Ohio Archives - Brookston Beer Bulletin

Beer Birthday: Larry Horwitz

September 15, 2020 By Jay Brooks 1 Comment

Today is also the birthday of Larry Horwitz, who is an award-winning regional brewer who used to be with Iron Hill Brewery, headquartered at their West Chester location. Larry was at Manayunk Brewery before joining the Iron Hill team in 2003, having gotten in his professional brewing start while in Ohio. More recently, he moved back closer to home, to brew at the Four String Brewing in Columbus. Join me in wishing Larry a very happy birthday.

Tonya Cornett, for 10 Barrel Brewing, with Larry at the 2009 GABF.

Larry’s promotion photo for Larry’s Blog.

Historic Beer Birthday: Herman Lackman

September 15, 2020 By Jay Brooks 1 Comment

Today is the birthday of Herman Lackman (September 15, 1826-June 30, 1890). He was born in Germany, but came to the U.S. as a young man, settling in Cincinnati, Ohio. He founded what would become the Herman Lackman Brewing Co. with a business partner, J.H. Sandmann, and the brewery continued until 1919, when prohibition closed it for good.

Apparently a fansite, Light Over Glass has a lot of information about the brewery, including some biographical information about Lackman:

HERMAN LACKMAN, brewer, a native of Thedinghausen, near Bremen, in Germany, was born Sept. 15, 1826. After he received the usual elementary education, he helped his father (a farmer by trade) work in the fields, until the age of twenty. Without the hope of advancement at home, he moved to America in 1847, and, while learning the language of the country, he stopped in Baltimore, Md. Where he got a job as a farm laborer. In 1849 he came to the West, and settled in Cincinnati. Just two days after his arrival, he found employment in a sawmill where he earned seventy-five cents to a dollar the day. He remained there for eighteen months, until September 1850, and then got a different job paying a monthly salary of thirty-five dollars working for Brauer Schaller & ship, where he spent five years driving a lumber wagon and later a beer wagon.

This certainly was a modest start, but Mr. Lackman managed horses well, possessing a powerful frame and being capable of great labor, and there was something in the man above his calling, and what it was became apparent in 1855, when, by investment of his earnings he became in a small way a brewer himself. Knowing no gateway to success except the one inscribed “hard work,” he applied himself diligently to business, rapidly increased his sales, and through sound methods, straightforward conduct and the ability to organize and carry on a large enterprise, he gained a fortune.

In 1855, Herman Lackman and J.H. Sandmann leased the brewery of Louis Schneider on Agusta Street. Lackman had worked for Foss-Schneider. In 1860 the operation was moved to the property located at Sixth and Stone Streets because they needed more room. Their new property had a beer celler that could hold about 500 barrels. With their expansion they were able to increase the brewery’s output from 2000 barrels in 1855 to approximately 6000 barrels in 1865.

In 1868 Lackman bought out Sandmann’s shares in the company and renamed it, The Herman Lackman, and in 1890, The Herman Lackman Brewing Company. J. H. Sandmann, having retired from the business in 1868, died in 1872, with the respect of all who knew him. Herman Lackman conducted the business alone, and, as said, became the real founder of the present company. Herman Lackman believed in “beer as an agent of good”. He held, however, that to accomplish this good it must be pure-made of the pure malt of barley and hops alone. His principles became known and became part of his beer making.

In the new building all modern methods of brewing are perfected. The company does its own milling. Its malt is made from the cream of the barley market. No steam arises from the brew kettle. The great engines move without noise or smoke. The vast ice machines are silently at work. Everything is as neat as the parlor of a painstaking house-wife, from floor to ceiling. Stone floors are clean and ceilings shine. Brasses are burnished and steel glitters.

With a model mill-house, brew-house, engine and boiler-house, whose cap-stone was laid three years after the founder’s death [see biographical sketch], and just that long after he had superintended the building of the foundations. In this building, except one small house, there is not an inch of wood. Stone, iron, steel and brass are its components. It is fireproof, and enduring, like the memory of the good man who planned it, whose four sons would carry out his designs.

One of them, Edward H. Lackman, has since followed his father to his long rest. He was the youngest son, an athlete and an enthusiast, like his brothers, in physical sports, but died early—not, however, before he had contributed his portion of loving labor to the enterprise with which the family name is identified.

Herman Lackman was prominent in city affairs, and served with honor in the school board, as president of the German Orphan’s Asylum, as president of the Third German Reformed Church, as trustee of the Bodmann’s Widows’ Home, director of the Sun Mutual Insurance Company, major in the militia, and president of the Cincinnati Brewers’ Association—which position his son Albert now so worthily fills. Open-hearted and charitable, thoroughly believing that his life work was one of real practical temperance reform. Mr. Lackman died in Cincinnati, June 30, 1890. His death, just as he was beginning extensive improvements to his business, was a public bereavement. He left four sons to take up his work where he left it off.

Also, Peared Creation has a short history of the brewery:

Herman Lackman was a native of Thedinghausen, Germany. At age 21 Herman saw no hope of progress in his country so he came to United States. From working in a railroad in Maryland to driving a lumber wagon and working in saw mills, Lackman did it all. It was in 1860 that Herman met up with another German immigrant, John H. Sandmann and together they established Herman-Lackman Brewery at Sixth and Stone Streets in Cincinnati.

After 8 years of doing business together, Lackman bought out Sandmann and took over majority stake in the brewery. At this point it was renamed the Herman Lackman, United States Brewery. In 1890, Lackman incorporates his business as Herman Lackman Brewing Co. In 1919, Lackman, like many brewers, found himself without a business due to the Volstead Act that ushered in the era of prohibition.

In 1933, after the repeal of Prohibition, the facility came to life again but it was bought by Hudepohl Brewing Co. and established as their second plant.

And Cincinnati Brewing History has yet another account:

“Herman Lackman and J. H, Sandmann leased the City Brewery of Louis Schneider in 1855. They paid $50 a month for the brewery on Augusta Street. They invested $1600 to buy horses and wagons. Sandmann was the brewer and Lackman delivered the beer. In 1858 because they needed more room, the partners bought property at Sixth and Stone Streets for $13,000. By 1860 they were able to move their new quarters there. Their new plant had a beer cellar that could hold 5000 barrels. They had increased the brewery’s output from 2,000 barrels in 1855 to about 6,000 barrels in 1865.

Having established a successful business, Lackman felt confident enough to return to Germany for an extended visit. When he came back to Cincinnati in 1868, after almost three years, he bought Sandmann’s share in the company and renamed it the Herman Lackman Brewing Company. He paid his former partner $80,000 in this transaction.

By 1870 the brewery produced 10,000 barrels of beer, a year later the plant was expanded. The beer cellars had a total capacity of 12,000 barrels. Lackman had a 98 foot well dug and the water was pumped by a windmill or by a steam engine in calm weather. The brewery advertised that the well yielded water that was free from all mineral deposits and crystal clear. In 1880 the brewery produced 30,000 barrels of beer. Eventually 5 wells were dug.

In 1890 with $600,000 capital stock the business was incorporated. The brewery produced 45,000 barrels the same year. The plant now included a mill house, brewery building, and an engine and boiler house. All were constructed of brick, iron, and stone to prevent fires. A statue of Gambrinus, the ‘god’ of beer stoop atop the brewery.

Herman Lackman died in 1893. His sons took over the corporation then. Albert Lackman became president. Interestingly, he did not drink beer because it did not agree with him. Henry F. Lackman served as vice-president. Brother Edward H. Lackman was also a company officer. They expanded the brewery and production reached 60,000 barrels a year in 1894. Only barley was used in making the beer, no rice or corn.

When the brewery closed in 1919, Albert was president and treasurer; Henry, vice-president; and Herman W. Lackman, another brother, was secretary. They brewed and bottled Golden Age, a pale beer, Old Honesty, and Old Lager beers.” Cincinnati Breweries, Robert J. Wimberg (1997)

Historic Beer Birthday: George F. Klotter Jr.

August 25, 2020 By Jay Brooks 2 Comments

Today is the birthday of George F. Klotter Jr. (August 25, 1835-1900?) His father, along with partner Johann G. Sohn, established the Hamilton Brewery in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1846. Klotter Sr. left that brewery, while Sohn continued alone, and Klotter started another brewery, the George Klotter Brewery in 1866 The following year George Jr., and his brother Louis, joined the brewery, and it was renamed the George Klotter and Sons Brewery, which it remained until 1888.

It 1888, it was renamed the Bellevue Brewery until finally closing in 1919.

Historic Beer Birthday: Christian Diehl

August 21, 2020 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Today is the birthday of Christian Diehl (August 21, 1842-1928). He was born in Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany and moved to the U.S. when he was 28, in 1870, settling in Defiance, Ohio. There, Jacob Karst and Joseph Bauer hired Diehl to be the brewmaster for their Defiance Brewery, which Karst had founded in 1867. The next year, Diehl bought out Karst and the brewery became known as the Bauer & Christian Diehl Brewery. Shortly after Bauer died, and in 1885 it became the Christian Diehl Brewery and later the Christ. Diehl Brewing Co., with Diehl as sole owner. The brewery reopened after prohibition and remained in business for another twenty years, closing for good in 1955.

Here’s a portion of an article about Diehl, by Carl Miller, entitled What A Diehl! from the Defiance Crescent News.

The Legacy Begins

On October 21, 1870, a twenty-eight-year-old Christian Diehl arrived in Defiance to take a position as brewmaster at the local brewery. He had learned the art of brewing beer in his hometown of Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany before emigrating to America in 1861. European-trained brewers like Christian found employment easily in mid-nineteenth century America due to the hundreds of small breweries operating throughout the east and midwest.

The young Christian Diehl took full advantage of the demand enjoyed by his profession, traveling from state to state exploring his newly adopted country. Before coming to Ohio, he worked in breweries in New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Missouri. Just prior to his arrival in Defiance, he had been employed by a Toledo brewer.

The brewery which lured Christian Diehl to Defiance was established in 1867 by German immigrant Jacob Karst. Known simply as the “Defiance Brewery,” the works was situated on North Clinton street just near the Maumee River. In 1869, local saloonkeeper Joseph Bauer purchased an interest in the brewery, and it was the firm of Karst and Bauer which hired Christian as brewmaster in 1870. By the following year, Christian had accumulated resources enough to buy Karst’s share in the brewery, and the partnership of Bauer and Diehl was established. Aside from a brief participation in the business by Bauer’s son, the brewery operated basically unchanged until the passing away of Joseph Bauer in 1883. Christian, who had apparently achieved a certain degree of financial success with the brewery by this time, purchased Bauer’s interest from his family in 1885.

The Next Generation

In 1896, three of Christian’s sons — Christian Jr., John C., and Albert F. Diehl — were initiated into the brewery’s management. The young men had virtually grown up inside the brewery and each was already well acquainted with the business. Christian Jr., in fact, had shown such an early “adaptability for business” that he was put in charge of the firm’s books at age thirteen. John C. Diehl, having graduated from the American Brewing Academy in Chicago, took over his father’s post as Diehl brewmaster.

Although the elder Christian Diehl officially continued to fill the office of brewery president, he gradually relinquished control of the family business to his sons. After the turn of the century, Christian spent much of his time tending to the family farm just outside Defiance, where he died in 1928.

The young Diehls lead the brewery into what was perhaps the most prosperous period in its history. By 1899, the Diehl brewery employed 21 men and produced annually about 12,000 barrels of beer (32 gallons per barrel), a nearly five-fold increase over the brewery’s early days. And production continued to climb well into the new century.

The great majority of Diehl beer was consumed within Defiance County in the years before Prohibition. However, a small portion of the brewery’s product was shipped to outside markets. Proximity to the Maumee River provided easy transportation to, among other locations, Ft. Wayne and Toledo. The latter city was quite possibly the brewery’s largest market outside of Defiance. By 1911, sales of Diehl beer in Toledo had justified the construction of a brewery-owned distribution depot in that city. The brewery was said to have sent beer as far north as Grand Rapids before the onset of Prohibition.

Nevertheless, the Diehl brewery’s lifeblood was its local market. In fact, the brewery’s long-time feature brand of beer was named in honor of the city itself: Centennial Beer was introduced in 1894 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Fort Defiance. Early bottle labels for Centennial Beer depicted General Anthony Wayne engaged in the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Other early Diehl brands included Hofbrau and Diehlgold. All were advertised as being “Diehlicious.”

The Big Drought

By about 1910, it had become apparent that prohibitionist groups such as the Anti-Saloon League and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union were rapidly gaining ground in their quest to abolish the manufacture of alcoholic beverages. The Diehl brothers, having fostered significant growth and expansion of the brewery throughout the early years of the century, were now charged with guiding the family business through what promised to be uncertain times ahead.

The Diehls felt it prudent to begin investigating alternative fields of business in the event that the brewing industry suffered a fatal blow. The milk condensing business emerged as a promising option due to the surrounding farmland, the lack of local competition, and the compatibility of the brewing equipment. Christian Jr. traveled to Wisconsin to observe state-of-the-art condensories in operation and returned with a glowing account of the condition of the industry.

The Prohibition crusade, in the meantime, had reached its peak. A 1918 statewide referendum left Ohio completely dry beginning in May of 1919. And, shortly thereafter, ratification of the 18th Amendment marked the beginning of National Prohibition. Brewers nationwide scrambled to find new areas of business in hopes of being among the lucky few who survived.

Although the Diehls’ plans to enter the milk condensing business had not fully materialized by the time Prohibition came, the proposed venture had attracted a significant amount of local interest. By 1922, several investors with experience in milk condensing had been recruited, and the Defiance Dairy Products Company was soon in full operation in a portion of the old brewery. The Crescent News called the opening of the condensory “a milestone in the commercial life of Defiance.” Indeed, the milk condensory — still owned and operated by the Diehl family — is today one of the city’s largest enterprises.

Incidentally, the brewery was kept in operation well into Prohibition, making “near beer,” a de-alcoholized version of real beer. The bottling works remained active as well, packaging a wide variety of soft drinks.

And this history of the brewery is from “100 Years of Brewing:”

Centennial-Perfect-Beer--Labels-The-Christ-Diehl-Brewing-Co--Post-Prohibition

Historic Beer Birthday: John Hauck

August 20, 2020 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Today is the birthday of John Hauck (August 20, 1829-June 4, 1896). He was born in Bavaria, but came to the U.S. as a young man. He “worked for his uncle, Cincinnati brewer George M. Herancourt, before starting his own brewery in 1863, the John Hauck Brewery

Here’s a short biography from Find-a-Grave:

Brewer. A native of Germany, he was born in Rhenish, Bavaria and came to America when with his family when he was a child. After leaving school, Hauck found employment in a brewery with his uncle, Mr. Herancourt. Hauck returned to Europe for a few years before returning to the United States and worked for another uncle, Mr. Billiad, in a brewery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and established a brewery of his own, the Dayton Street Brewery, which became known for its “Golden Eagle” brand. Hauck’s brewery was extremely successful and he rose to prominence as one of Cincinnati’s famous brewers. His business was later renamed as the John Hauck Beer Bottling Company in 1863 and produced thousands of barrels by the end of the 19th century. Hauck went into business with Conrad Windisch from 1863 to 1870. He was also president of the Western German National Bank in Cincinnati. John’s son, Louis Hauck, became president of the company in 1893. Hauck died in Newport, Kentucky in 1896 when he was 66 years old. His residence on Dayton Street later became a museum.

Hauck’s uncle, George Herancourt, owned the Cincinnati Red Stockings baseball team in 1884 and 1885, but declared bankruptcy in 1885. Hauck “took over as principal owner of the team. He delegated to his son, Louis, the day-to-day management of the club.”

Here’s a short history of Hauck’s brewery from the Heritage Village Museum”

Cincinnati has been the home to many breweries throughout its history, one of those being the John Hauck Brewing Company. John Hauck was born in Germany in 1829 and moved to America when he was a child. After completing school and returning to Europe for a few years, Hauck came back to America and worked for his uncle in a Philadelphia brewery. He eventually moved to Cincinnati and began his own brewery with John Windisch in 1863, called the Dayton Street Brewery. The brewery was located on Dayton Street close to the Miami-Erie Canal, which they used to fill the steam boilers, providing power to the machinery. In the first year of business, the Dayton Street Brewery produced 10,000 barrels of beer. By 1881, they were producing 160,000 barrels of beer and had become Cincinnati’s second largest brewery. John Hauck bought out Windisch’s shares of the company and renamed it the John Hauck Brewing Company. By 1884, the brewery was covering the entire city block bounded by Central Avenue, Dayton Street, York Street and Kewitt Alley. Hauck’s brewery was highly successful and he rose to prominence as one of Cincinnati prominent brewers. Hauck was a big supporter of the community and supported Cincinnati institutions, such as the Cincinnati Zoological Society. Hauck was also president of the Western German National Bank in Cincinnati. Louis Hauck, John’s son, took control of the brewing company in 1893. John Hauck died in Newport, Kentucky in 1896. The Hauck residence on Dayton Street remains and is owned by the Cincinnati Preservation Association.

Historic Beer Birthday: Louis Hudepohl

July 20, 2020 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Today is the birthday of Louis Hudepohl (July 20, 1842-April 27, 1902). Originally born as Ludwig Hudepohl II, he and partner George H. Kotte bought the Buckeye Brewery of Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1885, calling it the Kotte & Hudepohl Brewery, though it was later known as the Hudepohl Brewing Company in in 1885. “Hudepohl was the son of Bavarian immigrants and had worked in the surgical tool business before starting his brewery. Hudepohl combined with the Schoenling Brewing Company in 1986.”

Here’s an account from Queen City History:

Louis Hudepohl (born Ludwig Hudepohl II) had a business model that would raise a few eyebrows in modern state regulatory agencies. He had a combination real estate office and liquor store on Main Street. The real estate thing must not have worked out because his business was listed solely as a wholesale liquor store a few years later; but he definitely had a bright future in the alcoholic beverage industry. Along with his partner George Kotte, Hudepohl sold the liquor store on Main and bought a fledgling brewery on Buckeye Street (now East Clifton) in 1885. Born in Cincinnati by German immigrant parents, Hudepohl would become the first American-born member of Cincinnati’s great pre-Prohibition beer barons. Although Louis Hudepohl died in 1902, his family-run brewery also bridged another generational gap: The Hudepohl Brewing Company was only one of four Cincinnati breweries to survive Prohibition. As the last to still be brewing near beer, the Bruckmann Brewing Company was the only Cincinnati brewery poised to immediately return to production of real beer. Hudepohl, Foss-Schnieder, and Schaller also resumed operations within a few months, and under their pre-Prohibition names. Within a year, these breweries were followed by a series of others that breathed new life into pre-Prohibition breweries.

And another from Peared Creation:

Louis Hudepohl and his wife, Agnes, made their home in Cincinnati in 1838 after emigrating from Germany. Hudepohl met a business partner by the name of George H. Kotte and the two started a wholesale liquor store near Main and Ninth Street. In 1842 Louis had a son, Louis Hudepohl II, that would grow up to be a major player in Cincinnati brewing. He was initially trained in surgical tools but his lack of interest in the work prompted a move to his father’s liquor store at the age of 24.

Hudepohl II resumed partnership with Kotte, during which Hudepohl Sr. passed away in 1881. It was in 1885 that the new partners sold their store and bought the brewery on East McKinnon and 105/125 Clifton Avenues. The facility had a long history of brewering as it was used by Gottfried & Henry Koehler for 20 years, and then by Kaufmann Brewing Co. from 1883-1885. The duo encountered much success and raised production from 25,000 to 40,000 barrels in only their first year. By 1890 the brewery had more than 5 brands of beer and 100 employees. As the brands and barrels grew, the partners hired brewery architect Fredrick Wolf to design their expansion. Kotte’s death in 1899 prompted the renaming to Hudepohl Brewing Co. The same year, Louis introduced “Golden Jubilee” which became a craving among beer lovers across the region.

Of course the prohibition shut down brewery operations in 1919 but while many other breweries failed to adapt, the Hudepohl brand remained a constant in the market with their near beer and sodas. The near-beer was one half of 1 percent alcohol which they sold individually as well as mixed with a concoction of ginger ale which they called a Dutch Cocktail. After the Prohibition was lifted off, Hudepohl resumed his famous beer making. In fact he was one of the three brands including, Foss-Schneider and Schaller, who were able to reemerge after the prohibition. Following incessant demand for the Hudepohl brands the company purchased the Lackman Brewing Co. in order to increase production in 1934.

By the mid 1980s, Hudepohl was producing 100,000 barrels per year, making Hudepohl and beer synonymous in the tri-state area. Hudy Delight, introduced in 1978 became their star beer along with The Christian Moerlein Cincinnati Select Lager introduced in 1981. The beer, named after famous Cincinnati pre-prohibition brewer, had more flavor and a deep, rich golden color. Hudepohl manufactured 14 other beers including Hudepohl Bock, Hudepohl Beer, Chevy Ale, Old 85 Ale, Burger Light, Hudepohl Gold, and Hudepohl Oktoberfest to name a few. Hudepohl’s 100th anniversary was celebrated in 1985 when it was under the presidency of Bob Pohl. He was in need for an investor when Schoenling Brewing Company took over the business on the decline. The company operated as Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Company in the same Hudepohl facility until it was moved to Schoenling facility.

This biography appeared in the History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio, published in 1894.

Louis Hudepohl later in life, enjoying life as a local celebrity.

Sarah Stephens had this to say about Hudepohl in Cincinnati’s Brewing History:

Golden-Jubilee-Labels-Hudepohl-Brewing-Company-Plant-1--Aka-of-Hudepohl-Brewing-Co

Hudepohl-Pure-Lager-Beer--Labels-Hudepohl-Brewing-Company-Plant

Historic Beer Birthday: Louis J. Hauck

June 30, 2020 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Today is the birthday of Louis J. Hauck (June 30, 1866-April 30, 1942). His father, John Hauck, founded the John Hauck Brewing Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1863. In 1879, Hauck bought out his partner and a few years later changed the name of the brewery. Louis became president in 1893, when his father retired. It continued as the John Hauck Brewery or the Dayton Street Brewery until prohibition. After it ended, it reopened as the Red Top Brewing Co. and continued until closing in 1956.

Here’s a short history of the brewery Louis’ dad founded, from Emily Brickler at Cincinnati Historic Destinations:

John Hauck and John Ulrich Windisch teamed up to start their brewery back in 1863 located on Dayton Street near Central Avenue. They ended up purchasing five acres located close to the Miami-Erie Canal which the water was used to fill the steam boilers and provide the power for the machinery. Both guys at one point called their business the Dayton Street Brewery which was producing 10,000 barrels of beer in their first year. By 1877, they were producing 32,000 barrels and two years later he bought Windsch’s shares of the brewery.

In 1881, the brewery was producing 160,000 barrels of beer. By 1882 the brewery was officially the John Hauck Brewing Company. There was also a John Hauck Beer Bottling Company that was established that same year. John Hauck was against bottling his beer though saying that it changed the flavor of the beer but in order for him to do business with more distant markets he had to agree with the bottling of his beer. By 1884 the brewery was covering the block which was bounded by Central, Dayton, York Streets and Kewitt Alley. The only remaining building from this brewery is the bottling works which stands on Central Avenue bear Dayton Street. The Hauck and Windisch farm actually still stands as well located near Crescentville Road. Louis Hauck then had the original Hauck farm house replaced in 1904 with a mansion located at 12171 Mosteller Road.

The John Hauck Brewery, a.k.a. the Dayton Street Brewery.

A caricature of Louis J. Hauck done around 1903.

Historic Beer Birthday: Peter Weyand

June 29, 2020 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Today is the birthday of Peter Weyand (June 29, 1821-July 17, 1875). Along with Daniel Jung, he founded the Western Brewery on Freeman and Bank Streets in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was unable to find any photos of Weyand, and very few of the brewery when it used his name, too, but then only appears to be for a few years, from 1854-1857 according to some sources.

Here’s Weyand obituary from “Early Nineteenth-Century German Settlers in Ohio.”

When it was first opened in 1857, along with partner Peter Weyand, it was called the Western Brewery (some sources say 1854). In 1879, they added a third investor, and it became the Weyand, Jung & Heilman Brewery. It 1885, with Jung apparently sole owner, it is renamed the Jung Brewing Co., which it remained until 1908, when it went back to being the Western Brewery, before closing due to prohibition in 1919.

In 1879, Weyand and Jung partnered with Max Hellman and operated the brewery until 1885. In 1885, following the deaths of Peter Weyand and Daniel Jung, the brewery was renamed the Jung Brewing Company. The Jung Brewing Company operated from 1885 to 1890. In 1890, the brewery was sold and merged with Cincinnati Breweries Company.

Historic Beer Birthday: John Schneider

June 28, 2020 By Jay Brooks Leave a Comment

Today is the birthday of John Schneider (June 28, 1849-?). I believe he was a son of Louis Schneider, who founded the Louis Schneider Brewery in Cincinnati, Ohio. After taking on a partner, Henry Foss, it later became known as the Foss-Schneider Brewing Co. It closed during prohibition, but reopened when it was repealed in 1933, though closed for good in 1939. While I was unable to find much information on John, it seems that he was elected second vice-president of the Brewers Association at their sixth convention in 1893.

Here’s a short history of the brewery, from “100 Years of Brewing:”

Historic Beer Birthday: Leo Ebert

June 28, 2020 By Jay Brooks 10 Comments

Today is the birthday of Leo Ebert (June 28, 1837-February 22, 1908). Ebert was born in Bavaria into a family of brewers, and emigrated to the U.S. and opened the Leo Ebert Brewing Co. in 1863, which also traded under the name the Eagle Brewery, at least until prohibition, when it closed for good.

Here’s a biography from Ohio Breweriana;

Leo Ebert, of Ironton, Ohio, founder and still president of the company of that name, was born in Klingenbergon-the-Main, Bavaria, June 28, 1837. The descendant of a family of brewers, he learned his trade at his father’s establishment, and began his career as a journeyman brewer in September, 1854. He worked at his trade in different places in Bavaria, Baden and Hanover, returning home in 1857, to accept a position as brewmaster in the plant of Jos. Amreihn, at Lohr, Bavaria. He remained there until May, 1859, and then left for the United States, arriving in New York July 16, of that year. He secured employment at Gillig’s brewery, remaining there until May, 1860, and then left for Cincinnati, Ohio. Unable to find work in a brewery, he labored in a brickyard at $1 per day. In the fall of 1860 he went to work at Joseph Schaller’s brewery, Cincinnati, being advanced in a short time to the position of cellarman. The foremanship of F. Beck’s brewery, in that city, being offered him, he accepted it and managed the plant until the Christmas of 1861, at which time a brewery at Ironton, Ohio, was offered for rent. Of this opportunity Mr. Ebert took advantage, and with the assistance promised and freely given by the big-hearted and generous Michael Goepper (the well-remembered father of Herman and Edward Goepper) he rented the little common-beer brewery at Ironton and started with a capital of $20; malt and hops, on credit, of Mr. Goepper.

Ironton being on the border of Kentucky and near the State of Virginia, became a very lively place during the war, and the brewery prospered. Beer was brewed Sunday and every day and sold when often not over three days old. The brewery not being well located, however, was abandoned and Mr. Ebert erected a new plant at the present site, in 1863, and began to brew lager beer. From time to time he enlarged his plant according to the wants of the trade in Ironton. He never meddled with the shipping trade, and to-day is glad that he did not, doing a nice business at home and fully enjoying the fruits of an active life.

Mr. Ebert has taken an active part in all questions pertaining to the welfare and protection of the brewing trade of the country. He joined the United States Brewers Association at the convention held in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1863, and has been acquainted with all the old veterans of the trade. He was elected the first president of the Ohio State Brewers Association, serving from 1883 to 1887, and again after the reorganization in 1894. There has not been a legislature in session for the past thirty years in Ohio which has not found Mr. Ebert on hand whenever the trade was endangered or some relief wanted from obnoxious laws. In view of this record the United States Brewers Association did him the honor of electing him its president at the Milwaukee convention of 1895.

Mr. Ebert can say that he has been an active force in the development of the brewing industry of this country, from the so-called small or common beer for quick consumption, to the present export beers which are shipped all over the world. He remembers the time when the output of all the breweries in the United States did not equal the present output of some of our cities. He made beer in this country when there was no tax on it, while the 1900 tax on beer was three and one-half times the amount the United States paid Spain for the Philippine islands.

Mr. Ebert was married in Germany, in 1858, to Mathilde Uihlein, of Trennfurt, Bavaria. His family consists of six children five daughters, and one son (Otto) who is now manager of the brewery and is highly respected by the trade and community.

Mr. Ebert has always taken an active part in the development of the city of Ironton and has served in the capacity of president of the city council, member of the school board and board of health, his activities in this direction covering a period of seventeen years.

Here’s Ebert’s obituary from “A Standing History of the Hanging Rock Iron Region of Ohio” by Eugene B. Willard, Daniel W. Williams, George O. Newman and Charles B. Taylor, published in 1916

The late Leo Ebert, who died at his home in the City of Ironton, Lawrence County, on the 22d of February, 1908, was a man of strong and upright character and marked business ability, his influence having long been potent in connection with civic and material progress in Ironton and his prominence and enterprise in the business activities involved in the operation of the extensive and modern brewery that perpetuates his name having made him one of the leading business men of this section of the Buckeye State, even as he was a loyal and progressive citizen who held inviolable place in popular confidence and esteem.

Leo Ebert was born at Kingenberg, Kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, near the City of Frankfort, and the date of his nativity was June 28, 1837, so that he was nearly seventy-one years of age at the time of his death. He was a son of Theodore and Barbara (Krutzman) Ebert, and the family name has been identified with the representative brewing enterprise of Bavaria for many generations, Theodore Ebert, father of the subject of this memoir, having fully upheld the prestige of the patronymic in this field of industry, and both he and his wife having remained in Bavaria until their death. Leo Ebert, the eldest in a family of four children, attended the excellent schools of his home town until he had attained to the age of twelve years, when he was placed by his father in the latter’s brewery, to be initiated into the mysteries of the business. For several years he was acquiring scientific and practical experience in the brewing business,—at Mannheim, Bremen and other places,—and he finally returned to the parental home and stood his chances in the conscription for the army. He was successful, however, in drawing a high number and thus was relieved of the military service.

At the age of twenty-one years Mr. Ebert wedded Miss Mathilda Urhlein, and in 1859, shortly after this important event, he immigrated with his young wife to the United States. Landing in the port of New York City, he there worked at his trade of brewer for nine months, and at the expiration of this period he came to Ohio and established his residence in the City of Cincinnati. Not being able to find immediate employment at his trade, he was compelled to work one summer in a brick yard, and finally he obtained a position as laborer in a Cincinnati brewery, his ability and fine technical knowledge leading to his promotion from his humble capacity to that of foreman within the ensuing two months. After serving for foreman of the brewery for sixteen months Mr. Ebert came to Ironton, Lawrence County, in 1861. Here he established a brewery on a modest scale, and from that time forward his success became cumulative and substantial. He continued as the executive head of the Ebert Brewing Company until his death and was one of the thoroughly loyal and liberal citizens of the Lawrence County metropolis, to the development and upbuilding of which he contributed in generous measure. He became financially interested in various other local enterprises and was known and honored as one of the prominent and influential citizens of this section of the state.

In politics Mr. Ebert originally was aligned with the republican party, but in 1872 he followed his sincere convictions and transferred his allegiance to the democratic party, with which he continued to In actively allied during the residue of his long and useful life. He was influential in the councils of his party and, as a convincing and effective public speaker, he “took the stump” in numerous campaigns. For more than seventeen years Mr. Ebert held official preferment in Ironton, where he served as a member of the city council, the board of education and the board of health. The fine intellectual ken and practical ability of Mr. Ebert marked him as eligible for office of distinguished order, and twice he received the democratic nomination for representative of his district in the United States Congress. While he was unable to overcome the large and normal republican majorities in the district, he brought out the full vote of his party and greatly reduced the natural majority of his opponents.

In the most significant and worthy interpretation of the expression, Mr. Ebert was essentially a self-made man, and he had the sagacity and judgment to make the best of the opportunities afforded in the land of his adoption, with the result that he won large and substantial success, the while he so ordered his course as to merit and receive the high esteem of all who knew him. He was a man of commanding presence, brilliant intellect and broad human tolerance and sympathy. His kindliness and generosity were unfailing, but he never permitted his benevolences to come into publicity if this could be avoided, having been one of those who “do good by stealth and blush to find it fame.” Genial and companionable, Mr. Ebert was not only an interesting conversationalist but also had remarkable gifts as an orator. For eight years Mr. Ebert served as president of the Ohio Brewers’ Association, and for two years was president of the national organization of brewers. He was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Knights of Pythias. The death of Mr. Ebert caused deep and sincere sorrow in his home city, and both business and social circles manifested their sense of irreparable loss. The noble character of Mr. Ebert found its most perfect exemplification in the relations of his ideal home life, and his widow and children find their greatest measure of consolation and compensation in the memory of his devotion and abiding love and tenderness,—the gentleness of a strong and loyal nature.

Of the six children of Leo and Mathilda (Urhlein) Ebert the eldest is Fannie, who is now the wife of Henry Geiger, identified with the brewing business in Ironton, and they have seven children,—Mathilda, Leo, Henry. Frederick, Charles, Otto, and Bertha. Gretchen, the second daughter, first wedded Michael Rauch, who is survived by two children, Otto and Walter. After the death of her first husband Mr. Rauch became the wife of August Ebert, a brewer by vocation, and they now reside in the City of St. Louis, Missouri, no children having been born of this union. Tillie is the wife of Charles Jones, engaged in the undertaking business in Ironton; Otto N., the only son, is more specifically mentioned on other pages of this publication. Emma is the wife of Frederick Wagner, a representative farmer near Pedro, Lawrence County, and they have eight children,—Leona, Frederick, Walter, Henrietta, Harold, Ironton, Roy, and Franklin. Bertha is the wife of Dr. William C. Miller, engaged in the practice of dentistry in Ironton, and they have one son, William C, Jr.