Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company
Los Angeles, California, USA · Est. 1875
Tally's Take
Why this matters
California Pass 187. Los Angeles Public Library history says the former Vignes property became Philadelphia Brewing Company in 1875 and that Joseph Maier and George Zobelein purchased the brewery in 1882. PBS SoCal independently describes the 1882 purchase and renaming to Maier & Zobelein. Institutional Calisphere records document the Maier & Zobelein brewery and later Maier Brewing Company at 500 E. Commercial Street, with the Maier plant closing in 1974. George Zobelein's 1907 departure to acquire Los Angeles Brewing Company created a separate brewery lineage; this row therefore keeps Philadelphia/Maier & Zobelein/Maier together while preserving Los Angeles Brewing Company separately.
The Beer Library
Beers
Maier & Zobelein Beer
Year-RoundBeer / exact style unknown
California Pass 187. Aliases: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAH19060928.2.107.1. A September 1906 Los Angeles Herald advertisement explicitly names 'Maier & Zobelein Beer.' No exact subtype or ABV is promoted from this ad; broader lager/pilsener descriptions remain contextual rather than structured.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Show your working
Sources
- recordProbable
Brewery record taken from Tally's California master, Pass 187, which cited https://www.lapl.org/km/node/47538 for this entry. The cited page has not been opened by the archive.
Tally's California master, Pass 187 (research workbook) · Tally's Beer Universe research workbook · 2026
CommercialMedium reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-19Reviewed 2026-08-19
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company
- Who owns Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company?
- Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company is independently owned — there is no parent company above it on record. It is based in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Is Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company independent?
- Yes. Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company is recorded as independent, with no parent company. Independence is recorded as the brewery states it; where a stake is a minority holding or joint venture, this archive leaves it unmapped rather than calling it ownership.
- Is Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company still open?
- No. Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company has closed. California Pass 187. Los Angeles Public Library history says the former Vignes property became Philadelphia Brewing Company in 1875 and that Joseph Maier and George Zobelein purchased the brewery in 1882. PBS SoCal independently describes the 1882 purchase and renaming to Maier & Zobelein. Institutional Calisphere records document the Maier & Zobelein brewery and later Maier Brewing Company at 500 E. Commercial Street, with the Maier plant closing in 1974. George Zobelein's 1907 departure to acquire Los Angeles Brewing Company created a separate brewery lineage; this row therefore keeps Philadelphia/Maier & Zobelein/Maier together while preserving Los Angeles Brewing Company separately.
- When was Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company founded?
- Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company was founded in 1875 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Drinking Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company? Stamp it in your passport.
Discover it here — collect it in the Passport. Track every beer, earn stamps, and build your own beer passport.
Every brewery deserves its full story told.
If you're the owner or team behind Philadelphia Brewery / Maier & Zobelein / Maier Brewing Company, we'll build out your complete profile — history, the people, every beer — and feature you in a Tally's documentary. No cost, just your story.