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This article was originally published in the Grand River Valley Review Vol. VIII, Number. 1

It later appeared in the Fall 1991 edition of NABA's
The Breweriana Collector magazine

All brewery photos & portraits, unless otherwise noted, compliments of Dr. Wilhelm W. Seeger, The Grand Rapids Public Museum, or the Michigan Room of the Grand Rapids Public Library. Dr. Seeger also wishes to thank Gordon Olson, The Grand Rapids City Historian for his help.

All of the German brewers concentrated their efforts on the production of lager beer, a light, dry, carbonated beverage with a distinct taste of hops that is aged in storage from six weeks to six months before use. Lager beer was the favorite brew of German, Austrian and Dutch consumers. English and Irish beer drinkers, on the other hand, preferred ale and porter, malt beverages that are darker, heavier and usually more bitter than lager beer.

In 1875 and 1876 a number of non-German brewers launched operations in Grand Rapids. Aldrich J. Smith and William Draper set up shop on the corner of Oak and South Division, and David L. Stiven established a brewery on the northeast corner of Canal and Coldbrook. Both businesses were short lived, and it is perhaps these failed ventures that Albert Baxter had in mind when he wrote, "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. "( 9 )

By 1879, output in the city was confined largely to lager beer. Seven breweries -
all German-American enterprises - were operating at the time: the Valley City Brewery owned by brothers Mathias and John Adrion; George Brandt's Union Brewery; the Cincinnati Brewery operated by the Tusch brothers; Christoph Kusterer's City Brewery, the oldest in Grand Rapids; the Frey brothers' Coldbrook Brewery; Peter Weirich's Michigan Brewery; and Veit and Rathman's Eagle Brewery. Another brewery joined the ranks in 1887 when Adolph Goetz established the National Brewing Company at the corner of West Leonard and Broadway.

Goetz's National Brewery

The National Brewery Crew

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Revised: December 30, 2006