Baderbräu
Encyclopedia
Baderbräu was a Czech-style pilsener
beer brewed in the Chicago
suburb of Elmhurst, Illinois
from 1988 to 2002, first by the Pavichevich Brewing Company (1988 to 1997) and then by Goose Island Brewery
(1997 to 2002). At its height, Pavichevich Brewing brewed over 14,000 barrels of Baderbräu annually. Baderbräu contained only malted barley, hops, yeast and water in accordance with Reinheitsgebot
, the German purity law of 1516 which permits only those ingredients in beer—no additives or preservatives.
police officer turned oil company sales executive. While traveling Europe for the oil company, Pavichevich came to appreciate the finer beers of Europe and believed that Chicago needed a world class beer of its own. To that end, he returned to the United States and started the Pavichevich Brewing Company in Elmhurst, Illinois
.
In 1988, Mr. Pavichevich wanted to craft a Czech-style pilsener in the tradition of his Eastern European ancestry. However, due to the Cold War
, he worried that giving the beer a name reminiscent of a communist-backed country like Czechoslovakia
would hurt beer sales. Instead, Mr. Pavichevich gave his beer the German-sounding name Baderbräu, after a German friend whose last name was “Bader.” With Chicago having large German and Czech populations (Chicago was once the third largest Czech city in the world), the name was considered a good hybrid for beer drinking Chicagoans.
In its early years, Baderbräu won acclaim, and was called by the late beer reviewer Michael Jackson
“the best pilsener I’ve ever tasted in America.” Baderbräu was the only American beer served by the German consulate in Chicago, and cases of the beer were reportedly ordered to the White House by then President George H. W. Bush
. The beer was served in Oprah Winfrey
's high-profile restaurant The Eccentric, and it was prominently featured by Chicago comedian Bobcat Goldthwait
in his movie "Shakes the Clown
."
The Pavichevich Brewing Company went on to brew other beers. These included Baderbräu Bock and Winterfest beer, but none ever achieved the acclaim that the original Czech-style pilsener did.
Mr. Pavichevich made several novel business moves in starting his company. He took his company public on an idea alone, trading on the NASDAQ
under the symbol “BRAU.” The company used the funds to build a state-of-the-art brewery in Elmherst, Illinois. Convinced that his beer should only be consumed on tap, Mr. Pavichevich sought out taps at bars and restaurants where his beer would be served, he had special glassware made for his beer to be poured in, and he personally trained bartenders on the proper method of pouring Baderbräu. This was one of Baderbräu’s unique selling points: the traditional “pilsener pour,” which produced a thick, malty head of foam when poured slowly from the tap. By 1990, more than 200 bars in the Chicago area carried Baderbräu on tap.
The Pavichevich Brewing discovered that retail establishments wouldn’t stock kegs of a beer not available in bottles. Therefore, in 1990 the company added a bottling line to and began selling in bottles. Then brewmaster Douglass Babcook, who developed Signature beer line for Stroh Brewing Company
’s in bottles, oversaw the transition from tap to bottle sales to ensure the beer maintained its flavor even in the bottle.
After 1990, in an attempt to ramp up sales, the company started making medical claims about Baderbräu, which were soon dropped after an investigation by the FDA. Additionally, the company attempted distribution into Washington state, a region that already had many microbrews, which further depleted the company’s focus and resources.
However, Pavichevich Brewing was cash strapped. Despite considerable demand for the high-quality product, the company didn’t have enough cash to for the high-cost ingredients, labor, and the significant debt payments on the sophisticated facility.
Boston Beer Company
/Sam Adams founder, Jim Koch, toured the company in 1990, saying, “He (Pavichevich) could take away all my customers in Chicago and still go bankrupt in two years.” In 1997, the Pavichevich Brewing Company filed for bankruptcy and was liquidated at auction in bankruptcy court. An investment company called Prairie Associates acquired the Baderbräu trademark and formula then promptly sold this intellectual property to rival Goose Island for an undisclosed sum that is purported to be more than $100,000 US.
's acquisition of Baderbräu purportedly locked up the craft market in Chicago. This deal gave Goose Island control of all the remaining craft beer brands in town, as all the other regional breweries had closed. Additionally, Goose Island used Baderbräu as their “conversion beer” in their product lineup to help bridge light lager and pilsener drinkers to less familiar ales.
In 1998, Goose Island won a silver medal with Baderbräu Pilsner for the Bohemian
pilsner category in the Great American Beer Festival
. Goose Island continued to brew Baderbräu until 2002, at which point in time they substituted it for “Golden Goose Pils” and then “Goose Island PIls” which had less success as conversion products.
Taking a play from the Pavichevich playbook, Goose Island launched “312 Urban Wheat Ale” beer on draft only to build initial demand, then later launched the beer in bottles through retail establishments. Today, 312 Urban Wheat Ale remains Goose Island’s conversion beer and is ubiquitous in bars and retail establishments throughout Chicago.
Pilsener
Pilsner is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the city of Pilsen , Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, where it has been developed since 1842, when a bottom-fermented beer was first produced. The original Pilsner Urquell beer is produced there today.-Origin:Until the mid-1840s, most ...
beer brewed in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
suburb of Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois. The population is 46,013 as of the 2008 US Census population estimate.-History:...
from 1988 to 2002, first by the Pavichevich Brewing Company (1988 to 1997) and then by Goose Island Brewery
Goose Island Brewery
Goose Island Brewery is a brewery located in Chicago, Illinois, that began as a single brewpub known as Clybourn, which was opened in May 1988 by John Hall in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. The larger brewery was opened in 1995, while the second brewpub, Wrigleyville, was opened in 1999...
(1997 to 2002). At its height, Pavichevich Brewing brewed over 14,000 barrels of Baderbräu annually. Baderbräu contained only malted barley, hops, yeast and water in accordance with Reinheitsgebot
Reinheitsgebot
The Reinheitsgebot , sometimes called the "German Beer Purity Law" or the "Bavarian Purity Law" in English, was a regulation concerning the production of beer in Germany. In the original text, the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops...
, the German purity law of 1516 which permits only those ingredients in beer—no additives or preservatives.
Origins
Kenneth Pavichevich was a ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
police officer turned oil company sales executive. While traveling Europe for the oil company, Pavichevich came to appreciate the finer beers of Europe and believed that Chicago needed a world class beer of its own. To that end, he returned to the United States and started the Pavichevich Brewing Company in Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois. The population is 46,013 as of the 2008 US Census population estimate.-History:...
.
In 1988, Mr. Pavichevich wanted to craft a Czech-style pilsener in the tradition of his Eastern European ancestry. However, due to the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, he worried that giving the beer a name reminiscent of a communist-backed country like Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
would hurt beer sales. Instead, Mr. Pavichevich gave his beer the German-sounding name Baderbräu, after a German friend whose last name was “Bader.” With Chicago having large German and Czech populations (Chicago was once the third largest Czech city in the world), the name was considered a good hybrid for beer drinking Chicagoans.
In its early years, Baderbräu won acclaim, and was called by the late beer reviewer Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson (writer)
Michael Jackson was an English writer and journalist. He was the author of several influential books about beer and whisky.-Life:...
“the best pilsener I’ve ever tasted in America.” Baderbräu was the only American beer served by the German consulate in Chicago, and cases of the beer were reportedly ordered to the White House by then President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
. The beer was served in Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
's high-profile restaurant The Eccentric, and it was prominently featured by Chicago comedian Bobcat Goldthwait
Bobcat Goldthwait
Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
in his movie "Shakes the Clown
Shakes the Clown
Shakes the Clown is a 1992 American movie directed and written by Bobcat Goldthwait, who performs the title role. It also features Julie Brown, Blake Clark, Paul Dooley, Kathy Griffin, Florence Henderson, Tom Kenny, Adam Sandler, Scott Herriott, LaWanda Page, Jack Gallagher, and a cameo by Robin...
."
The Pavichevich Brewing Company went on to brew other beers. These included Baderbräu Bock and Winterfest beer, but none ever achieved the acclaim that the original Czech-style pilsener did.
Mr. Pavichevich made several novel business moves in starting his company. He took his company public on an idea alone, trading on the NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
under the symbol “BRAU.” The company used the funds to build a state-of-the-art brewery in Elmherst, Illinois. Convinced that his beer should only be consumed on tap, Mr. Pavichevich sought out taps at bars and restaurants where his beer would be served, he had special glassware made for his beer to be poured in, and he personally trained bartenders on the proper method of pouring Baderbräu. This was one of Baderbräu’s unique selling points: the traditional “pilsener pour,” which produced a thick, malty head of foam when poured slowly from the tap. By 1990, more than 200 bars in the Chicago area carried Baderbräu on tap.
The Pavichevich Brewing discovered that retail establishments wouldn’t stock kegs of a beer not available in bottles. Therefore, in 1990 the company added a bottling line to and began selling in bottles. Then brewmaster Douglass Babcook, who developed Signature beer line for Stroh Brewing Company
Stroh
The Stroh Austria GmbH is a manufacturer of strong spiced rum from Austria.-History:The brand started in 1832 at Klagenfurt, named after the founder Sebastian Stroh. It was awarded a gold medal at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Today Stroh is available in 30 countries...
’s in bottles, oversaw the transition from tap to bottle sales to ensure the beer maintained its flavor even in the bottle.
After 1990, in an attempt to ramp up sales, the company started making medical claims about Baderbräu, which were soon dropped after an investigation by the FDA. Additionally, the company attempted distribution into Washington state, a region that already had many microbrews, which further depleted the company’s focus and resources.
However, Pavichevich Brewing was cash strapped. Despite considerable demand for the high-quality product, the company didn’t have enough cash to for the high-cost ingredients, labor, and the significant debt payments on the sophisticated facility.
Boston Beer Company
Boston Beer Company
Samuel Adams is an American brand of beer brewed by the Boston Beer Company and its associated contract brewers. The company was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, Harry M. Rubin, and Lorenzo Lamadrid in Boston, Massachusetts, USA...
/Sam Adams founder, Jim Koch, toured the company in 1990, saying, “He (Pavichevich) could take away all my customers in Chicago and still go bankrupt in two years.” In 1997, the Pavichevich Brewing Company filed for bankruptcy and was liquidated at auction in bankruptcy court. An investment company called Prairie Associates acquired the Baderbräu trademark and formula then promptly sold this intellectual property to rival Goose Island for an undisclosed sum that is purported to be more than $100,000 US.
Resurgence
Goose Island Beer CompanyGoose Island Brewery
Goose Island Brewery is a brewery located in Chicago, Illinois, that began as a single brewpub known as Clybourn, which was opened in May 1988 by John Hall in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. The larger brewery was opened in 1995, while the second brewpub, Wrigleyville, was opened in 1999...
's acquisition of Baderbräu purportedly locked up the craft market in Chicago. This deal gave Goose Island control of all the remaining craft beer brands in town, as all the other regional breweries had closed. Additionally, Goose Island used Baderbräu as their “conversion beer” in their product lineup to help bridge light lager and pilsener drinkers to less familiar ales.
In 1998, Goose Island won a silver medal with Baderbräu Pilsner for the Bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
pilsner category in the Great American Beer Festival
Great American Beer Festival
The Great American Beer Festival is a three-day annual event hosted by the Brewers Association, held in Denver, Colorado, in mid to late September or early October. This year, 2011, the festival runs from 29 September through 1 October. The GABF brings visitors from around the world to sample more...
. Goose Island continued to brew Baderbräu until 2002, at which point in time they substituted it for “Golden Goose Pils” and then “Goose Island PIls” which had less success as conversion products.
Taking a play from the Pavichevich playbook, Goose Island launched “312 Urban Wheat Ale” beer on draft only to build initial demand, then later launched the beer in bottles through retail establishments. Today, 312 Urban Wheat Ale remains Goose Island’s conversion beer and is ubiquitous in bars and retail establishments throughout Chicago.