By the 1980s, the industry was changing rapidly. By some accounts up to 90 percent of breweries had gone out of business or were in trouble, including some of the giants. Leinenkugel’s was one of the great success stories, having not only survived but thrived into its second century. But the sale to an industry leader with deep pockets was a way to ensure its survival.

One of the little-known reasons behind the sale, Jake Leinenkugel said this week, was the absence of a succession plan. Then-President Paul Mayer and its previous president, Jake’s father Bill Leinenkugel, were both in their 60s.

“There was never really a directional sense of when the current management is gone, who’s going to run it and what’s the plan,” Jake said. “I first started thinking about it five years ago, and I didn’t want that to happen again.”

He wanted to prepare somebody to take over for him, hoping that it was someone from the Leinenkugel family because that is such a large part of what the brewery represents. Jake is the fifth generation of Leinenkugels to be in charge of the brewery, and it’s doubtful even a handful of other brewers in America can match that.

It’s time

It wasn’t until only a couple of years ago that a plan began to crystallize.