District St. Louis

The Master Brewers St. Louis District has a rich and dynamic history, dating back to approximately 1891 when the Master Brewers Association of the United States held its Fourth Annual Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. 

The St. Louis District held a pivotal role in the development in one of the industry's most notable handbooks: The Practical Brewer.

According to MBAA, "...in 1944, a “brewer’s book” was deemed necessary by four MBAA master brewers. Edward H. Vogel, Jr., Gries­edieck Bros. Brewery; Frank H. Schwaiger, Anheuser-Busch; Henry G. Leonhardt, assistant master brewer at Anheuser-Busch; and J. Adolph Merten, vice president and general manager of the Columbia Brewing Co., jointly lamented the lack of hands-on, practi­cal information for those employed in the brewing industry. They approached the president of MBAA and volunteered to write such a practical manual…if…MBAA would publish it. Two years of preparation, aided by a 21-member MBAA Editorial Board led to the completion of the first edition of The Practical Brewer. The new book was formally presented to MBAA President B. A. Poelhuis at a St. Louis MBAA business dinner meeting on December 7, 1946.

Today the St. Louis District has a dynamic membership that spans across a diverse group of brewing professionals, celebrating being the home of the North American Zone Headquarters for Anheuser-Busch Inbev, to having well over 100 craft breweries and a variety of suppliers throughout its geography.

We organize 3 full-afternoon membership meetings throughout the year, hosting technical seminars with in-demand speakers and experts from the industry. We strive to collaborate with additional industry partners, ranging from our two state guilds (the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild and the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild), the Cicerone Certification Program, Pink Boots, STLBeer, and university brewing programs. Our District functions are open to members and non-members alike, regardless your level of technical brewing, as we continue to have an atmosphere of "Gemütlichkeit", which roughly translates to "warm hospitality" or "community solidarity". Cheers!

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District Officers

District Board of Governors Representative
Robert R. Griesedieck
Griesedieck Brothers Brewery

District President
Kristopher C. Scholl
ABInBev

District Vice President
Rob M. Naylor
ABInBev

District Past President
Florian Kuplent

District Treasurer
Nicholas Erickson
Power Motion, Inc.

District Technical Chair
Mark William Jaeggi
Sabhailteacht Solutions, LLC

District Technical Chair
William Jay McFarland
Omega Yeast

 

 

Governance 

Articles of Incorporation
Signed Application
St. Louis District Bylaws
St. Louis First Board Meeting Documents
District Operations Manual

Former Presidents 

Term in Office 

Name 

2024 Florian Kuplent
2022 - 2023  Robert R. Griesedieck
2020 - 2021  Nicholas Erickson
2018 - 2019 Marc A. Gottfried
2016 - 2017  Stephen R. Huffman
2014 - 2015 Robert Naylor
2012 - 2013 Wayne Brinkman
2010 - 2011 Marc A. Gottfried
2008 - 2009 Bradley Seabaugh
2006 - 2007 Susan Simmons
2004- 2005 Stephen R. Huffman
2002 - 2003 Ed Heil
2000 - 2001 Kelly White
1998 - 1999 Michael Domagalski
1996 - 1997 Joseph Lazzara Jr. 
1994 - 1995 Thomas R. Schmidt
1992 - 1993 Michael J. Meyer
1990 - 1991 Constantin J. "Gus" Shamia
1988 - 1989 Michael J. Elli
1986 - 1987 Charles E. Link 

 

 

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