Extra Lager

In 1872, Frank Fehr moved to Louisville, Kentucky and started brewing. He developed the recipe for Fehr’s XL (Extra Lager) and won Louisville’s Southern Exposition, every year from 1883 to 1887.

Fehr’s XL was the most widely consumed beer in Louisville when prohibition started in 1920.

Fehr’s Brewing sales peaked in 1949 as the brewery began wrestling with competition from large, national breweries. After putting up a good fight for 15 years, Fehr’s last pour was in 1964. Until Now!

Cold Fehrs beer pint

Frank Fehr was one of the first brewers to make the “new,” adjunct style beers that quickly became popular in the U.S.

He used barley from the upper midwest and rice for a lager with better flavor than the beer that was being made with local 2-row barley. Lagers made before prohibition had more hops than the lagers we have today.

Fehr’s pre-prohibition lager uses, some of the first hops to be commercially grown in the U.S. and it finishes with Hops from the Noble family, a centuries’ old hop that gives Fehr’s XL its fresh, clean taste.


After years of research, we have faithfully recreated the recipe true to the beer’s namesake. Frank Fehr’s brewery, made this beer in Louisville, Kentucky from 1872 to 1964… now, it’s back!

Fehr’s XL (Extra Lager) contains more than a pound and a half of hops in each barrel. Each brew is lagered for more than 6-weeks.


The same great beer since 1872

Fehr’s in the News: