By Judy Carmack Bross
Laurin Mack with Portrait of Conrad Seipp at Black Point Estate and Gardens, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
“Introducing a ‘new old beer’ definitely takes a lot of time and consideration. Our guiding principle is Seipp’s beer is about connecting to the past but also appreciating the moment,” says Laurin Mack, who heads the Conrad Seipp Brewing Company first created by her great, great, great grandfather in Chicago in 1854.
In the February 2020 issue of Classic Chicago Magazine, we interviewed Mack about her plan to re-establish the Conrad Seipp Brewing Company after it had closed in 1933. Laurin stuck to her plans despite the Covid pandemic that swept Chicago and the world by relaunching the brewing company and Seipp’s historic beer to the Chicagoland market in July of 2020.
Laurin Mack with Doug Hurst, co-founder and head brewer of Metropolitan Brewing with first pallet of Seipp’s Extra Pale pilsner ready for launch day in July 2020
We talked recently with Mack to hear about the three historic Seipp beers she has brought back and what she has learned about the brewing business in the past five years. We think it is likely that Conrad Seipp would be pleased with the resurrection of his brewing company and would celebrate its success on the fifth year anniversary (or 171st anniversary depending on how you are counting) with a hearty German toast. Prost!
CCM: What have you learned about beer brewing in these first five years?
LM: Before we start, I want to thank Classic Chicago for including this update on the Conrad Seipp Brewing Company. Classic Chicago was the first publication to write about the return of the Seipp Brewing Company 5 years ago. So this is a really special way to start our 5th anniversary year!
I have learned a tremendous amount beer, brewing, and the business of beer and still have a tremendous amount to learn. But one thing that has really struck me is that beer is far more than just a beverage. It has served as a way to bring people together for thousands of years. And you can see that connecting force in taverns, ball barks, and living rooms throughout Chicago’s history as people exchange ideas, create memories, and have a good time over a pint.
CCM: Do you think much about Conrad Seipp, your ancestor and founder, and what have you learned about him and his entrepreneurial talents?
LM:I think about Conrad, who is my great, great, great grandfather, on a daily basis ever since re-launching his brewing company in July of 2020. I knew that he was a successful brewer but I had no idea how successful and influential in the American beer industry he was. He was one of the first brewers in Chicago and made the most beer in Chicago for about 70 years. In fact, his brewery made the most beer in the U.S. for a few years in the 1870s after the Chicago Fire. I have always respected Conrad as a person and a businessman, but I have a new appreciation for how much beer he sold and how hard it was to do that now that I am selling beer myself.
I also have learned about some of the major challenges he had throughout the course of his life. Imagine what it must have been like for him to leave his home to come to America where he did not speak the language and had to figure out how to feed his family. When he arrived in Chicago as a German immigrant, he tried farming, driving a beer wagon, and running a hotel before he started brewing in 1854. His first brewery burned down, his new country erupted in a civil war, he lost several children in infancy as well as his first wife at a young age. And then ½ of his new hometown burned down in the Chicago Fire. Whenever, I feel overwhelmed or weary, I think of him and say, “What would Conrad do?” The answer is keep moving forward and work harder.
Mack has re-crafted three of Seipp’s historic beers including a pre-prohibition pilsner, a dark lager, and a hefeweizen
CCM: What are your three different types of beer and how did you choose them?
LM: We have brought back three of Conrad Seipp’s historic beers and more are in the works to be revived. The first beer we brought back was Seipp’s Extra Pale which is a pilsener made in the pre-prohibition style. Then we brought back Seipp’s Columbia which is a dark lager. It was advertised at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair as being, “very dark in color, and of unusual strength” along with other delightfully Victorian descriptors such as, “There is no better tonic and no better health restorer”. We also brought back Seipp’s Bavarian which is a traditional hefeweizen. The goal for the Bavarian is to make you feel like you are sitting in a Munich beer garden without having to leave Chicago.
A souvenir pamphlet from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair advertising Seipp beer from Laurin Mack’s collection
CCM: It is wonderful seeing memorabilia from early days at Seipp including old bottles and ads, what has most intrigued you and where are some of the unusual places you have found these treasures?
LM: Although I love all old Seipp things, antique Seipp bottles are my favorite. I think it is so amazing that they can survive intact for over a hundred years and I love thinking about who filled the bottles with beer and who drank beer out of them. I frequently get notes from people about bottles they have found. In fact, I was just corresponding with someone this week who found two bottles when scuba diving at the bottom of Lake Geneva. Another fun example is a friend-of-a-friend was renovating their kitchen and found a Seipp bottle with the label intact in a wall that a construction worker must have left 100 years ago when working on the house.
A Seipp beer bottle from the late 1800s
CCM: What are some of the considerations you have as you go through introducing a new beer: who and when people will be drinking? What are the market considerations you are taking into account?
LM: We have to think about how to make the connection from the historic brand to the tastes of the present beer drinker, do historical detective work to gather as much information about the historic beer as possible, recreate the recipes, and make beer labels that resemble the originals but are pleasing to the modern eye. A trend in beer that may be here to stay is non-alcoholic beer. Seipp had an NA beer called Malt Sinew which I am considering bringing back at some point. It makes me laugh whenever I think about it because the name Malt Sinew is so bizarre. But sticking close to history is important to me so that means sticking with the name Malt Sinew.
CCM: I know that you in addition to Chicagoland and Southern Wisconsin, you are starting to expand to selling beer in Rockford and Springfield. Do you find that in addition to it being delicious beer that people feel a loyalty to beer with Chicago as its birthplace? What are you learning about beer drinkers around Illinois?
LM: I have learned what I already knew: people love Chicago. And this is exactly why I brought Seipp beer back- I love Chicago, I love history, and I love beer and wanted to help serve as a connection between Chicago’s very rich brewing history and our really incredible brewing present. It is such a pleasure to introduce people to Seipp not only because it is a great story and a great beer but I hope it helps people think about their own connection to this great city’s past, present, and future. I see Seipp’s beer as another way for us all to celebrate this place we love so much.
CCM: What has been the most difficult part of bringing Seipp to market during the past five years and what has been the most rewarding?
LM: Launching the beer at the height of a global pandemic was a real challenge for all the reasons you can imagine. And there have been residual challenges which everyone has faced such as the increase in production costs and changes in market demand. But any challenge I have had over the past five years is far out-weighed by the rewards of all the people who I have met along the way. I am eternally grateful to everyone who has been supportive of the Seipp Brewing Company and am particularly thankfully to Liz Garibay of the Beer Culture Center and Doug Hurst and Tracy Hurst, Co-founders of Metropolitan Brewing for helping me bring back Seipp beer. Seipp beer is currently produced at Pilot Project Brewing located in Milwaukee and Chicago and I am very thankful to the whole Pilot Project team as well.
A pint of Seipp’s Extra Pale Pilsner at the Old Town Ale House ready to enjoy
CCM: Where can one find Seipp beer to Seipp beer to purchase in Chicago?
LM: Seipp’s beer is distributed by Louis Glunz Beer in Chicagoland and is available at retail stores including Binny’s, select Jewel-Oscos, and Whole Foods, as well as specialty bottle shops. It is also on draft at bars and restaurants such as Miller’s Pub, Old Town Ale House, Bar Mar, and The Hide Out to name a few great spots to have a pint of Seipp’s beer.
