Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

Milwaukee Breweries

Businesses in Milwaukee

Source: History of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, The Western Historical Company, Chicago; A.T. Andreas Proprietor, 1881, pg. 1456

The brewing and distilling of liquors, especially the former, is an industry of great importance in Milwaukee, where so large proportion of the population is German.  

The Brewing Interests
The manufacture of beer is one of the leading industries of the City of Milwaukee.  The erection of the first brewery ante-dates that of the first flouring mill, and the period of time which has elapsed since the inception thereof.  Not only does the city and surrounding country call loudly for supply from this great source, but distant States and even Faderland send hither for the refreshing beverage.  As in the German states no city in America is more generally spoken of then Milwaukee, so is no American city more favorably known for its malt productions.  More than $6,000,000 are invested in the manufacture of this favorite drink, and during 1880 there were brewed the enormous quantity of 804,000 barrels valued at $6,432,000.  There are employed, in all capacities, from 1,100 to 1,200 men, representing a population of many thousands.

The First Brewery
The Pioneer Brewer
South Side Brewery
The Phillip Best Brewing Company
Gippel's Union Brewery
Union Brewery
Valentine Blatz' City Brewery
Menomonee Valley Brewery
Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company
Cream City Brewery
J. Obermann & Co.
Menomonee Brewery
Bavaria Brewery
Northwestern Brewery
Milwaukee Brewing Association

Ice-House and Brewery Supplies
M. Orth & Son
J.T. Kopmeier & Co.
Sanborn & Haisler
John Mead & Son

Maltsters
At nearly all the breweries in the City of Milwaukee malt is manufactured, as well as beer.  Apart from the brewers' malt houses, the business is not very extensive.  However, there are sevearl houses which carry on the malt business alone, principally for the supply of the city brewers, who co not make malt enough for their own use.  Chief among these are the following:

Eagle Brewery
Phoenix Brewery
William Gerlach & Company
Milwaukee Malt-House