Adam Lemp and the Western Brewery Coming July 9, 2025!
For the first time ever, the true history of the founding of one of the most influential breweries in St. Louis-and America-will be told with the release of Adam Lemp and the Western Brewery, written by Chris Naffziger and published by St. Louis Patina Press. Containing hundreds of primary sources, including many in German published here for the first time, we see the story of Adam Lemp and his family and associates in greater focus.
Read about how Adam Lemp began his brewing career in Eschwege, Hesse, in what was then an impoverished corner of Germany. Suffering a series of failures and bankruptcies, he would flee Eschwege and come to America. Leaving failure behind in Germany, he would found the first Lagerbier brewery in St. Louis and lay the groundwork for a brewing dynasty in the Gateway City.
Adam Lemp (second from left) at his brewery and beer garden in Eschwege
Where to Buy
You can find Adam Lemp and the Western Brewery everywhere books are sold.
About the author
Christian Naffziger
Chris Naffziger has established himself as an authority on the history of architecture and the built environment in St. Louis since 2007 with his website StLouisPatina.com. Over the last ten years, he has written about the history and architecture of the Gateway City at St. Louis Magazine.
Chris has also written extensively about the history of brewing in St. Louis, publishing articles about Anheuser-Busch, Falstaff and Lemp brewing companies over the last decade both locally and internationally.
What readers said
“Historian Chris Naffziger’s book Adam Lemp and the Western
Brewery is a well-written and documented authority on the
patriarch of all St. Louis Beer Barons. For anyone interested in
St. Louis history as well, it’s a treasure. With a deep dive into
the personal life of this German immigrant, and his ambitious
rise to become one of America’s earliest brewing dynasties,
it’s an easy, fast-paced read.”
—Dorris Keeven-Franke, Award-Winning
Author and International Speaker
“Christian Naffziger’s meticulously researched book offers
a fascinating exploration of Adam Lemp’s life, uncovering
the complexities of his personal and professional journey.
Naffziger’s dedication to detail brings to life not only Lemp’s
story, but also the rich historical context of nineteenth century
St. Louis. The book is a testament to Naffziger’s
passion for St. Louis history, making it an essential read for
history enthusiasts.”
—Erica Threnn, Found St. Louis
“Adam Lemp and the Western Brewery by Chris Naffziger
is an up-close-and-personal look into the life of one of
St. Louis’s most prominent industry moguls of the nineteenth
century. Through Naffziger’s exhaustive research, the journey
of a young German immigrant with big ambitions comes into
focus. In addition to the thorough historical accounts and
records presented in this work, Naffziger paints an intimate
portrait of the man himself, revealing the values, charisma
and determination that propelled Lemp’s success. With each
turn of the page, Naffziger guides our path through the layers
of Adam Lemp’s private and public life—a life as layered as
the caves that facilitated his destiny.”
—Jeff Vines, STL-Style
“Adam Lemp and the Western Brewery takes a deep dive into
the history of a man and a brewing empire that left an enduring
mark on St. Louis. While local legends about the Lemp
family and their brewing empire abound, the author eschews
Lemp apocrypha in favor of fastidious research that sometimes
(refreshingly) leads to more questions than answers.
Including new research that follows Lemp across the Atlantic
Ocean, Chris Naffziger tells the story of a complex man
who came to St. Louis as an unknown immigrant on the run
and ended up a four-star general in an American brewing
revolution.”
—Andrew Weil, Director of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis
“Add Chris Naffziger’s work Adam Lemp and the Western Brewery
to the growing evidence that St. Louis’s south side is the
cradle of lager beer in America. Meticulously researched and
persuasively presented, Adam Lemp is a must-read for beer
lovers everywhere.”
— Greg Wolk, Author of A Tour Guide to Missouri’s Civil War
“Adam Lemp’s complex and tangled web of family relations and business partnerships keeps the reader intrigued to find out what happened next in Lemp’s eventful life. The book is streamlined and straightforward, and is a smooth and easy read, focusing on facts and details, rather than prose and long, drawn out stories full of embellishments. The best way to learn history is looking at primary source documents, and this book is filled with firsthand accounts and original documents. The book gives definitive answers for many of the questions about the earliest history of the Lemp Brewery, and the Lemp family, using the translation of German documents to provide a completely new look at a heavily researched topic.” —Nathan Jackson, St. Louis History and Architecture
The Author’s Words
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Adam Lemp on STLPR
Thank you to STLPR and Danny Wicentowski for hosting me and talking about Adam Lemp and the Western Brewery. Check out the interview here.
The Lemp Story 