Champale Malt Liquor was first produced in 1939 by the Metropolis Brewing Company at its brewery on Lamberton and Lalor streets in Trenton, New Jersey and later also in Norfolk, Virginia.
The two operating breweries were privately owned by the Hertzberg brothers until their sale to publicly held Iroquois Brands, Ltd. in the mid-1970s.
Significant capital expenditures were made to expand production and distribution capabilities at the Trenton facility.
The shell of the main office building, a historic structure, remains barely standing on Lamberton Street.
Print advertisements chiefly depicted African Americans enjoying the beverage, with slogans such as "Live a little on very little".