The Master Brewers St. Louis District has a rich and dynamic history, dating back to approximately 1891 when the Master Brewers Association of the United States held its Fourth Annual Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. https://www.mbaa.com/about/history/Pages/default.aspx
The St. Louis District held a pivotal role in the development in one of the industry's most notable handbooks: The Practical Brewer.
According to MBAA, "...in 1944, a “brewer’s book” was deemed necessary by four MBAA master brewers. Edward H. Vogel, Jr., Griesedieck Bros. Brewery; Frank H. Schwaiger, Anheuser-Busch; Henry G. Leonhardt, assistant master brewer at Anheuser-Busch; and J. Adolph Merten, vice president and general manager of the Columbia Brewing Co., jointly lamented the lack of hands-on, practical information for those employed in the brewing industry. They approached the president of MBAA and volunteered to write such a practical manual…if…MBAA would publish it. Two years of preparation, aided by a 21-member MBAA Editorial Board led to the completion of the first edition of The Practical Brewer. The new book was formally presented to MBAA President B. A. Poelhuis at a St. Louis MBAA business dinner meeting on December 7, 1946."
https://www.mbaa.com/about/history/HeritageChair/Pages/The-Historical-Practical-Brewer.aspx
Today the St. Louis District has a dynamic membership that spans across a diverse group of brewing professionals, celebrating being the home of the North American Zone Headquarters for Anheuser-Busch Inbev, to having well over 100 craft breweries and a variety of suppliers throughout its geography.
We organize 3 full-afternoon membership meetings throughout the year, hosting technical seminars with in-demand speakers and experts from the industry. We strive to collaborate with additional industry partners, ranging from our two state guilds (the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild and the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild), the Cicerone Certification Program, Pink Boots, STLBeer, and university brewing programs. Our District functions are open to members and non-members alike, regardless your level of technical brewing, as we continue to have an atmosphere of "Gemütlichkeit", which roughly translates to "warm hospitality" or "community solidarity". Cheers!
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