Local Flavor: Rainier Beer

The old Rainier brewery, a large, blocky, industrial building, with a large, ornate, rotating red R sign on top.
Rainier Brewery” by Brad Greenlee is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The Rainier Brewing Company was established in 1884 in Seattle. Though the brand has been sold multiple times and its products are no longer produced here in the Northwest, it still has several important ties to the region. The old Rainier brewery building, right next to I-5 and just south of downtown, boasts a large letter R on its tallest point and is a familiar landmark. The R was briefly replaced with a T when the building was used as the Tully Coffee Corporation’s roastery. The original R resides at the Museum of History and Industry, while a replacement R now stands proudly over the industrial area south of downtown. The swoopy design of the letter allows it to be read as an R from both sides. Locals will remember the award-winning advertising campaigns of the 1970s and 80s, which traded extensively on parodies of current movies, shows, personalities, and even SNL skits. Among the most memorable was the “Running of the Beers,” a parody of the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain; and the iconic motorcycle ad can be seen here:

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