World War II brought rationing, and the company briefly had to drop cans altogether and resort to using green glass in its bottles, rather than the standard amber color which offered better protection from light.

The company's main slogan — intoned by a deep male voice on TV ads — was, "Been a long time a-brewing."

For many years, the company also brewed Grain Belt Bock Beer for limited release in the spring.

In 1975, stockholders decided to sell the Grain Belt company to area businessman Irwin Jacobs, and operation ceased by the end of the year.

The investors accepted the counter offer, as it was a recognizable, established Twin Cities brand which it could market.

In 2001, the company launched a line of specialty craft beers under the "Brewer's Cave" and "Grain Belt Archive Series" brand names.

These beers were high quality, all-malt products brewed without adjunct grains such as corn or rice.

[4] Grain Belt Premium has since become Schell's most popular brand, and has earned an especially strong following in the younger demographic of the region.

[5] Starting in 2015, Grain Belt released limited-edition 12 packs featuring football-themed labels and bottle cap games.

The contributing structures include the Brewhouse, currently the home of RSP Architects, which was designed by the architectural firm [8] of Wolff [9] and Lehle;[10] the power station (Boiler House); the Wagon Shed and Shops (Gasthaus), which has become the Pierre Bottineau Branch of Hennepin County Library; the Grain Belt Office Building (designed by Carl F. Struck);[8] the Bottling House, including the 1969 addition, which now serves as a space for artist studios; the 1910 Warehouse, including its 1949 and 1957 additions, but not its 1964 addition, which has been developed into office and light industrial space; and a railroad spur.

In 1941, a 48-foot-high sign with the Grain Belt logo, illuminated by a mix of neon tubes and incandescent bulbs, was placed on the roof of the Marigold Ballroom in downtown Minneapolis.

In 1950, the sign was moved to Nicollet Island, next to the Hennepin Avenue Bridge, and an illuminated green frame added around the logo.

[12][13] On December 30, 2017, the sign was again relit following a 15-year restoration campaign and the replacement of all the neon tubes and incandescent bulbs with LEDs.

[14] In Garrison Keillor’s novel: “WLT: A Radio Romance”, Grain Belt is announced by Frank White as a station sponsor.