Indiana Brewing History

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Northwest Indiana	South Bend / Mishawaka	Northeast Indiana
West Central Indiana	North Central Indiana	Fort Wayne
Terre Haute	Lafayette	East Central Indiana
Southwest Indiana	Indianapolis / Hamilton Co. / Johnson Co.	Southeast Indiana
Evansville	New Albany / Clarksville / Jeffersonville

A Brief History of Brewing in Indianapolis plus
Johnson and Hamilton Counties in Indiana

Indianapolis Brewing Co.(1), Home, ABC, Ajax,
Indianapolis Brewing Co. (2), Current Breweries

Wernweg & Young

Wernweg & Young
1834 - ~1840

Rene Faux
~1840 - ~1842

"In 1834, William Wernweg, a contractor for the National Road (now Washington Street) and John L. Young established the first brewery in Indianapolis." - Nuvo, Rita Kohn, June 8, 2005.

This brewery was sold to Rene Faux in about 1840 and it closed about 2 years later.

Indianapolis Brewing Company

Gack & Biser
1859 - ~1863

P. Lieber Brewing Company
City Brewery
~1863 - 1887

Merged into Indianapolis Brewing Company. Continued operations until at least 1896.

Peter Lieber was the private secretary to General Oliver Morton during the Civil War. He, brother Hermann, and Charles Mayer bought the brewing firm of Gack & Biser renamed it the P. Lieber Brewing Company. The date of this purchase is quoted in some sources as being in the 1870s but the 1868 Indiana Business Directory lists "City Brewery, P Lieber & Co, 213 S. Pennsylvania" so it's safe to assume this firm started before then. The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis published in 1994 lists the date as 1863. Hermann sold his interest in 1880 to William Schrever.

The 1870 Indianapolis City Directory lists Joseph Geis as the brewer. The maximum production was 20,000 bbls. P. Leiber was one of the three breweries merged into the Indianapolis Brewing Company in 1887.

The Daily Herald of Delphos, Ohio, July 15, 1896, reported a fire in Lieber's brewery "on Madison" and said "Lieber's brewery is one of the three in this city controlled by the Indianapolis Brewing owned by an English syndicate."

Lieber beers were bottled by Jacob Metzger and Company. Jacob Metzger, a German immigrant and father-in-law of Hermann Lieber, bottled Metzger and Tafel brand beers also brewed by Lieber. He also bottled Budweiser, Bass Ale, and Guinness Extra Stout. This company existed until 1896.

C. F. Schmidt Brewing Company

1850 - 1887

Merged into Indianapolis Brewing Company. Continued operations until 1920.

Founded by Christian Frederick Schmidt and Charles Jaeger, the C.F. Schmidt brewery was located at the south end of Alabama Street (although some references say it was located at "Wyoming St. at High". Jaeger soon sold his interest to Schmidt, thinking Schmidt's management was not sound. They made about 1500 barrels per year.

Note that this picture of the C.F. Schmidt brewery is a stock image of a non-existent brewery used in many advertising images by many breweries.

"By the outbreak of the Civil War, Schmidt Brewery was producing a superior lager beer, and soon was supplying troops stationed in Indianapolis." - Nuvo, June 8, 2005.

The 1870 Indianapolis City Directory has an ad for C. F. Schmidt, Brewer of Lager Beer, Smith's Square, Indianapolis. The directory lists John Buhier, Louis Ehrmann, Ernest Ihrzohn, Henry Metzger, and Joseph Resoh as the brewers.

C.F. Schmidt died in 1872 and his widow, Caroline, operated the business with her brother, William Fieber until 1877 when her sons, John W and Edward Schmidt took it over. It was incorporated into the Indianapolis Brewing Company in 1887.

"Mr. Bosenberg is sole agent for the justly celebrated C. F. Smith's Lager Beer, manufactured at Indianapolis, Indiana. The qualities for which this beer is most distinguished are its healthfulness, purity, brilliancy of color, richness of flavor &c, the result of excellent water, intelligent care of its brewers conjoined to the use of apparatus possessing all the best modern improvements made in this country or elsewhere, and to the superior quality and quantity of the ingredients used. No claims are made for this beer that cannot be substantiated." - Rochester Sentinel, Feb 29, 1888

Yes, that said 1888. After the merger, each brewery continued their own brewing operations. The C. F. Schmidt plant at McCarty and High Streets closed on May 27, 1920 after 70 years of brewing.

Casper Maus Brewery

1868 (1870?) - 1887

Merged into Indianapolis Brewing Company. Continued operations until 1900.

Casper Maus, an immigrant from Eberbach, near Metz in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France in 1835, moved to Indianapolis in 1864 from New Alsace in Dearborn County to get away from pro-Confederate interests during the Civil War. His grist mill there was burned by the Knights of the Golden Circle, a Klan-like organization. biography

His son, Frank Maus Fauvre, was married to Lillian Schnull of the Vonnegut and Lieber families. Beverly Fauvre writes "Frank studied law before joining the family brewery business. After the brewery was sold, Frank became an investor with numerous interests (including the Indianapolis Brewing Co., the Broad Ripple Natural Gas Co., and an interurban running from Indianapolis to Greenfield.) The Maus family name was legally changed to Maus Fauvre (another family name) 1911, due to a combination of anti-German sentiment at the time and the fact that Maus is pronounced and means mouse in German."

The Casper Maus brewery was located at the corner of New York St & Agnes (now University Boulevard) and was torn down in 1958 to make a parking lot.

It's known that they made " C. Maus's Bock Beer". Joseph Maus was listed as the brewer in 1870.

The first artificial ice plant in Indianapolis was installed at the Maus Brewery in 1881.

It is possible C. Maus beer was bottled by C. Habich & Co. Before 1990 it was normal to have another firm bottle the beer that was delivered in casks with tax stamps applied at the brewery.

Maus died in 1876 and the family still owned the brewery when it was sold to the merger. The plant continued brewing under the merger until it was converted into a distillery in early 1900.

Indianapolis Brewing Company
1887 - 1933

Indiana Breweries Inc
1933 - 1935

Indianapolis Brewing Company
1935 - 1948

(photos courtesy
Bruce Mobley)

Circle City shirt courtesy Yesterbeer

The three brewing companies above formed the basis of the Indianapolis Brewing Company started by an "English syndicate" in 1887. Each brewery continued to operate from their own plants until at least 1889.

Peter Lieber was the president of the new company for it's first year, retiring in 1888 due to ill health. Albert Lieber, Peter Lieber's son was the first managing director and took over as president. They both were Republicans but changed allegiance because of a temperance plank in the party's platform. Peter became very involved in Democratic politics and was the messenger who took Indiana's electoral votes to Congress one year. Peter was appointed Counsel to Duesseldorf in 1893 by President Grover Cleveland.

They won a gold medal for their Duesseldorfer at the Paris Exposition of 1900. There was a "magnificent industrial parade" when they returned with the medal. They also won the grand prize gold at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 and a gold medal at Liege, Belgium in 1906.

Albert Lieber was President of the Indiana State Brewers' Association in about 1918.

"Indianapolis is the Home of Gold Medal Beer Lieber's Special Bottled and Porter

The Great Plants of the Indianapolis Brewing Company, R Schmidt Branch, and P. Lieber have long been first among the show places of business enterprise of this and every year to thousands of visitors from far and as admirable examples of order and perfect sanitary conditions in the manufacture of malt. The up-to-date equipment of all that constitutes a modern brewery makes this company rank among the largest and best in the world.

The output is not only known over the United States but the bottled goods are exported to the West Indies and South America. It is entirely within the truth to say that no product sent out of our city carries the name of Indianapolis to as many people of this earth as do the labels placed upon products of this company.

Thirty million labels are annually used in the bottling department. The company has approximately 500 employees here. 210 head of horses and 9 automobiles are required in the work. Besides brewers there are employed wagon electrical steamfitters and machinists. Brewers in this country and at every international exhibition of importance.

The magnificent reputation of the large business enjoyed by the company was not built in a day. Its substantial foundations were laid over fifty years when three small breweries were founded by Peter Lieber, C. Schmidt and C. Maus. In 1889 these breweries were amalgamated into the present company. The company is one of the largest if not the largest taxpayer in Indianapolis or Marion County. A cordial invitation is extended to the public to inspect its plants at any time." - Ad in Indianapolis Star, Sept 7, 1914

John W. Schmidt died in Feb, 1914. He sold his interest in the brewing business in 1890 according to his obituary in the Indianapolis Star, Feb, 23, 1914.

They made Ozotonic and malt extract before and during prohibition.

"LIEBER, Albert, Indianapolis Brewing Co.; res. 3055 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, Ind. Banker: b. Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. 16. 1863: s. Peter and Sophia (Andre) Lieber; ed. public and high schools, Indianapolis: business coll.: m. Indianapolis. Ind.. Feb., 1917, Meda A. Langtry; children: Edith. Peter. Carl. Rudolph, Alberta, Lillian Emma. Pres, and dir. Indianapolis Brewing Co.; dir. Chicago Consolidated Brewing & Malting Co., Jung Brewing Cо. Cincinnati. Ohio. Merchants National Bank, Indiana Trust Co., Indiana Hotel Co.. Messenger Furniture Co. Served as Messenger of the State, 1884." - Who's Who in Finance and Banking - 1922

Reincorporated as Indiana Breweries, Inc. after prohibition (1933). Renamed back to Indianapolis Brewing Co in 1935. They had a production capacity of 100,000 bbls annually.

The Indianapolis Encyclopedia (1994) reports that the IBC closed when the president, Lawrence Barden, went to jail for short-filling bottles.

Order Brewery Seized To Secure Tax Claim

June 28. A federal Judge ordered a brewing company seized today to secure a government tax claim. Judge Robert Baltzell ordered seizure of the Indianapolis Brewing and the Marion county properties of it's holding in connection with claim. An affidavit charged the brewery with intent to defraud the government. Baltzell delayed actual seizure until Monday and said he saw no reason why the plant would have to stop production of beer. Lawrence Barden was charged in the affidavit with removing or preparing to remove his properties from Indiana.

Brands through the years include Tafel, Circle City, Crown Select, De Luxe Bock, Duesseldorfer, Lieber's Gold Medal Beer ("Tastes Right, Named Right"), Tonica, Burgomaster, Derby, Pilsner Club, Indiana Club, October Ale, Derbey, and Progress Beer.

Kurt Vonnegut's grandfather was Albert Lieber. The recipe for a dark lager beer that Peter Lieber devised was brewed by Wyncoop Brewing, Denver, in 1996 to celebrate the new library there. It was called Kurt's Mile-High Malt. A "secret ingredient" of the brew was coffee.

The company put out a set of baseball trading cards in 1916.

In 1938 they appealed a case to the US Supreme Court to fight Michigan's beer importation laws. They lost. This case has been referenced many times including G. Heilman's bankruptcy and many cases about mail-order beer and wine sales.

Home of John William Schmidt,
president of the Indianapolis Brewing Company.
Built in 1890.

Coin minted for IBC's Gold Medal Beer.

Home Brewing Company

By 1880 - 1920

(photo courtesy Bruce Mobley)

August Hook, an immigrant from Viernhelm, Germany, was one of the organizers of HBC and was the president of Home Brewing Company until he died of pneumonia on Dec 10, 1909, aged 60. Before coming to Indianapolis, he was the brewmaster at the Lackmann Brewery in Cincinnati. The other principle owner was William P. Jungclaus.

There are records of a Frank Prange being a stockholder in this company sometime after 1880 and a building being built for the company sometime after 1883.

Hermann Gaul designed the factory structure of Home Brewing Company at 38 Shelby St. as well as the Saint Mary Church at 317 N. New Jersey St.

They issued an expansion of $200,000 of capital stock in 1903.

"Brewery Case Appeal Brief Declares Ouster Action Is Without Province.

The jurisdiction of the Marion Superior Court and the right of Attorney-General James Bingham to bring action in the case of the attorney general vs. the Home Brewing is denied in a brief filed in the Appellate Court yesterday by the plaintiff. The action would dissolve the Home Brewing Company on the grounds that it is monopolizing the beer trade to itself and that its operations violate the anti-trust law." - Indianapolis Star, Sept 21, 1910

From a high production capacity of 35,000 bbls, Home Brewing did not make it through prohibition.

"The Muncie blind tiger cases resulted in additional fines to reported in our last Issue as follows: Chas Benedum received fine of $100 and a jail sentence of 30 days which latter sentence was suspended during good behavior. He had been selling Tonic, a non-intoxicating (?) beverage by the Home Brewing Co., of Indianapolis, which company is in the Association of Indiana Brewers, and says that it is now obeying the law A state chemist in the case said Tonic is stronger than the beer." - The American Issue, of the Indiana Anti-Saloon League, Jan 22, 1910

American Brewing Company

Before 1897 - 1917

(photo courtesy Bruce Mobley)

Owner: Thomas Bowser

Joseph C. Schaf was president in 1910.

The brewery was located at Market and Missouri Streets. It produced about 30,000 bbls per year.

Sponsored the Indianapolis ABC's Negro National League baseball team starting in 1905. Note that this was not the "brewery team" or owned by the brewery. In fact the brewery went out of business before the National Negro League was formed.

The ABC's were previously the Birmingham Giants and seem to have moved to Indiana in 1902. In 1914 they played in West Baden, IN. They won the Colored World Championship in 1916 and were in the Negro National League when it formed in 1920. The manager of the ABCs, Charles I. Taylor, bought an interest in the brewery but died in 1922. The team was disbanded in 1927. more info

"BLUE LABEL

The Claypool Hotel serves American Brewing Co. Beers in both cafe and buffet. Its delicious flavor commends it to those who know the is at the same time the most convincing proof of its purity and character." - Ad in the Indianapolis Star, March 28, 1915.

There is no record of the brewery after prohibition.

The Indianapolis ABCs at Washington Park in 1922.

Ajax Brewing Company

Capital City Brewing Co.

Richard Lieber Brewing Corp.

Ajax Brewing Corp.

1905 - 1941

Capital City Brewing Co. 1904 - 1915
Citizens Brewing Co. 1915 - 1918
Richard Lieber Brewing Corp. 1934 - 1935
Lieber Brewing Corp. 1935 - 1937
Phoenix Brewing Corp. 1937 - 1938
Ajax Brewing Corp. 1938 - 1941

Brand names: Imperial, Duselager

Located at 1224 S. West St.

The Capital City Brewing Co. filed $250,000 in capital stock on Aug 6, 1904.

Charles Krauss was president of the Capital City Brewing Company in 1910.

Richard Lieber was born in Dusseldorf, a nephew of Peter and Hermann Lieber. He moved to Indianapolis to live with an uncle in 1891 and worked as a reporter on his father-in-law's Indiana Tribune until that newspaper was sold in 1907.

He was the director of the Indiana Department of Conservation until 1933 when he bought the remnants of Citizens Brewing that had made soft drinks during prohibition. This expanded to beer after prohibition.

A correspondent writes "My mother was going through an old box and discovered numerous items from our family's history. Among these items are stock certificates for 'Lieber Brewing Corporation'. They are dated January 1935.

He is known as the father of the Indiana State Park system. He had traveled with Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir to the western to-be-parklands in California. He was also instrumental in contracting with Bruno Schmitz to build the Soldier's and Sailor's Monument in Indianapolis. Lieber State Park is named after him.

Others

John P Meikel Before 1858 - after 1870	This had the prime address of 297 W. Washington St. It is listed in City Directories from 1858 through 1870. Otto Jager and Jacob Walter were brewers in the later years.
Here's a picture of a bottle of Frank Wrights Ale. Time of manufacture unknown but his brewery was listed in The 1868 Business Directory for Indiana. The brewery was on Blake Street and New York near the river. William C. Richert was the brewer in 1870. (photo courtesy Bruce Mobley)
The Indiana State Gazetteer and Business Directory of 1859 lists Hibner Jacob, brewery, 278 East Washington St. The 1858-59 Indianapolis City Directory lists Dietz & Hiebner at 278 E. Washington Street.
The 1868 Business Directory for Indiana lists Joseph Xafer owning a brewer on Conner St. in Noblesville. It was closed before 1875. The Noblesville Register stated in 1869 Noblesville has "one brewery, one billiard saloon, but we have no licensed liquor saloons."
The 1870 Indianapolis Business Directory lists: Union Beer Brewery on "Madison Road, S. of city." owned by Conrad Sponsel and Peter Balz. They are reported to have had a production of 1,675 bbls per annum and closed before 1875. F. and H.H. Harting as the principals of Harting & Bros. Brewery. Henry Kriger and Leonard Schmidt, brewers. They are reported to have had a production of 1,065 bbls per annum and closed before 1875.
The Register of United States Breweries 1876-1976 lists Philip Petri as owning a brewery that closed before 1875.
Albert Lieber (see Indianapolis Brewing above) was the president of the Schalk Brewery, Inc. in 1916. - source: One Thousand American Men of Mark of To-day, published in 1916
The International Brewing Company was opened in 1933 in the old Lieber plant at 1330 Madison Ave.
There is evidence of other pre-prohibition breweries or beer brands in Indianapolis including Trium, E.T. HollerIndiana, Tannenbock, Topaz, Spatzel, and Massachusetts.

Modern Era

Indianapolis Brewing Company (2) 1989 - 1997	Located in an industrial park on Post Road, north of 30th St. John Battles and Tony Diggs were the brewers. Known familiarly as the Naptown Brewery. Sold under brand names Duesseldorfer and Main Street. They also produced "contract" beers for Pike Place in Oregon and O'Malleys for the Fort Wayne Brewing Company. When the brewery closed, the facility was purchased by the Oaken Barrel Brewing Company of Greenwood, IN who used it until 2003.
Broad Ripple Brewing Company 1990 - Present	The first Indiana Brewpub of the late 1900's boom. Founded by John Hill, an immigrant from Yorkshire, England. The company was organized in two parts, the BRBC and the Broad Ripple Brewpub, since Indiana state law didn't yet allow for brewpubs. The first brewer, Greg Emig, left in 1993 to found the Lafayette Brewing Co. The second brewer, Ted Miller founded the Brugge Brasserie in 2005 (below). The third brewer is Kevin Matalucci.
Oaken Barrel Brewing Company 1994 - Present	Brewpub formed by Bill Fulton, Brook Belli and Kwang Casey in a strip mall near I-65, east of Greenwood. Brook Belli was the brewer until 2004 when Ken Price, formerly with Upland Brewing Company of Bloomington became the brewer. Ken left in 2006 to Yazoo Brewing Co. in Nashville, TN. At that time Jeff Helms became the brewer. He was followed by Mark Havens.
Alcatraz Brewing Company 1995 - Present	Brewpub. Part of the California Cafe chain which went bankrupt in 2003 and was sold to Tavistock Restraurants. Located at an entrance to the Circle Center Mall in downtown Indianapolis.
Circle V Brewing Company 1996 - 2001	Founded by Mark Vojnovich as a brewpub. It closed the food operations on April 19, 1999 and tried to make it as a regional brewer.
Ram Restaurant & Brewery 1996 - Present	Brewpub. Part of the Big Horn chain out of Tacoma, WA. Built in a space on south Illinois St. previously used by a short-lived Planet Hollywood.
Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery 1996 - Present 2005 - Present	Brewpub. Part of the Rock Bottom chain out of Louisville, CO. A second Rock Bottom was opened with its own brewery in 2005 near 86th St between Township Line Rd. and Michigan Rd.
Wildcat Brewing Company 1996 - 1998	An extract brewpub added to a Bombay Bicycle Club chain restaurant on Michigan Road near I-465 on Indianapolis' northwest side. Reviews of the beers were not good and it closed after about 2 years in business. The chain also tried this same formula with one of their restaurants in Clearwater, FL.
Glacier's End 1997 - 1999	Built inside an entrance to the Castleton Square Mall. Some of the equipment ended up at the Cumberland brewpub in Louisville.
Hops 1998 - 1999?	One of the Hops chain out of Atlanta.
Barley Island Brewing Co. 1999 - Present	Brewpub located in downtown Noblesville just southwest of the courthouse. Owners: Jeff and Linda Eaton. Brewer: John Lamb. Motto: Home of the Fifth Basic Food Group.
Brugge Brasserie 2005 - Present	Brewpub. Started by Ted Miller, formerly the brewer at the Broad Ripple Brewpub and located only 4 blocks away. Belgian beers are the specialty. Notably, Abraham Benrubi, a Hollywood TV actor known for a roll in "ER" is a part-owner of the brewery.
Wabash Valley Malt Beverage Co. 2008 - Present	Wabash Valley Beers are contract-brewed by Vigo Brewery in Terre Haute for the distributor, World Class Beverages, of Indianapolis. They are sold in 12-oz bottles and kegs. World Class Beverages is a very active distributor of Craft Beer and covers the entire state of Indiana. They are owned by Monarch Beverage, the Miller and Coors distributor for central Indiana.
Granite City Food and Brewery 2009 - Present	Brewpub. One of a chain based in Minnesota. Brewery Manager, Mike DeWeese.
Sun King Brewing Co. 2009 - Present	Opened in the summer of 2009 at 135 N College Ave. Clay Robinson and Dave Colt are the brewers. Sun King distributes beer in kegs for pubs in central Indiana.