The Old-School Midwestern Beer That's Slowly Disappearing

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Before the best-known domestic beers like Coors and Budweiser dominated the market, other, smaller brands were regional favorites. The craft beer brewing industry made triple IPAs and chocolate stouts sought after, but for decades, local breweries making crisp lagers were the go-to for the majority of Americans. Many of these vintage beers have since vanished from American fridges. A Midwest classic, Hamm's, is one of them.

Hamm's was founded by a German immigrant who came to St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1856. Theodore Hamm wanted to create "America's classic beer," and this phrase is still on the side of the beer box today. Since the brewery's start in 1865, it has used what it calls the "purest water." Today's recipe is comprised of barley malt, corn syrup, yeast, and hops, and it's considered an American adjunct lager, which is light and pale, has a low bitterness, and is typically mass-produced.

After Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the brewery hit the ground running and, in the following years, expanded its operations and team. The brand became very well known nationwide from the 1950s to the 1970s, when its TV commercials featured the cartoon bear mascot and catchy slogan, "refreshing as the land of sky blue waters," a reference to the state of Minnesota and its many lakes. Nothing seemed like it could slow down the thriving Hamm's until the remaining family members no longer wanted to operate the brewery.

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Hamm's gradual nationwide disappearance started when it was first sold to Heublein in 1968. During the 1970s, a time defined by the growth of American classic beers like Coors and Budweiser, the brand changed hands 18 times, according to Industrial Artifacts. It appeared that the brand was struggling to stay relevant. As other, more popular domestic beers saturated the market, it also found difficulty expanding nationwide. Now, the current owner of Hamm's is Molson Coors, which bought it in 1999.

In 2026, you won't find Hamm's quirky and creative cartoon commercials on TV, or really much of a nationwide advertising presence throughout the United States. Yet it still boasts a solid fan base in the Midwest region, with Hamm's drinkers calling themselves "Hammpions". It can be found locally where the brewery was founded in Minnesota and in other Midwest states. It's sporadically distributed throughout the rest of the country in retailers like Total Wine, leaning on vintage nostalgia to stay connected to customers.

After managing to survive for decades, in the 2020s, Hamm's gets the honorable title of being considered one of the best cheap beers. The brand doesn't try to pretend to be something it's not — and its customers recognize this. On Reddit, users provide a good summary: "Hamm's is a solid Light American Lager. Calling a beer good or bad is all subjective." Another Redditor writes, "As a Minnesotan I love it. As a beer drinker it's meh."