On Sunday May 17, 1857, the summer lager began flowing in Oshkosh…
“The Lager Beer vault of one of our breweries was opened yesterday, for the first time this spring, with appropriate ceremonies. There was a large crowd present, to test the quality of the lager. We have heard various reports concerning the effect of the liquid upon those who imbibed it. Upon reflection, we have concluded not to give publicity to any of the aforementioned rumors.”
– Oshkosh Daily Courier; May 18, 1857.
Well, at least they could have mentioned the name of the brewery!
In 1857 Oshkosh had three breweries making lager beer:
↣ There was the Lake Brewery on Lake Street near Ceape.
↣ There was Loescher’s Oshkosh Brewery on Bay Shore Drive just north of Eveline.
↣ And there was the Fischer & Weist Brewery near the SW corner of High and New York.
(Go HERE to see the location of every Oshkosh Brewery from 1849-2019)
The ceremonial opening of the "vault" was in keeping with an old German tradition marking the release of the “Sommerbier." It was a stronger, hoppier lager brewed in early winter and stored away in cold beer cellars for months. The opening of the vault signaled the end of winter and the release of the new beer that would be served throughout the summer months.
The Sommerbier phenomenon is fascinating. If you want to get into it, check out Ron Pattinson of the Shut Up About Barclay Perkins blog. He’s dredged up quite a bit on Sommerbier and Winterbier and has passed it along in a four part series of blog posts that you can find here: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4.
Well, at least they could have mentioned the name of the brewery!
In 1857 Oshkosh had three breweries making lager beer:
↣ There was the Lake Brewery on Lake Street near Ceape.
↣ There was Loescher’s Oshkosh Brewery on Bay Shore Drive just north of Eveline.
↣ And there was the Fischer & Weist Brewery near the SW corner of High and New York.
(Go HERE to see the location of every Oshkosh Brewery from 1849-2019)
The ceremonial opening of the "vault" was in keeping with an old German tradition marking the release of the “Sommerbier." It was a stronger, hoppier lager brewed in early winter and stored away in cold beer cellars for months. The opening of the vault signaled the end of winter and the release of the new beer that would be served throughout the summer months.
The Sommerbier phenomenon is fascinating. If you want to get into it, check out Ron Pattinson of the Shut Up About Barclay Perkins blog. He’s dredged up quite a bit on Sommerbier and Winterbier and has passed it along in a four part series of blog posts that you can find here: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4.
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