Originally launched in 1934 by San Francisco-based General Brewing Company, Lucky Lager grew to be one of the prominent beers of the Western United States during the 1950s and 1960s.
In 2019, Pabst announced that the beer brand would be revived and would be brewed by 21st Amendment Brewery, based in San Leandro.
[1] The General Brewing Company was founded in San Francisco, California by Eugene Selvage (who remained the owner and chief executive officer until 1961).
[2][3] Eugene teamed up with Paul C. von Gontard, a grandson of Aldophus Busch, and German brewmaster Julius Kerber, to launch a state-of-the-art brewery that could brew beer that rivalled those made in Europe.
Lucky Lager was launched in San Francisco by a series of newspaper, billboard, and street car advertisements.
It was planned and designed by Frederick H. Meyer, San Francisco architect, in partnership with George L. Lehle, a brewery engineer from Chicago.
[citation needed] This was coupled with continued distribution expansion in an effort to saturate the western market.
An effort to increase sales with younger drinkers led to the ill-fated introduction of King Snedley's Beer, an alternate brand in addition to Lucky.
When the generic craze died, and the microbrewery movement took off, General had difficulty maintaining profitability as a brewer of inexpensive beers.
After the Vancouver brewery shut down in July 1985, the Olympia Brewing Company in Tumwater, Washington, began to produce Lucky Lager in the US.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Lucky Lager, along with other brands controlled by beer magnate Paul Kalmanovitz featured rebus puzzles on the underside of their bottle caps to engage consumers.
In 1939, the Pacific Advertising Club Association granted Lucky Lager the highest award for the most distinctive beer package.
With the subsequent decline and end of Lucky Lager in the US, the beer continues to operate with an ever-changing identity under the control of Labatt, owners of the brand rights in Canada.
Labatt Brewing Company declared Cumberland, British Columbia, to be the "Luckiest Town in Canada" in early 2002 due to its incredible rate of consumption.
It garnered endorsements from Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler and tennis star Jack Kramer during the 1950s.
[citation needed] Jack Nicholson's character drinks Lucky Lager during the 1970 movie Five Easy Pieces.
In the film The Bad News Bears (1976), Walter Matthau's character gives the team Lucky Lagers to celebrate.
[citation needed] In the television show Greg the Bunny, a Lucky Lager sign appears in the "Rabbit Redux" episode.
In the 1993 film Kalifornia, Lucky Lager is the favorite drink of Brad Pitt's character Early Grace.
[6] The brand is also alluded to in Luis Valdez's play Los Vendidos in reference to the kinds of foods, drinks, and drugs on which the Mexican Johnny Pachuco model runs: "You can keep Johnny running on hamburgers, Taco Bell tacos, Lucky Lager beer, Thunderbird wine, yesca.