A Brief History of Brewing in
Northwestern Indiana
It is known that a series of illicit breweries
were set up in northwestern Indiana to provide beer for the
Torrio and
Capone organizations in Chicago during
prohibition. Not much is known about locations or dates.
Crown Point,
Hammond,
Hobart,
La Porte,
Michigan City,
North
Judson,
Munster, Portage,
Valparaiso
Crown Point
| Krost & Horst |
John Krost and Joseph Horst
had a small brewery in Crown Point that closed about 1873. It produced about
550 bbls at peak. |
Julius Korn
Until about 1875Korn & Berg
~1875 - ~1880
Berg & Berg
~1880 - ~1884
Berg Bros. & Co.
~1884 - 1894
Crown Brewing Company
1894 - 1910
(photo courtesy
Bruce Mobley)
|
We've found no concrete
information, but it seems to have been started after the Civil War at what
is now Pratt & Goldsboro Rds. There is a record of it being in business
about 1876. They made an near beer
called Tang during prohibition with the motto "The Most Palatable Cereal
Beverage on the Market. With a Taste and Flavor That Satisfies."
August Koehle worked at Crown in 1876 and
"eventually became foreman of the plant." He left in 1880 to open a saloon
in Crown Point.
Crown Brewing grew quickly, going from
about 1500 bbl capacity to 20,000 near the end.
|
"Crown Point, Ind - A beer war is on in this city between the Peter
Hand brewery, of Chicago, the Valentine Blatz company, of Milwaukee,
and the Crown Brewing company, of this city, owned by L. Sonnenschein
Co of Chicago. Beer is a barrel, cheaper than the regular price. The
Crown brewery people will give away their beer if forced to it by the
opposition." - The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Aug 24, 1895
|
The Northwest Indiana Photo Gallery has
more clues: "The Crown Brewing Company, incorporated in 1895, brewed and
bottled beer at their location on West Goldsboro in Crown Point for 15
years. They moved to Hammond in 1910 partly due to an environmental problem
caused by draining the hops into Beaver Dam Ditch. Part of the building is
still standing." Nevertheless, we've not been able to find any information
about this brewery's activities in Hammond.
(Photo courtesy of Margaret Stanley)
|
|
Crown Brewing Co. 2008 -
Present |
 Started by
Three Floyds' brewer, Jim Cibak and Tim Walsh. Crown is not technically a
brewpub, rather a brewery with a tap room that also sells beer to a pizza
restaurant adjacent. |
Hammond
| Hammond Brewing Co.
~1890 - 1918 |
Charles H. Mayer was one of
the founders of the Hammond Brewing Company about 1890. His son, Joseph P.
Mayer became the bookkeeper. Mayer
had established a bottling works, C. H. Mayer & Company, in 1886.
In 1911, George M. Eder was the secretary,
treasurer, and director.
Brands included Muhlhauser Export. Their
telephone number was 446. |
There seems to
have been a Great Lakes Brewing Company near Hammond in 1935 through 1938.
This might have been a distribution house.
The Three Floyds Brewing Company of Munster
was originally set up in Hammond in 1996 but moved in 2000. |
Hobart
|
"The Walker Burt Brewing Company are erecting their ice house and
several sheds on Second Street next to the Michigan Central railroad
tracks." - The Lake County Times - Fri, Dec 6, 1907
|
This area of Hobart is now a residential
subdivision. |
La
Porte
| A brewery existed
in La Porte before 1831 north of the courthouse in an area called "Ten Mile
Strip". The town's streets weren't laid out until 1833. |
Nicholas Bader Brewery
1856 - ~1860J. B. Puissant
~1860 - ~1875
Dick & Klaiber
~1875 - 1880
Puissant & Dick
1880 - 1887
J. W. Russert
Crystal Spring Brewery
1887 - 1896
Guenther Bros.
1896 - 1911
Guenther and Zwereck
1911 - 1918 |
The 1890 La Porte city
directory lists Crystal Spring Brewery located at the southwest corner of
Lake & Tyler. John W. Russert, proprietor. Russert was a 38-year old
immigrant from Germany who had just come to America. At this time the
capacity was 5,000 bbls. Became the
Guenther Bros., Crystal Spring Brewery aka Guenther Bros. Brewing Co. in
1896. Zerweck must have joined the firm as it was renamed Guenther and &
Zerweck in 1911. Peak capacity, 7,000 bbls.
The Indiana Gold name was used by
Evansville Brewing on their Sainsbury line of beers. There is no evidence
that this is a continuation of the G & Z brand.
|
| Mathias Kreidler
1869 - 1871 |
Mathias Kreidler was an
immigrant from Wittemburg, Germany. |
| Brick
Road Brewery
Back Road Brewery
1996 - Present
|
Originally named the Brick
Road Brewery but quickly changed due to trademark problems.
Owner and Head Brewer: Charles Krcilek
Motto: Take a Back Road home
 
|
| G. Noll bottled Schlitz beer in La
Porte in the 19th century. (below) E. Lindstrom bottled Blatz beer in La Porte around the turn
of the century.
|
"The LaPorte agency for the justly celebrated Schlitz beer is
one of the oldest agencies the company has, having been
established in 1872 by Michael Noll, father of the present
proprietor. For more than thirty years this product of
Milwaukee's great brewery has stood the test of constant use in
this vicinity and it has steadily grown in popularity and never
failed in excellence. ... After assisting his father in the
agency some years he engaged in the bottling business on his own
account in 1887 and five years later assumed the wholesale
business for this city and neighboring towns, in which he has
built up and now enjoys a large trade in bulk and bottled beer.
In 1892 he erected the commodious building now occupied by him
at Washington and Clay streets. He has the exclusive agency for
the Schlitz Milwaukee beer and supplies the saloon trade with
bulk and bottled export beer, having also a very large family
trade in bottled beer, which he delivers promptly as desired on
telephone or other orders. The beverage he handles is reputed
the world over for its purity and flavor and is a prime favorite
for table and family use and in the general trade." - History
of LaPorte County, Indiana, and its Townships, Towns and Cities,
Jasper Packard, 1876
|
|
 
(photos courtesy Bruce Mobley)
|
|
Then there is this passage
about another bottling plant, C. W. Kipphut, who bottled Crystal Spring
beers. It mentions Guenther Bros. which came into existence in 1896 but this
history was written in 1876. Historical research can be both frustrating and
fun but we have no answer for this conundrum.
|
"The consumers of beer in La Porte who have used the product of
Guenther Bros'. Crystal Spring Brewery have never been disappointed in
its quality as a palatable and healthful beverage, and those who have
relied on C. W. Kipphut to serve them with this brew have never had
their confidence misplaced. At his bottling works at 509 Main street,
phone 360, he has it in pints and quarts and delivers it promptly in
any part of the city in bottles of either size. He handles the
Guenther product exclusively and has a large and growing family trade
for the Excelsior brand. ... Mr. Kipphut has had long experience in
the business in which he is engaged, having been seven years under
John C. Wilhelm for the Cream City Brewery and three years for himself
in his present establishment." - History of LaPorte County,
Indiana, and its Townships, Towns and Cities, Jasper Packard, 1876
|
The Cream City Brewery mentioned may be an
establishment in Milwaukee. |
Michigan City
| Christian F. Kimball
1840s? |
According to Carter H. Manny
Jr, his great-great grandfather, Christian F. Kimball, had a small brewery
at the foot of 7th St on the north side of Michigan St. This was possibly in
the 1840s. His older sons operated the brewery. |
P.H. Zorn Brewing
Company
1871 - 1935Dunes Brewery
1935 - 1938
(photo courtesy
Bruce Mobley)
|
Philip Zorn Jr., an immigrant
from Wuerzburg, Bavaria, was the manager of the Busch & Brandt Brewery,
Chicago (Blue Island, IL), in the 1850s until 1871. He moved to Michigan
city and established his own brewery in 1871 and it passed to his son,
Robert Zorn, who's house is open to the public at 225 E. 9th St. Philip also
was a councilman and founder of the Citizens Bank of Michigan City.
The brewery was on Michigan Blvd (now US 35)
between 8th and 9th Streets. There was a spring-fed well in the building
that supplied brewery water.
Philip's second son, Charles, worked in the
brewery also. Philip Zorn Sr. was a brewer in Germany until his death in
1849.
Robert Zorn sold the business sometime
before 1919.
Made between 10,000 and 15,000 bbls
annually. Made soda pop during prohibition.
The Zorn Brewing Company morphed into the
Dunes Brewery after Prohibition making Pilsenzorn, Grain State, and Golden
Grain brands. This may have been influenced by a court action against the
Zorn Brewing Company in Sept, 1935 on the charge of selling to unlicensed
companies.
The office building and some of the brewery
were transformed into office spaces and are now abandoned. Note the modern
skylight on the roof.
The building now occupied by Weidner's
Tavern, on West 9th St. was once the stables. |
| Duneland Brewhouse
1997 - 2004 |
 Brewpub in an ex-Sambo's Restaurant building that
became a Rock Lobster and then Duneland.In 2004, the owners sold the building to Texas Corral and the
brewing ended on October 3, 2004.
The brewer was Barbara Kehe. |
|
Shoreline Brewery & Restaurant
2005 - present |
 Brewpub in
downtown Michigan City. Opened by Sam Strupeck, previously the brewer at
Aberdeen in Valparaiso. |
North Judson
and Starke County
| North Judson Brewing Co.
Before 1890 - at least 1897 |
A North Judson Brewery is
referred to in Northwestern Indiana from 1800 to 1900 by Timothy
Horton Ball, 1900. McCormicks Guide
to Starke County by Chester A. McCormick, 1892 references the North Judson
Brewing company.
The trade journal Ice and Refrigeration
says the North Judson Brewing Co. bought a 15-ton Linde refrigerating
mashing in 1897. |
There seems to
have been a Northern Brewing Company and a Lion Brewing Company. Possibly in
Starke County.
|
"HADLEY, 0. J. On December 24, 1904, appellees Luken and Voght filed a
complaint against appellant, John Hopp, and numerous other parties not
named in this appeal, to quiet title to certain land in Starke county.
..... The cross-complaint of Hopp, upon which the judgment appealed
from is based, shows that there is a cause of action still pending and
existing between Hopp and Kasch, the Northern Brewing Company, and the
Lion Brewing Company. These defendants have never been defaulted, have
never answered, or pleaded in any way to said cross-complaint. .....
Appeal dismissed." - Lake County Times, Aug 30, 1923. - Reports
of Cases Decided in the Appellate Court of the State of Indiana, 1910
|
The Lion Brewing Company may have opened in
Jan, 1904 with $65,000 of capital stock. |
Munster
|
Three Floyds Brewing
Company 1996 - Present |
 Founded by Michael Floyd and his sons, Nick and
Simon.Opened in Hammond but moved to
Munster in 2000. Started as a regional brewery and added an on-site pub in
2005. |
Portage
|
Melanie Brewing Company
2006 - Present
|
 This is not a brewery but a beer
marketing company owned by the Heritage Brewing Company in Ohio. The beers
were produced at the City Brewery in LaCrosse, WI.
Their beers were designed to be cheap and
strong. Evil Eye Malt Liquor and M-X High Gravity Lager were their two
biggest products. Camo 900 High Gravity Lager, Evil Eye Ice, Evil Eye Kiwi
Strawberry, Evil Eye Sour Green Apple, Big City, Beer30 Light, Beer30 Ice,
and M-X Ice High Gravity Lager, and Nighthawk were other brands. |
Valparaiso
| George Hiller |
The Register of United
States Breweries 1876-1976 lists a brewery owned by George Hiller that
closed circa 1885. It had about 1,000 bbl capacity. |
| Aberdeen Brewing
Company 2000 - 2004
|
Brewpub. Opened May, 2000.
Started by the Emig family of Lafayette Brewing Company. Purchased by Skip
Bosak in 2002. The Aberdeen Brewing
Company quit brewing in the summer of 2004. The brewing equipment went to
the Mishawaka Brewery for a second plant in Elkhart.
The brewer, Sam Strupeck opened Shoreline
Restaurant and Brewery in Michigan City in 2005. |
Copyright 2004, 2006, 2009, Bob
Ostrander
|
