Rheingold Corp. - Rheingold Brewery - Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock printed by Security-Columbian Banknote Company. Rheingold Brewery, established in New York State from 1883 until 1976, was founded by Samuel Liebmann under the name S. Liebmann Brewery. At its height, it commanded 35% of the state's beer market. The Rheingold Beer brand saw a brief revival through F.X. Matt Brewing Co. and its name references the Rhine River in Germany. In 1963, the founding Jewish American Liebmann family sold the company. The New York Times noted that 'Rheingold Beer was once a top New York brew, consumed regularly by a devoted group of workingmen, who would rather have eaten nails than drink another brewery's beer.' In 1966, it launched Gablinger's Beer, one of the earliest reduced-calorie beers, developed through a process by chemist Dr. Hersch Gablinger from Basel, Switzerland. Rheingold ceased operations in 1976 due to an inability to compete with larger national breweries, as corporate consolidation and the emergence of national brands led to the closure of many regional breweries. The company's headquarters were located in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn, which has since been transformed into an apartment complex. Notably, when Nat King Cole became the first prominent black entertainer to host a television show, Rheingold was the only regional sponsor willing to support him, despite advertisers' reluctance.