Comments (0) Best Citizen - 2008
Tom Schlafly
A shrewd businessman can capitalize on current events with his own marketing plan, make more money in the process and still keep the public smiling. When your business is brewing and selling beer, in St. Louis of all places, you have to stay original in the eyes of your customers and community, or forever be overshadowed by the once-King of Beers. That's why in addition to cranking out the beer varieties each season, Tom Schlafly and his company, Schlafly Beer, host community events year-round at both Schlafly locations, the Tap Room (2100 Locust Street; 314-241-2337) downtown and the Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue; 314-241-2337) in Maplewood. It's easy to suffer festival fatigue when looking at several seasonal events hosted by Schlafly, but the company's involvement in local causes and charities also makes it a responsible, if offbeat, corporate citizen, led by Schlafly himself, an attorney (or is it beer-company president?) by profession. St. Louis can be proud of him and what is now the city's largest locally owned brewery.
