Firestone Walker Brewing of Paso Robles, California, announced today that they will be assuming stewardship of Trumer Pils USA, which is located in Berkeley, California in the old Golden Pacific brewery on Fourth Street.

Trumer is owned by the Gambrinus Company of San Antonio, Texas. They also own Shiner Beers, and previously owned BridgePort Brewing of Portland, Oregon, along with Pete’s Wicked Ales, though they discontinued both of those brands. The original Trumer brewery is located near Salzburg, Austria and has been brewing there since at least 1601. In 1775, the Sigl family bought the brewery and has continued to run it up to and including the current eighth generation.

In 2004, the Sigl family worked with the Gambrinus Co. to open Trumer USA in Berkeley, where brewmaster Lars Larson, who was trained as a brewer in Germany, perfectly dialed in the pilsner recipe to create the world’s most awarded pilsner in beer competitions.

Beginning in early summer, most likely around the middle of June, brewing will transition from Berkeley to Paso Robles, where brewmaster Matt Brynildson will take over brewing the beer to exacting specifications.

I spoke to Firestone Walker CEO Nick Firestone this morning and he stressed that they are not acquiring the brewery, but instead will be taking over production in their facility, and helping to keep this great beer alive, so to speak. It’s no secret that rising prices have hit California breweries especially hard with manufacturing costs, particularly in the Bay Area, skyrocketing. Beer lovers are still reeling from the loss of Anchor Steam Beer (which hopefully is on its way back) so at least fresh Trumer Pils will still be available and in capable hands.

Firestone Walker will continue to brew their own Pivo Pils, which is essentially an Italian-style pilsner, whereas Trumer Pils a German-style version of the lager. Packaging may be refreshed slightly, but distribution and availability should continue seamlessly through the summer transition.

The Gambrinus Company will be decommissioning the Berkeley brewery. At least that’s the plan for now, though that could change as they explore other options between now and when things wind down there around June.

Here’s more from the press release:

“The story of Trumer Pils spans continents and centuries. Trumer Privatbrauerei, the original European brewery, traces its roots to Obertrum, Austria, a small town outside of Salzburg, where brewing rights date back to 1601. In 1775, Josef Sigl, a Bavarian hops merchant, acquired the brewery and established the Sigl family’s stewardship of the brand, which continues today in its eighth generation. For decades, Trumer has been known for its precise, balanced pilsner brewed in the classic European tradition.

More than two centuries later, Trumer started a new chapter in the United States in 2004 when Carlos Alvarez, founder of The Gambrinus Company, began to brew Trumer Pils for the United States market at the Trumer Brewery in Berkeley, California. Alvarez assembled a team of craft brewers that imported Trumer Pils’ hops, malt and yeast from Europe into the United States. It was a revolutionary idea: rather than import a European lager across the Atlantic Ocean, Alvarez chose to brew it locally with the same methods and ingredients as the original beer. Under the leadership of longtime Brewmaster Lars Larson, Trumer Pils became known regionally and throughout the United States for its freshness, balance, and drinkability, winning 21 gold medals in the world’s most prestigious brewing competitions in the last 21 years.

This latest chapter in Trumer’s storied history begins with Firestone Walker assuming stewardship of Trumer Pils in the United States, continuing its California brewing tradition while protecting the quality and freshness that define the brand. Trumer Pils will now be brewed at Firestone Walker’s Paso Robles brewery as part of a long-term commitment to honoring its legacy while supporting its future growth. As part of this evolution, The Gambrinus Company will begin winding down operations at its Trumer Brewery in Berkeley.

“Our priority has always been to grow and steward Trumer Pils and ensure its future here in the United States,” said John Brozovich, CEO of The Gambrinus Company. “Entrusting the brand to a family brewery that understands this responsibility was very important to us. Firestone Walker approaches brewing with the same respect for tradition and quality, and we are confident they will carry Trumer Pils forward with great care.”

Firestone Walker shares a complementary heritage. Founded in 1996 by the Firestone and Walker families on California’s Central Coast, the company remains family-led and brewer-driven, built on the belief that beer is a craft passed from one generation to the next. 

“Some beers are timeless,” said Nick Firestone, CEO of Firestone Walker Brewing Company. “Carlos loved this beer so much he brought it to U.S. drinkers and built a brewery to brew it…and I understand exactly how he felt. Trumer Pils is a sensational beer with a deep lineage. Our job now is simple: protect what makes it special and make sure this great beer continues to reach American drinkers.”

Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson will oversee the brewing transition. Internationally recognized for his work brewing precise, balanced pilsners, Brynildson emphasized that the goal is preservation rather than reinterpretation. “Pilsner brewing is a discipline built on detail and patience,” Brynildson said. “Trumer Pils is a beer I have admired for many years, and our responsibility is to protect the balance and drinkability that have always defined it.”

Seppi Sigl, owner of the original Trumer Privatbrauerei in Salzburg, Austria, concluded, “We are very pleased that the quality of Trumer Pils is so widely appreciated in the United States, and that we have been able to partner with Firestone Walker — a brewery that shares our values and has always put quality and family first.”

The Firestone Walker and Trumer U.S. teams will work together in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition for distributors and retailers. Consumers should expect uninterrupted availability of Trumer Pils going forward.”

            About the two companies.

Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Founded in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a family-led second-generation brewery based on California’s Central Coast. Helmed by CEO Nick Firestone and decorated Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio of award-winning beers, including 805, California’s #1 craft beer brand established in 2012; Mind Haze, one of the country’s top hazy IPAs; and Cali Squeeze, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beer brands. The Firestone brand family also includes iconic beers such as DBA, Union Jack, and Pivo Pils, as well as the storied Vintage Series of barrel-aged strong ales led by Parabola. As a California beer company, Firestone Walker also has two additional locations: the Barrelworks wild ale cellar in Santa Barbara County and the Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice. Firestone Walker was recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine. More at 805beer.com and FirestoneWalker.com.

Trumer Pils

Trumer Pils’  U.S. operations were established in 2004 by The Gambrinus Company with a sister brewery to the more than 400-year-old Trumer Privatbrauerei in Salzburg, Austria, which has been family-owned and operated by the Sigl family for eight generations. Since then, the flagship beer brewed in California—Trumer Pils—has been awarded twenty-one Gold Medals in the most prestigious international beer competitions, making Trumer Pils the most awarded pilsner in the world. Characterized by a distinct hop aroma, brisk carbonation and light body, Trumer Pils is sessionable, refreshing, and truly best-in-class.

Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Thursday’s second ad is for Ballentine’s Bock Beer, which was published on March 26, 1936. This one is from the P. Ballantine & Sons Brewing Co., of Newark, New Jersey, which was originally founded in 1840. This ad ran in The Buffalo News, of Buffalo, New York.

Today is the birthday of Francis Xavier ‘FX’ Matt (March 25, 1859-June 27, 1958). He was born in Igelschlatt, Landkreis Waldshut, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. When he was 19, in 1878, his parents, Theodore and Johanna Matt, emigrated to the U.S., settling in Utica, New York. Before moving to America, Matt learned brewing at the Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus in Baden-Württemberg. Once in the Utica, he worked at the Charles Bierbauer Brewery, which was founded in 1853, as both a lead salesman and brewmaster for several years, before reorganizing the business as The West End Brewing Co. in 1888. It remained under that name until 1981, when it was renamed FX Matt Brewing though continued to trade under the West End Brewing name. After prohibition, the brand name “Utica Club” was developed and after 1980, the Saranac brand was launched.

Here’s some early history, from Grokipedia:

Founding and Early Operations

Francis Xavier Matt, a German immigrant born in 1859, honed his brewing expertise at the Duke of Baden Brewery in Germany’s Black Forest region before arriving in the United States in 1878 at the age of 19. He initially worked as a salesman at the Charles Bierbauer Brewery in Utica, New York, where his skills quickly elevated him to brewmaster and lead salesman.

In 1888, Matt purchased and reorganized the struggling Charles Bierbauer Brewery, transforming it into the West End Brewing Company and establishing it as a family-owned operation in Utica’s growing brewery district. The new entity focused primarily on producing high-quality lager beers, reflecting Matt’s European training and the era’s demand for crisp, bottom-fermented styles popular among German-American communities. Distribution remained local, serving taverns and markets in the Mohawk Valley and surrounding areas of upstate New York to build a loyal customer base.

The brewery’s initial facility was located at 830 Varick Street in Utica, a site that had hosted brewing operations since the mid-19th century. In its first year, the West End Brewing Company produced 4,000 barrels of beer with a staff of just 12 employees, demonstrating efficient small-scale operations rooted in Matt’s hands-on management. By the early 20th century, prior to 1920, the operation had expanded significantly, employing up to 400 workers and solidifying its position as one of Utica’s 12 active breweries amid the city’s industrial boom.

Here’s more from Grokipedia:

Prohibition Era Survival

When the 18th Amendment ushered in Prohibition from 1920 to 1933, the West End Brewing Company, under the leadership of the Matt family, faced severe economic pressures as the U.S. brewing industry collapsed, with many Utica-area competitors shuttering their operations entirely. To endure, the brewery pivoted to non-alcoholic production, manufacturing soft drinks and malt tonics under the newly introduced Utica Club label, which became a lifeline for the business. This shift allowed the company to sustain its facilities and a core workforce amid widespread industry layoffs and closures, preserving the infrastructure necessary for future beer production.

The Utica Club non-alcoholic lineup during Prohibition included carbonated soft drinks such as root beer, ginger beer, and cream sodas, alongside non-alcoholic near-beer and malt tonics—products that cleverly skirted legal restrictions while meeting consumer demand for familiar flavors. These items not only generated revenue during the dry era but also built brand recognition that would later transfer to beer upon repeal. By advising customers against fermenting the malt tonics at home, the brewery navigated regulatory scrutiny while maintaining ethical operations.

Prohibition’s end on December 5, 1933, via the 21st Amendment, marked a swift recovery for the brewery, which became the first in New York—and the nation—to secure a federal license to resume beer production just one day later. At 12:05 a.m. on December 6, Utica Club Pilsner was poured as the inaugural legal beer post-repeal, following a celebratory parade from the brewery to the Hotel Utica. This rapid licensing, attributed to the company’s preparedness and preserved facilities, enabled an immediate resumption of brewing under the Matt family banner, solidifying its regional prominence despite lingering economic hardships from the Great Depression.

And this is from Matt’s final years with the brewery.

Post-War Growth

Following World War II, the F.X. Matt Brewing Company saw renewed growth under the leadership of second-generation owner Walter J. Matt, who assumed control in 1951 and focused on modernizing marketing efforts to capitalize on postwar demand for beer. By 1958, the introduction of the iconic Schultz & Dooley advertising campaign, featuring animated beer steins voiced by comedian Jonathan Winters, dramatically increased sales by more than 50%, reflecting broader industry expansion as consumer preferences shifted toward packaged beers. This period also marked the brewery’s adaptation to bottling innovations in the 1950s, enabling wider distribution of flagship brands like Utica Club beyond draft sales in local taverns.

Here’s an obituary of Matt from the Daily Sentinel of Rome, New York:

And this obituary is from the Syracuse Herald Journal: