When a St. Louis institution like Kenrick’s Meat Market hits 80 years in business, a celebration is in order—and what better way to honor the milestone than with a beer brewed just for the occasion? Enter Alpha Brewing Company, the local brewery that’s been supplying Kenrick’s with suds for years and decided to raise a glass in partnership.
“We’ve been partnering with Kenrick’s for many years now,” says Derrick Langeneckert of Alpha Brewing. “They are our meat supplier for our kitchen. They even produce a custom burger blend for us.”
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The commemorative beer is a rebranding of Alpha’s seasonal Oktoberfest, formerly named Toasted Not Roasted. While no tweaks were made to the recipe, the malt-forward, smooth lager style pairs perfectly with Kenrick’s meats. “Oktoberfest Märzen-style always pairs well with bratwurst, smoked gouda, and sauerkraut,” Langeneckert says.
The Label and Limited Availability
The Kenrick’s 80th Anniversary label features a bold diamond-patterned Bavarian backdrop with a cartoon likeness of “Joe the Butcher,” the market’s longtime mascot, proudly holding up a cut of steak. The can reads “1945–2025,” marking Kenrick’s eight decades in business, alongside the celebratory banner for the Oktoberfest lager. It’s a nod to both German brewing tradition and the meat-market roots that make Kenrick’s an icon in St. Louis.
Fittingly, the beer is only available at Kenrick’s (4324 Weber). “Since this product was co-branded with one of our regular offerings, we didn’t see the need to push it into the larger market,” Langeneckert says. “It’s a special label for a special occasion for the folks at Kenrick’s to celebrate.”
More Local Collaborations
Alpha shows no signs of slowing down on creative collaborations. “We love doing collaborations with all sorts of local places,” Langeneckert says. “We just worked with Sachs Electric and Arch Key Solutions on a whiskey celebrating their 100th anniversary. They picked the barrel, and we bottled it for them.”
