Meister Bräu/Peter Hand Brewery in Chicago, IL and Lite Beer

(Satellite)

In 1891, Peter Hand opened a brewery in the northwest quadrant of North and Sheffield Avenues. In 1965 a group of investors bought it and changed the name to Meister Bräu with the intent of becoming a national beer. Their initial success included a new Lite Beer and an expansion to one million barrels per year. This put Meister Bräu among the top 30 beer companies in the US. But they overextended themselves and in 1972 the Meister Bräu brands and recipes were bought by Miller Brewing of Milwaukee. Miller renamed the Lite Beer recipe to Miller Lite. The brewery went back to the Peter Hand name and introduced Old Chicago. But Old Chicago never caught on and the brewery was closed in 1978. It was the city's last "macro-brewery." [wbez, EncyclopediaChicagoHistory]

Larry Totton commented on a post
(The primary photo of the post is of the Brand Brewery.)
Richard Wedgbury: They invented “lite beer”. Miller bought them out to get rights to “lite beer” process and name.
Penny Hoffman: My dad developed the formula for lite. The last owner took it down the tubes with bad investments and greed.
Michael Adam: I worked at the Chem lab and we made vitamins for the Feed division as well as testing. I was on my way from College to there the day Kennedy was shot. I remember Dr. John was the head of the labs.
George Castle: Meister Brau Showcase with Franklyn MacCormack from 11 p.m to 5:30 a.m. six nights a week on WGN-Radio.
George Castle: Peoria livestock report at 3 a.m. "...and four poor little ole sheep."
[This radio show was part of the advertising that Meister Bräu mounted after 1965.]

Another comment on the post

Joah Hoes posted
The Peter Hand Brewing Company was an American brewery established in 1891 by Prussian immigrant and American Civil War veteran Peter Hand in Chicago, Illinois. The company is notable for popularizing the light beer recipe they would later sell to Miller Brewing who thereafter rebranded it Miller Lite. When the brewery closed in 1978, it was the last brewing company in Chicago, until Sieben's River North opened in 1987. His popular lager was called Meister Brau. Here is the brewery in August of 1966 on the corner of North Avenue and North Sheffield.
Janet L. Tatje shared
Pete Kastanes updated
Here is a photo of The Peter Hand Brewery Company. The beer brand Meister Brau Beer was manufactured there. The date of the photograph is  August 1966. The plant was at 1000 W North Ave in Chicago.
[There are quite a few comments on this post.]

Jim Sweeney commented on Janet's share

The curves on the buildings show where the railroad spur off of Milwaukee's Chicago & Evanston used to enter the facility.

Satellite

The spur's right-of-way now has a loading dock for trucks.

Street View

Don Hardy posted two photos with the comment: "Who is old enough to remember the Peter Hand brewery 1000 North Avenue and Sheffield brewers of Meister Brau and Meister Brau Lite brands I've been and avid collector of the breweriana from that brewery for over 40 years when out of business in the early 70s Miller brewing of Milwaukee bought the Meister Brau & Lite labels"

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A comment by David Rotter on MadeInChicago:

Why does it seem that no one ever talks about the devastating Peter Hand Brewery fire. I remember answering the phone call that told us there was a fire and my father was burned badly in it. My father is still alive still carrying the scars, and the trauma of the event.
The man responsible for the fire felt so much remorse, after he came to see my father in the hospital, he took his own life and committed suicide because he was told my father would not survive. A senseless death, my father did survive. That fire was the real ending of the Peter Hand Brewery.

This article explains why Chicago never had a mega brewery.