In 1845, German brew master, Mathias Leinenkugel moved his family from Prussia to Sauk City, Wisconsin.1 In that same year Matthias opened a brewery in Sauk City, and began training his sons in beer making. Matthias’ third eldest son, Jacob, was only three years old when the brewery opened, and spent his formative years learning the craft of beer making. The knowledge Jacob gained in these years carried him to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and in 1867 he opened the Spring Brewing Company.

The Leinenkugel family entered the brewing industry during the most prosperous time in Wisconsin history. During the 1860’s there were over 200 breweries operating in Wisconsin, and by the 1870’s another 100 would open.2 The latter half of the nineteenth century was certainly a boom time for brewing in Wisconsin. However, the twentieth century would not be as kind on the brewing industry, especially small town breweries like Jacob’s.

The obstacles of the twentieth century originated both within the brewing industry and separate from it. Within the industry, brewing company’s such as Miller and Anhueser-Busch expanded there markets into small towns, exposing family owned breweries to their first competition. Many of these breweries did not last because they were not able to compete with the mega breweries. For the small town brewer who was able to sustain their brewery amongst the Beer Barons, there were still the challenges that were coming from outside of the brewing industry, such as two World Wars, Prohibition, and the Great Depression. As Wisconsin entered the twentieth century there were 179 breweries in operation, and after the national tragedies of wars, and economic hardships, there were just 51 left.3

In the midst of the consolidating brewing industry and the national tragedies of the 1900’s the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company persevered. The success of Leinenkugel’s is not solely because of any one reason; rather it is a combination of factors which are explored within this virtual exhibit.