Fort Wayne, Indiana · Est. 1862

C.L. Centlivre
Brewing Company

"Lazy Aged to the Peak of Flavor Perfection"

1862 — 1973
Explore the History
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The Story

From France to Fort Wayne

Charles Louis Centlivre was born on September 27, 1827 in Dannemarie, France. Trained as a cooper, he crossed the Atlantic in 1847, surviving a cholera epidemic in New Orleans before making his way north through the American heartland.

After founding a brewery in McGregor, Iowa in 1850, Centlivre set his sights eastward. In 1862, he and his brother Frank planted roots along Spy Run Avenue in Fort Wayne, Indiana — founding the C.L. Centlivre Brewing Company, originally known as The French Brewery.

What followed was over a century of Fort Wayne brewing history. Several generations of the Centlivre and Reuss families — joined by marriage — guided the operation through Prohibition, two World Wars, and a million-dollar modernization in 1950, before the brewery finally closed its doors on December 1, 1973.

"The finest brewing tradition Fort Wayne ever tasted."
C.L. Centlivre Brewing Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana — early 20th century
The C.L. Centlivre Brewing Company on Spy Run Avenue, Fort Wayne — early 20th century
1862
Charles & Frank Centlivre found The French Brewery on Spy Run Avenue, Fort Wayne
1890s
Brand expands: Centlivre Beer, Nickel Plate Beer, Muechener & Centlivre Tonic hit the market
1919
Prohibition hits — brewery pivots to near beer, selling "That's It" to survive
1933
Prohibition ends — brewery revives and introduces Old Crown, which quickly becomes the flagship brand
1950
$1 million renovation — new "Smootherizing" technology, dramatically expanded capacity
1962
100th anniversary — brewery merges briefly with Chris-Craft Industries, adopts Old Crown Brewing Corporation name
1973
Production ceases December 1st after 111 years of continuous brewing
1989
Last brewery buildings demolished — only the Centlivre home and horse stables survive
The Brands

A Century of Craft

From railroad dining cars to Fort Wayne living rooms, Centlivre brands were woven into the fabric of Indiana life.

👑

Old Crown

1933 – 1973

The flagship brand. Introduced after Prohibition, Old Crown became the heart and soul of the brewery. Famous for its "Lazy Aged" tagline and the beloved Lazy Aged character — a sleepy figure in pointed hat and shoes, napping on a cloud.

Flagship
🚂

Nickel Plate Beer

Pre-Prohibition

Believed to be the only beer ever named after a railroad — the Nickel Plate Road. Served in the railroad's dining cars in the early 20th century. Its mascot, "Little Nick," was an elf-like character beloved in Fort Wayne.

Historic
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Centlivre Beer

1862 – early 1900s

The original. The flagship brand before Prohibition, the Centlivre name became synonymous with Fort Wayne brewing. The brand was briefly revived after Prohibition before giving way to Old Crown.

Original
💊

Centlivre Tonic

Pre-Prohibition

Marketed with the motto "Health is Wealth," the Centlivre Malt and Hop Tonic was sold as a health-boosting beverage — a common practice of the era that blurred the line between brewery and pharmacy.

Curiosity
🏔️

Alps Brau

Mid 20th century

Touted on Fort Wayne radio as "Very Bavarian, Very Bavarian, Very Bavarian Beer" by local act Nancy Lee and The Hilltoppers. A nod to the Bavarian brewing tradition that inspired many American lagers.

Regional
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That's It

Prohibition Era

During Prohibition, the brewery kept the lights on by producing "That's It" — a near beer with less than 0.5% alcohol. The name says everything: you couldn't have the real thing, but this was, well… that's it.

Prohibition
Characters & Advertising

The Cast of Characters

Centlivre and Old Crown were ahead of their time in brand storytelling, creating a cast of memorable characters that gave each product a distinct personality.

😴

The Lazy Aged Man

Old Crown's most iconic mascot — a jolly figure in pointed hat and shoes, napping on a cloud surrounded by cobwebs, symbolizing the extensive aging of their beer "to the peak of flavor perfection." Debuted in WWII-era ads and later appeared on Old Crown cans.

🧝

Little Nick

The elf-like mascot of Nickel Plate Beer — a nod to the railroad theme and the lighthearted spirit of pre-Prohibition Fort Wayne drinking culture.

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Quartsie

A talking 32-ounce bottle character used in promotions — one of the more unusual brand mascots in Midwest brewing history.

🎩

Crownie

A waiter character with distinctive crown-like eyebrows who graced Old Crown cans and promotional items briefly in the early 1960s.

Vintage Centlivre Beer advertisement
A vintage Centlivre Brewing advertisement
Health is Wealth — Centlivre Tonic trademark
"Health is Wealth" — the Centlivre Malt & Hop Tonic trademark
Legacy

What Remains

The brewery is gone, but its legacy lives on in Fort Wayne's streets, restaurants, and memory.

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The Centlivre Statue

The bronze statue of Charles Centlivre that once stood atop the brewery — surviving a 1964 windstorm that blew it from its perch — now greets visitors above the entrance to Halls Gas House, a beloved Fort Wayne restaurant and bar on Superior Street.

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The Centlivre Home

When the last brewery buildings were demolished in 1989, the Centlivre family home and horse stables were spared — the only physical remnants of the original complex that remain standing today.

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The Centlivre Beers

In the early-to-mid 20th century, Fort Wayne fielded a minor league baseball team named The Centlivre Beers — a proud nod to the city's most famous brewery and its deep roots in the community.

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The Centlivre Trolley

A dedicated trolley line ran past the brewery on Spy Run Avenue. Fort Wayne residents could phone in their order and have Centlivre beer delivered right to their homes — a 19th-century version of delivery service.

🛣️

Spy Run's Famous Curve

When the brewery's massive 1950 expansion was built, the new building was so large that the City of Fort Wayne had to cut a sharp curve into Spy Run Avenue to accommodate it — a geographic legacy that remains visible today.

❤️

Living Memory

Old Crown beer continued to be brewed by Peter Hand Brewing of Chicago until the late 1980s, keeping the name alive for a generation of loyal drinkers who refused to say goodbye to Fort Wayne's finest.

The Revival
🆕 Now Available

Beer Is in the Centlivre Blood

More than six decades after the Centlivre name was set aside in favor of Old Crown, the family is back. Tom and John Centlivre — descendants of the original brewing dynasty — have partnered with 2Toms Brewing Company on Wells Street in Fort Wayne to bring the iconic Centlivre brand back to life.

The collaboration marks the first time the Centlivre name has appeared on a beer produced in Fort Wayne since the brewery's famous brands were consolidated under the Old Crown label in 1962 — a 63-year hiatus that's finally over.

True to the brewery's roots, the new lineup celebrates the lager traditions that made Centlivre a Fort Wayne institution. And in a nod to the brewery's mid-century catalog, Alps Brau is also making a return.

"Brewing up a comeback."— WPTA / 21Alive, Fort Wayne

The New Lineup

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Centlivre Premium Pilsner

Czech / Bohemian Pilsner · 3.8% ABV

A crisp, clean pilsner in the classic Central European tradition — light-bodied, refreshing, and built for Fort Wayne summers.

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Centlivre Premium Dark

Dark Lager · 4.6% ABV

A smooth, malt-forward dark lager with echoes of the rich brewing tradition Charles Centlivre brought over from Alsace in 1862.

🏔️

Alps Brau

Returning after 45+ years

The Bavarian-inspired brand that once rang out on Fort Wayne radio — "Very Bavarian, Very Bavarian, Very Bavarian Beer" — is brewing its comeback.

📍 Where to Find It

2Toms Brewing Company
3676 N Wells St, Fort Wayne, IN 46808

Visit 2Toms Brewing →