Michigan's Past: January 2014

From Chapter XXIII of

History of the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan by Albert Baxter (1891)

BEER AND BREWERIES.

John Pannell, English by nativity, came to Grand Rapids in 1836. He was the first brewer here. He erected a small brewing house on the east side of Kent street, about 250 feet north of Lyon, by the base of Prospect Hill, and over a brook which came round the north end of that elevation. There he began making English hop beer. The original brewery, and that creek, years ago disappeared. At first a barrel or two at a brewing was as much as Mr. Pannell could find market for, but in the course of eight or ten years he could brew in much larger quantities and with greater frequency. In 1847 he was making of it a fairly remunerative business. Then along came Christoph Kusterer, who had been reared a brewer in Germany, and began work west of the river, and soon afterward entered into partnership with Mr. Pannell. About 1849 Mr. Kusterer bought Mr. Pannell's stock in trade and manufacture, and removed the establishment to the corner of East Bridge and Ionia streets, where the Kusterer brewing works now stand. To Christoph Kusterer is accredited the first making of lager beer here; and the German experts at the business say it was not of a quality which they would boast of very much at the present day. But it found favor with those who had a taste for light malt liquors; and some of the older ones have been heard to wish that they could again sip the original beverage.

Next came along the brothers Gottlieb, Gustav and Christian Christ, and added another to the lager beer making establishments, and the use and demand for the article increased rapidly. And just here is a coincidence. Ague and fever——the oldfashioned, bone shaking kind—prevailed here very largely when those German beer makers came. In 1847 chills and shaking ague were terrors of malarially afflicted people, and sallow faces and feeble frames were familiar sights. In the eight years following came two experiences-—a great growth in the habit of drinking lagerbeer, and the almost complete dying out of the shaking ague. It is not the province of the historian to moralize upon these facts, nor to attempt an explanation, but only to chronicle the coincidence.

Gottlieb Christ went into the Bridge Street House, and his brothers began work with Mr. Kusterer, but soon purchased property on Ottawa between Bridge and Hastings streets, where they erected brewery buildings and cellars, and established a large business. Their buildings were completely wiped out by the great fire of July 13, 1873, and they were never able to rally from that disaster sufficiently to restore their business. By that fire they suffered a loss of nearly $50,000. They began to rebuild, but a complication of difficulties beset and finally overcame them. Theirs was a leader among the beer making houses while it stood.

In 1859 there was a brewery, a good brick structure, at the southeast corner of Fountain and Ransom streets, operated by J. H. Roberts, but it did not remain there very long. The building a few years later was destroyed by fire.

Since 1850 the beer brewing business in Grand Rapids has grown to very great proportions. Twenty-five years later (1875) it had reached an average annual production of 16,000 barrels in this city; and in 1877 the value of the aggregate production was estimated at $600,000. With capital investments aggregating to upward of $400,000, it gives employment to about 160 men, including those engaged in handling the products. An effort was made some twelve years ago to establish the making on a large scale of ale and porter, but the measure of success was not flattering. Twenty years ago there were four large beer breweries in operation; at the present time their number has doubled.

The Kusterer Brewing Company's business was established in 1850 by Christoph Kusterer. He lost his life in the disaster that overtook the steamer Alpena in October, 1880. Afterward. in May, 1881, the Kusterer Brewing Company was incorporated. It has had a very steadily successful career. It employs an average of about thirty 1nen, using a capital of $100,000, and its sales for 1887 amounted to 597,000. All the popular varieties of lager beer are manufactured by this company, and they ship largely to outside markets in addition to their home trade. Oflicers, 1888-—President, Philip Kusterer; Vice President Adolph Leitelt; Secretary and Treasurer, Charles F. Kusterer. The company have a substantial brick factory, thoroughly equipped, occupying 100 feet front on Bridge and 140 on Ionia street.

The Michigan Brewery at the corner of West Bridge and Indiana streets, was founded by Peter Weirich in 1856, and managed by him until his death, upward of thirty years. It is now managed by the Peter Weirich Brewing Company (the members being heirs of the estate.) It has extensive cellar storage, and conducts a trade in bottled beer.

The Union Brewery at 87 South Division street, was established in 1862 by George Brandt—proprietors in 1888, George Brandt & Co., (Elizabeth B. Brandt, George W. Brandt and Julius R. Petersen). They have an investment of $35,000; output in 1887, $60,000; giving employment to about a dozen men. Beer bottling is also carried on by these brewers.

The Eagle Brewery at 50 Stocking street, was established in 1876, by Jacob Veit and Paul Rathman, its present proprietors. It employs from ten to twelve men, and uses a capital of $25,000.

Other breweries are those of Tusch Brothers on Grandville avenue; H. A. Britt, West Division street; John Gessler & C0., Page street, and Adolph Goetz, Broadway and West Leonard.

RETAIL TRAFFIC IN BEER

The sale of beer and wines and alcoholic liquors at retail is carried on i11 upward of a hundred places in this town, popularly called saloons. Whether or not such modern use of the word saloon may be properly regarded as an illustration of “the sunival of the fittest,” is a question which may not here be discussed. These saloons give support to some five hundred or more people. A few in the trade, favorably situated to catch or invite custom, make it very profitable; the great majority only moderately or not at all remunerative beyond eking out a living. Some dealers in the old business streets have followed their occupation nearly a quarter of a century, Among those of long standing are Jerome Trowbridge on Monroe above Ionia street, Christian Killinger on Crescent Avenue, and Charles Scheufiler on Canal street. Sales of lager beer by the glass have been very large for many years at the place of Peter Dressander, next the Arcade on Lyon street; also at the restaurant corner of Lyon and Kent, now kept by Henry Huber. At the corner of Ottawa and Bridge street, in a not very large building, a lively business in beer is done. At a number of these places kept by Germans, to see the lines of stalwart laboring men, a large proportion of them carrying dinner pails or baskets, stop and get an appetizer on the way home to supper, is a study for a painter. They say it refreshes them wonderfully, when tired from a hard day's work. At the place of Julius Kleinwaechter, opposite the Bridge Street House, such a scene at the close of working hours is a familiar sight. With neighborly greetings and animated discussion of all topics— news, work. politics, morals and religion ——some five minutes are spent, while they sip a glass of beer (for the German seldom pours it down in the Yankee fashion), taking also a small piece of rye bread and cheese, and then they move on to the home and family. And thus it is at many other similar houses. Possibly this brief and imperfect description may serve as a text for some writer of the coming century.