Who owns ACME BEER?

ACME BEER is owned by

NORTH COAST BREWING CO.

The Acme Brewing Company was founded in 1907 in San Francisco, California by Leopold Schmidt. Schmidt was also the owner of Olympia Brewing Company of Tumwater, Washington, and began trading those beers in San Francisco in 1905. When the Great Earthquake of 1906 destroyed many of the local breweries, Schmidt saw the opportunity to establish a brewery locally, and built a facility at the foot of Telegraph Hill. However, he was not able to replicate the taste of Olympia with San Francisco’s differing water profile, so he launched the beer with the new brand of Acme.

In 1917, Acme merged with five other San Francisco breweries, and became the California Brewing Association. As prohibition began, Acme diversified into near beer, ice cream, and soft drinks, but began advertising its alcoholic beverages even before prohibition officially ended. However, the company struggled in the mid-century, and finally shut down in 1954. The rights to the brand, along with the rest of California Brewing Association’s assets, were purchased by Liebmann Breweries, based out of New York State.

Liebmann was later renamed Rheingold Brewery, after its number one product. Rheingold went bankrupt in 1976, and in 1977 it was purchased by Christian Schmidt Brewing Company, based out of Philadelphia. In 1987, it too went bankrupt, with G. Heileman Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin purchasing all of its brands, including the dormant Acme. Heileman itself failed in 1996, which is when North Coast Brewing, based out of Fort Bragg, California, purchased the rights to the beer.

North Coast brewed Acme as a throwback beer, complete with a pin up girl on its label. The recipes, however, were more appropriate for the modern palatte: a “California IPA” and a pale ale. The brand was discontinued once again in 2022, but brought back in 2024.

Popular Beers by this Brand

• Acme California IPA
• Pale Ale

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