Fortunately, at least in the case of Lemp's Falstaff we do have a good idea of what it tasted like. A number of "old timers" that drank Lemp's Falstaff have been interviewed in the years since Repeal. Most described it in the same general way: medium gold in color, dry, effervescent, with a pronounced hopped tang, and a long, slightly salty finish. Further, all these same men compared the original Falstaff taste to one brand that is still on the market: Heinekens, imported from the Netherlands. So, the next time you drink a bottle of Heinekens, close your eyes, think of Lemp's Falstaff beer, and make a toast to the glory years of the William J. Lemp Brewing Company.

Kevin Kious and Donald Roussin are both staff writers of the ABA Journal. A number of items from both authors' collections were utilized in this article. Among the sources used in researching this article were: One Hundred years of Brewing, by H. S. Rich and Company; History of the Brewing Industry in St. Louis, 1804-1860, by James Lindhurst; Lion of the Valley, St. Louis, by James Neal Primm; Beer: A history of Suds and Civilization, by Gregg Smith; Gate Family History, by Christine Hawes-Bond; The Lemps, Kirkwood Historical Review, March 1975.; Encyclopedia of the History of St. Louis, by Southern History Co., 1899; Letter to Falstaff, 1967, by John G. Shea; and Lemp: The Haunting History, by Stephen Walker

Darryl Bein, Curt Falkenbury, Sam Marcum, Steve Debellis and his St. Louis Inquirer, and St. Louis Globe-Democrat; all provided assistance in the preparation of this article. Steve DeBellis now owns the rights to the Lemp Beer trademark, and distributes a canned version of Lemp Beer through the Schuncks Supermarkets chain.