brand.

The Leinenkugel brothers say they made another attempt to stress the importance of the brewery to the region, but had not heard back from the company after about a week. In their statement, they said preserving the brewery and the livelihoods of its workers would be true commitment to the Leinenkugel’s brand.

“The Chippewa Falls brewery is more than a facility, it is a symbol of our legacy, a source of pride for our community, and a key part of what makes Leinenkugel’s unique,” they said. “We continue to hope for a resolution that honors our history and secures the future of brewing in Chippewa Falls.”