Bosch Brewing Company
Encyclopedia
The Bosch Brewing Company was a small brewery on the Keweenaw Peninsula
, in the western part of the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan
, United States
. The company operated under different names from 1874 to 1973.
The founder of The Bosch Brewing Company, Joseph Bosch, was the son of a beer brewer, and had always wanted to enter the brewing business. His family came to the United States from Baden
, Germany
. In 1867 the family moved from Port Washington, Wisconsin
to Houghton, Michigan
, then to Lake Linden, Michigan
a few years later. Joseph Bosch spent several years traveling, to Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Louisville to learn the art of brewing.
. In its first year, the Torch Lake Brewing Company produced 1717 barrels. Bosch began building close ties with the local community; he would sell leftover malt to farmers and invite them into the brewery for a cold beer while they waited.
Bosch’s products were popular among the thirsty miners. The Keweenaw was booming with copper mining, attracting new people to the area, and Bosch’s business grew with the increased population. In 1876 Bosch formed a partnership with Joseph Wertin Sr., Joseph Wertin Jr., and George Wertin. It was at this time that the company name was changed from the Torch Lake Brewing Company to Joseph Bosch and Company.
When the company first started it sold only kegs, as beer in bottles was uncommon at the time. After the discovery of pasteurization, breweries began bottling beer by the late 1870s. Bosch began bottling on a small scale by 1880, one of the few Upper Peninsula breweries to bottle beer. By 1883 the company was producing 4000 barrels of beer annually, one quarter of it bottled. In 1886, the plant continued to expand, and a 790 feet (240.8 m) artesian well was drilled to provide pure water for brewing.
On May 20, 1887, a fire swept through the town of Lake Linden, destroying 75% of the town, including the newly expanded brewery. Fortunately, Bosch was compensated by insurance, and by September 7, the brewery was rebuilt and running again.
The company continued to grow, and in 1889, The Bosch Brewery stood 11th out of 102 breweries in the state of Michigan
. By 1892 the company had branches in Hancock
, Calumet, Ishpeming, Eagle Harbor, and Baraga
. One place that Bosch was missing, and greatly desired, was Houghton
, which he viewed as the ideal location for a brewery.
in Houghton, a location he had long wanted. The plant became known as the Scheuermann branch of the Bosch Brewing Company
The newly organized Bosch Brewing Company continued its growth, becoming the second largest industry in the Copper Country, second only to the thriving mining industry. Bosch always stressed a close relationship with the community. He used local themes in his advertising, such as “Refreshing as a sportsman’s paradise.” The brewery welcomed public tours and had a bar where customers could sample fresh beer. It was also rumored that students from the local university, now Michigan Technological University
, would canoe down the Portage and buy beer straight from the Bosch docks.
. Bosch placed ads in local papers headlined "Prohibition vs. Temperance", trying to sway people away from prohibition. In 1919 the Volstead Act
allowed the Federal Government to enforce the 18th amendment, beginning prohibition. Bosch had no choice but to close his company and pray for a miracle.
In 1937, founder Joseph Bosch died at aged 87. His daughter, Katherine Bosch, and grandsons James and Phillip Ruppe took over the company. Under their leadership, the company saw continuous growth and increasing sales. After reopening, Bosch continued to prosper throughout the years. In 1955, sales were over the 100,000 barrel mark.
The good relationship between company and community maintained local brand loyalty. One advertising theme was “Refreshing as the Sportsman’s Paradise”, and the beer labels announced "From the Sportsman’s Paradise…Smooth, Mellow, Golden," with a picture of a fisherman reeling in a fish with pine trees in the background. An advertisement titled "It’s the FLAVOR that wins you!" had a picture of a skier zooming down a hill, and "Bosch – The Gold Medal Beer" below. With ads such as these, Bosch tied itself to local pride in the outdoor activities and natural beauty of the area. The Bosch Brewing Co. was also the third-largest employer in the area.
The Bosch Brewing Company reached its peak in 1955, producing one hundred thousand barrels. Five years later, however, Bosch’s sales began to decline. By 1965, the Bosch family sold the company to local investors led by Charles Finger, who pushed for new technology and products to resurrect the company.
Brewer’s Digest commented in 1966: "Certainly the Bosch Brewing Co. has all of the ingredients for success that a smaller brewery can have – an efficient, well equipped plant; dedicated employees who know their jobs thoroughly and who take personal pride in the products the company markets; an intimate and realistic knowledge of the market it serves and of the consumers’ desires. But most of all it has an enthusiastic management, the kind of enthusiasm that can become contagious among potential customers."
In 1968, Bosch introduced a Sauna Beer, developed after consultation with brewers in Finland. According to The Houghton Daily Mining Gazette: "This beer is for those who prefer a light bodied, mildly flavorful, bitter-free beer, light lunches, and long evenings." It was a light beer similar to Finnish "kalja", and was called a perfect after-sauna thirst quencher. Since many local residents had Finnish ancestry, and so were familiar with saunas, Sauna Beer sold well, and won Houghton County’s
Product of the Year Contest in 1968.
By the late 1960s, Bosch was making three beers, all light lagers: Sauna Beer, the flagship label Bosch, and premium Gilt Edge.
On September 28, 1973, the last keg of Bosch beer was delivered to Schmidt’s Corner Bar in Houghton. The strong connection between Bosch and the community was even more apparent on that day. The Daily Mining Gazette
captured the atmosphere at the bar stating “there were so many the patrons were crawling on one another”, while locals expressed their dismay, “the Copper Country is losing many of these small industries… we just can’t stand to lose such industries, that’s all that’s to it.”
The trademarks were sold to the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
. Leinenkugel continued to produce the signature Bosch brand in the traditional flavor, and hired Bosch master brewer Vincent Charney. Brand loyalists continued drinking Bosch, but after several years, profit from the Bosch brand diminished and Leinenkugel suspended production of Bosch in 1986.
The number of small specialty brewers in the U.S. has risen dramatically in recent decades. In 1997 the United States for the first time surpassed Germany in the number of breweries, despite Germany having the highest per capita consumption of beer. From 1983 to mid 1999, the number of brewing firms in the United States increased from 43 to 1414, and the number continues to increase. Nearly every brewery opened in the past 20 years has been associated with the microbrewery movement. By definition, a microbrewery is “a brewery producing less than 15,000 barrels per year.
In 1994, Leinenkugel manager Chuck Strehl said: "Microbreweries have become economically feasible in past years and some smaller breweries have been able to get at new lease on life." He said "The Bosch label could probably be produced today and even make a profit."
Keweenaw Peninsula
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northern-most part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was roughly 43,200...
, in the western part of the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The company operated under different names from 1874 to 1973.
The founder of The Bosch Brewing Company, Joseph Bosch, was the son of a beer brewer, and had always wanted to enter the brewing business. His family came to the United States from Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1867 the family moved from Port Washington, Wisconsin
Port Washington, Wisconsin
Port Washington is the county seat of Ozaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is about 25 miles north of Milwaukee and 110 miles north of Chicago. In the 2000 census Port Washington had a population of 10,467...
to Houghton, Michigan
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
, then to Lake Linden, Michigan
Lake Linden, Michigan
Lake Linden is a village in Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,081 at the 2000 census. The village is mostly within Schoolcraft Township, though a tiny portion lies in Torch Lake Township.-History:...
a few years later. Joseph Bosch spent several years traveling, to Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Louisville to learn the art of brewing.
Torch Lake Brewery
Joseph Bosch built the Torch Lake Brewery in 1874, a small wooden building. The small brewery thrived on thirsty miners working in Red Jacket, which is now CalumetCalumet, Michigan
Calumet is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the Calumet Downtown Historic District, listed on the National...
. In its first year, the Torch Lake Brewing Company produced 1717 barrels. Bosch began building close ties with the local community; he would sell leftover malt to farmers and invite them into the brewery for a cold beer while they waited.
Bosch’s products were popular among the thirsty miners. The Keweenaw was booming with copper mining, attracting new people to the area, and Bosch’s business grew with the increased population. In 1876 Bosch formed a partnership with Joseph Wertin Sr., Joseph Wertin Jr., and George Wertin. It was at this time that the company name was changed from the Torch Lake Brewing Company to Joseph Bosch and Company.
When the company first started it sold only kegs, as beer in bottles was uncommon at the time. After the discovery of pasteurization, breweries began bottling beer by the late 1870s. Bosch began bottling on a small scale by 1880, one of the few Upper Peninsula breweries to bottle beer. By 1883 the company was producing 4000 barrels of beer annually, one quarter of it bottled. In 1886, the plant continued to expand, and a 790 feet (240.8 m) artesian well was drilled to provide pure water for brewing.
On May 20, 1887, a fire swept through the town of Lake Linden, destroying 75% of the town, including the newly expanded brewery. Fortunately, Bosch was compensated by insurance, and by September 7, the brewery was rebuilt and running again.
The company continued to grow, and in 1889, The Bosch Brewery stood 11th out of 102 breweries in the state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. By 1892 the company had branches in Hancock
Hancock, Michigan
Hancock is a city in Houghton County; the northernmost in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, or, depending on terminology, Copper Island. The population was 4,634 at the 2010 census...
, Calumet, Ishpeming, Eagle Harbor, and Baraga
Baraga, Michigan
Baraga is a village in Baraga County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,285 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Bishop Frederic Baraga....
. One place that Bosch was missing, and greatly desired, was Houghton
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
, which he viewed as the ideal location for a brewery.
Bosch Brewing Company
In 1894, when Joseph Wertin Sr. died, Bosch bought out his remaining partners and changed the company name a final time to the Bosch Brewing Company. Bosch bought the Union Brewery in 1899, including the Scheuermann brewing plant located on Portage LakePortage Lake
Portage Lake may refer to:Placenames in the United States:* Portage Lake, Maine* Portage Lakes, OhioLakes in the United States:* Portage Lakes * Portage Lake , in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan...
in Houghton, a location he had long wanted. The plant became known as the Scheuermann branch of the Bosch Brewing Company
The newly organized Bosch Brewing Company continued its growth, becoming the second largest industry in the Copper Country, second only to the thriving mining industry. Bosch always stressed a close relationship with the community. He used local themes in his advertising, such as “Refreshing as a sportsman’s paradise.” The brewery welcomed public tours and had a bar where customers could sample fresh beer. It was also rumored that students from the local university, now Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
, would canoe down the Portage and buy beer straight from the Bosch docks.
Prohibition
Hard times threatened with talk of prohibitionProhibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. Bosch placed ads in local papers headlined "Prohibition vs. Temperance", trying to sway people away from prohibition. In 1919 the Volstead Act
Volstead Act
The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was the enabling legislation for the Eighteenth Amendment which established prohibition in the United States...
allowed the Federal Government to enforce the 18th amendment, beginning prohibition. Bosch had no choice but to close his company and pray for a miracle.
Back to brewing
The reprieve came in 1933 when the 21st amendment repealed prohibition, and Bosch was able to return to his passion, although only the Scheuermann plant reopened.In 1937, founder Joseph Bosch died at aged 87. His daughter, Katherine Bosch, and grandsons James and Phillip Ruppe took over the company. Under their leadership, the company saw continuous growth and increasing sales. After reopening, Bosch continued to prosper throughout the years. In 1955, sales were over the 100,000 barrel mark.
The good relationship between company and community maintained local brand loyalty. One advertising theme was “Refreshing as the Sportsman’s Paradise”, and the beer labels announced "From the Sportsman’s Paradise…Smooth, Mellow, Golden," with a picture of a fisherman reeling in a fish with pine trees in the background. An advertisement titled "It’s the FLAVOR that wins you!" had a picture of a skier zooming down a hill, and "Bosch – The Gold Medal Beer" below. With ads such as these, Bosch tied itself to local pride in the outdoor activities and natural beauty of the area. The Bosch Brewing Co. was also the third-largest employer in the area.
The Bosch Brewing Company reached its peak in 1955, producing one hundred thousand barrels. Five years later, however, Bosch’s sales began to decline. By 1965, the Bosch family sold the company to local investors led by Charles Finger, who pushed for new technology and products to resurrect the company.
Brewer’s Digest commented in 1966: "Certainly the Bosch Brewing Co. has all of the ingredients for success that a smaller brewery can have – an efficient, well equipped plant; dedicated employees who know their jobs thoroughly and who take personal pride in the products the company markets; an intimate and realistic knowledge of the market it serves and of the consumers’ desires. But most of all it has an enthusiastic management, the kind of enthusiasm that can become contagious among potential customers."
In 1968, Bosch introduced a Sauna Beer, developed after consultation with brewers in Finland. According to The Houghton Daily Mining Gazette: "This beer is for those who prefer a light bodied, mildly flavorful, bitter-free beer, light lunches, and long evenings." It was a light beer similar to Finnish "kalja", and was called a perfect after-sauna thirst quencher. Since many local residents had Finnish ancestry, and so were familiar with saunas, Sauna Beer sold well, and won Houghton County’s
Houghton County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,016 people, 13,793 households, and 8,137 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 17,748 housing...
Product of the Year Contest in 1968.
By the late 1960s, Bosch was making three beers, all light lagers: Sauna Beer, the flagship label Bosch, and premium Gilt Edge.
The death of a brewery
In the early 1970s Bosch was unable to compete with the large breweries of Detroit, Milwaukee, and St. Louis.On September 28, 1973, the last keg of Bosch beer was delivered to Schmidt’s Corner Bar in Houghton. The strong connection between Bosch and the community was even more apparent on that day. The Daily Mining Gazette
The Daily Mining Gazette
The Daily Mining Gazette is a newspaper published in Houghton, Michigan. The paper is also distributed over most of the Upper Peninsula and some northern parts of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is a daily Monday through Friday, with an expanded, combined Saturday-Sunday edition.The Gazette...
captured the atmosphere at the bar stating “there were so many the patrons were crawling on one another”, while locals expressed their dismay, “the Copper Country is losing many of these small industries… we just can’t stand to lose such industries, that’s all that’s to it.”
The trademarks were sold to the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is a regional American beermaker based in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, United States. Leinenkugel is mainly distributed in the Upper Midwest, but is available in limited quantities throughout the United States...
of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 13,661 at the 2010 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County....
. Leinenkugel continued to produce the signature Bosch brand in the traditional flavor, and hired Bosch master brewer Vincent Charney. Brand loyalists continued drinking Bosch, but after several years, profit from the Bosch brand diminished and Leinenkugel suspended production of Bosch in 1986.
Bringing back Bosch
The popularity of microbreweries is growing rapidly, and the few microbreweries in the area seem to be doing well, including the Keweenaw Brewing Company, the Library Restaurant and Pub in Houghton, and the Michigan House Café and Brew Pub in Calumet, home of Red Jacket Brewing.The number of small specialty brewers in the U.S. has risen dramatically in recent decades. In 1997 the United States for the first time surpassed Germany in the number of breweries, despite Germany having the highest per capita consumption of beer. From 1983 to mid 1999, the number of brewing firms in the United States increased from 43 to 1414, and the number continues to increase. Nearly every brewery opened in the past 20 years has been associated with the microbrewery movement. By definition, a microbrewery is “a brewery producing less than 15,000 barrels per year.
In 1994, Leinenkugel manager Chuck Strehl said: "Microbreweries have become economically feasible in past years and some smaller breweries have been able to get at new lease on life." He said "The Bosch label could probably be produced today and even make a profit."