In 1966 Rheingold Breweries introduced Gablinger’s Beer, one of the first reduced calorie beers, which was brewed using a process originated by chemist Dr. Hersch Gablinger of Basel, Switzerland.[27][28] The beer was also marketed as Gablinger’s Extra Light Beer. It failed in the marketplace, but the formula was tweaked by Joseph Owades, PhD, a biochemist working for Rheingold, and made available to Meister Brau Inc. in 1967, which made minor adjustments to Owades’ formula and marketed it as Meister Brau Lite. Despite widespread popularity of Meister Brau and Meister Brau Lite, the brewery carried unmanageable debt and in 1972 sold both brands to Miller Brewing Company, which relaunched Lite as “Lite Beer from Miller”, and later Miller Lite.[29][30]

Rheingold developed a successful marketing formula in the early 1940s that led to thirty years of share strength. It included radio and television jingles, the annual “Miss Rheingold” contest, official sponsorship of the New York Mets, and print and TV advertising with racial diversity that was atypical at the time.

Rheingold was the official beer of the New York Mets, and its advertisements featured John Wayne, Jackie Robinson, Sarah Vaughan and the Marx Brothers.^[51] Humorist and radio personality Jean Shepherd was the radio spokesman for Rheingold’s radio ads on New York Mets broadcasts in the 1970s.