About
New York's Oldest Lager Beer. Respectfully Brewed in Upstate New York (F.X. Matt Brewing).

Born in New York City as one of the first lagers of its kind in 1842, Schaefer Beer won the hearts of locals and earned its claim as
'the one beer to have when you're having more than one'.

At the top of its game in the 19th century, Schaefer was a staple in stadiums (sponsoring both the New York Mets and the Brooklyn Dodgers), as well at the dining table. In fact, Schaefer's love for food ran so deep that it was put on display for the masses at the 1964 World Fair, drawing in droves of people looking for a smooth brew to pair with their burger.

Despite local fame and favor, rising costs forced Schaefer to close its Brooklyn brewery in 1976. In doing so, and amidst shifting consumer tastes, New York's love affair with the brand began to fade.

It's been nearly 50 years since that fateful day, and of course the city along with its people have continued to evolve in every way you can imagine. With that, so must we!

Schaefer Beer
Established 1842 // Re-established 2020
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Drake (22980) reviewed
Schaefer from Schaefer Beer
17 years ago
3.8/10 — Appearance 4 Aroma 4 Flavor 3 Texture 4 Overall 4
12 ounce can from State Line Liquors. Pours a light golden color with a medium head and lots of visible carbonation. Poor head retention and lacing. Aroma is grain and a bit of corn and grassy hops. Taste is generic grain with a bit of corn. Thin and watery.
Tried from Can on 11 Mar 2009 at 17:04
cheap (9783) reviewed
Schaefer Light from Schaefer Beer
18 years ago
4.6/10 — Appearance 2 Aroma 4 Flavor 5 Texture 6 Overall 5.5
How about the avatar on this beers URL? heheheheh. Unfortunately, my light Schaefer came out of a 12 oz can, mostly unpainted aluminum. Isn’t it something that Schaefer is brewed by Miller and the Schaefer light is brewed by Melanie? I’ve had some good biker experiences with the regular Schaefer and was very curious about this lighter stuff. Ubiquitous pale yellow lager appearance. Aroma is a little unrefined and slightly volatile. Fairly refreshing session brew with little offensiveness. I am a little surprized, probably one of the better pale lagers I’ve had from City. Lacks any of the ill effects that City Melanie has had on cheap beer. Can’t quite figure it out. Finish is somewhat above average for a City brewed beer. Rather enjoyable for a lighter session if you are a lager lover. Finish is just about as non offensive as the Schaefer. Not too bad!
Tried from Can on 03 Oct 2008 at 13:49
Troopie (6029) reviewed
Schaefer from Schaefer Beer
18 years ago
2/10 — Appearance 2 Aroma 1 Flavor 3 Texture 4 Overall 1
Tin. Flat watery lager with a bit of maize aroma. Beerlike flavour without being beer. This is what my brewer friends call a malt soup. It’s usually cheap, but you can find something better you can afford.
Tried from Can on 10 Dec 2007 at 22:19
McDermottDrink (4736) reviewed
Schaefer Light from Schaefer Beer
19 years ago
4.1/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 4 Flavor 4 Texture 4 Overall 3.5
12 oz. can. Perhaps not a great beer, but exactly what I needed on a hot night in a biker bar out in the boonies. Clean beer smell in the can. Very light in malts, but there was a noticeable bitterness that you almost never find in a macro light. No real off notes or thinness. Just a halfway decent thirst quencher.
Tried from Can on 23 Jul 2007 at 10:35
cheap (9783) reviewed
Schaefer from Schaefer Beer
19 years ago
4.2/10 — Appearance 2 Aroma 2 Flavor 5 Texture 6 Overall 6
I rate this as I drink, not a memory. First let me say there is nothing like an ice cold can of Schaefer for $1 at the State Line in East Palestine. The State Line is one of those places that ratebeer would not allow you to enter. You pop the lid of this 12 oz can and you get a slightly sour aroma. First sip is a bit rude but that immediately fades to an acceptable ubiquitous beer flavor that is common in the US. The taste is very clean. I can remember when I drank Schaefer before it was bought by a BMC. It has about the same flavor so I assume they are still using the same recipe. While watching a few bikers and their women shoot pool I noticed this is a clean brew, not offensive in the presentation. Not bitter, a typical american beer with friendly gentleman behaviors and manners. It actually deserves more than an average overall rating considering all the happy Schaefers I’ve drank in the fast. I agree with JAF737300, it’s a good brew.
Tried from Can on 07 Apr 2007 at 14:51
Mansquito (19868) reviewed
Schaefer from Schaefer Beer
19 years ago
1.9/10 — Appearance 2 Aroma 2 Flavor 2 Texture 2 Overall 1.5
This beer has no taste. It has no smell either. It is also useless. I don’t know why I drank it. Oh yeah, I actually remember now... I was stupid. Oh... and it was cheap... actually it was a dollar more than the other stuff. Oh and it also has a meager 4.4 percent alcohol. No reason to drink it, except to drink it.
Tried on 28 Dec 2006 at 21:11
Oakes (34715) reviewed
Schaefer from Schaefer Beer
20 years ago
3.4/10 — Appearance 2 Aroma 3 Flavor 4 Texture 4 Overall 3.5
Light gold colour. Fairly fresh grainy aroma with light fusel notes. Lots of fusel notes on the palate, though. Otherwise a little grainy, watery. Fairly plain, inoffensive, sweetish corn lager. Fun to try, if for no other reason than to say I did. Thaks, Slob!
Tried on 12 Jan 2006 at 22:32
shrubber (16041) reviewed
Schaefer from Schaefer Beer
21 years ago
1.8/10 — Appearance 4 Aroma 2 Flavor 1 Texture 2 Overall 1
For cheap beer, this is one of the worst. Has a sickly sweet flavor to it that puts it to the bottom of the barrel for me. Haven’t touched this stuff in over 15 years but the flavor is ingrained in my memory. If you are short on cash and have no other choice, just make sure you drink it very, very cold.
Tried on 12 Aug 2005 at 22:18