Al Repp, Then & Now

I’ve been by Repp’s Bar a couple times the last couple weekends. I love the place. Part of the reason is that you can get Warsteiner’s Premium Verum there. Mostly, though, it’s because of the bar’s owner, Al Repp.

This past weekend when I was there, Al brought out some of his old pictures. One in the bunch immediately grabbed me. Here’s our man Al Repp, circa 1945. He was about six when this was taken outside of the Repp Tavern when it was run by his father, Alvin.

Check out all those wooden beer cases. Rahr of Oshkosh and the Oshkosh Brewing Company are well represented. I’m a little surprised there aren’t any cases from Peoples Brewing in the mix. Repp’s was a prime outlet for Peoples Beer during this time. Here’s a picture of the Repp Tavern from the same period. The Peoples banner is flying strong.

I was going to include a picture of Al that I took this last weekend. Then I remembered a photo my friend Frankie Mengeling posted back in 2010 on her blog, Riding the Tavern Beer Trail. It’s a great picture of Al with a shot of his father Alvin looking over his shoulder.

Today the inside of Repp’s looks pretty much like it did when Al Repp took over the business from his father in the 1960s. The tavern itself has been there since 1903. It’s a living slice of Oshkosh history. Better than that, it’s a comfortable inviting place where the owner is happy to see you walk through the door and treats everyone like a friend. You ought to go check it out.

Homebrew Oshkosh: Why Do You Brew?

With the endless variety of good beer now available, why does anyone still go to the trouble of homebrewing? We discuss…

The History of Beer and Brewing in Oshkosh

I’ve been building onto the Oshkosh Beer Timeline for about six years now. It’s an online chronology of significant events related to beer and brewing in Oshkosh. The timeline now spans 167 years (and counting).

Last week, I completed an extensive round of updates to the site. You can explore the Oshkosh Beer Timeline by clicking the beer coaster below. Have fun!

Knuth Brewing Company

When Knuth Brewing Company opened in 2015 it became the first brewery to operate in Ripon, Wisconsin in almost 80 years. We get to meet David Knuth, the man who brought brewing back to Ripon.

People Who Know Their Beer Drink Peoples

Here's an ad rarely seen in these parts. This is a poster issued by People Brewing Company of Oshkosh, circa 1971.

After the 1970 purchase of Peoples by  United Peoples Brewing Ltd., the brewery became the first in America controlled by African Americans. Under the new ownership, Peoples began targeting urban markets. The brewery hoped its unique standing would translate into sales among beer drinkers wanting to support a black-owned business.

The ad seen here was part of that marketing strategy. You wouldn't have seen this one hanging around Oshkosh. It was sent off to larger cities like Milwaukee and Gary, Indiana. It wasn't much help. In 1972, the 59-year-old Peoples Brewing Company went bankrupt and closed.

You'll find more about the sad end of Peoples Brewing here.

A 1919 Homebrew Recipe

The last couple of weeks, I’ve been mucking around in a lot of info related to the Prohibition-era homebrewing scene (see here & here). While doing that, I came across a recipe book published in 1919, the year before Prohibition went into effect.

Home Beverages is filled with precisely the sort of stuff you’d want to know if liquor were about to become illegal. Among the “Valuable Information” is a recipe for beer. Have a look...

That recipe would produce the sort of beer that was fairly standard before Prohibition. It would come in at about 5% ABV and 27 IBUs. I don't know about that business of filtering it through old flannel, though. You can check out the entire book here.

Learn to Brew this Weekend at The Cellar

Saturday, January 14, The Cellar homebrew shop in Oshkosh will offer a free, introductory class on homebrewing. Class begins at 11 a.m. The instructor will be Tim Pfeister, a local homebrewer, hop grower, and beer geek.  Tim knows his shit. You may know him from this.

Consider attending if you’re thinking about getting into homebrewing or have already dipped into the hobby and want to up your skills. Actually, it would pay to sit in even if you're not interested in brewing, but want to learn more about beer in general. Educating yourself on the process is among the best ways to deepen your appreciation for what’s in your glass.

As long as we’re talking homebrew… Lion’s Tail Brewing in Neenah is hosting the 2017 Northeast Wisconsin Homebrew Open. Deadline to get your beer in is February 18. More info on that one, here.

The winner gets to brew 10 barrels of their beer in the Lion’s Tail brewhouse. And a free party when the beer goes on tap. Pick up your entry form and rule sheet up in the taproom at Lion’s Tail or email them info@lionstailbrewing.com. The Facebook event page for the comp is here.

Beer and Homebrewing in Prohibition-Era Oshkosh with Clarence "Inky" Jungwirth

Oshkosh historian Clarence "Inky" Jungwirth grew up in Oshkosh when Prohibition was the law of the land. Here’s a brief video with Inky talking about his memories of that time.

Collaboration with Lion's Tail Brewing & The Ruby Owl Tap Room

Lion’s Tail Brewing and The Ruby Owl Tap Room are teaming up for a craft beer and food pairing on January 12, 2017, at the Ruby Owl Tap Room in downtown Oshkosh. Here’s Alex Wenzel of Lion’s Tail and Adam Carlson of The Ruby talking about their upcoming event.

Upcoming Beer Events

The beer year gets off to a promising start with a quartet of beer events coming up over the next couple of weeks. Here’s the what...

Saturday, January 7
Oshkosh Girl’s Pint Out brew day at Bare Bones. The GPO crew gets its mash on with the making of a bock beer at Bare Bones Brewery. Perfect for the beer-curious woman who’d like to meet up with others who want to know more about beer. The brew starts at 10 am. The beer is being made in honor of Anna Windhauser, who started the first homebrew store in Oshkosh back in 1925. Check out the GPO event page for more.

Wednesday, January 11
Beer Dinner at Dublin’s featuring beers from Oshkosh’s Bare Bones Brewery. Meet the gregarious RJ Nordlund, brewmaster from Bare Bones. $35 per person. Dinner begins at 6 pm. Contact Dublin’s to reserve a place at the table.

Thursday, January 12
Surly Brewing Co. beer dinner at Chester V's. Four courses & four beers. $35 per person or $65 per couple. Dinner starts at 6:30 pm. Check out the Facebook event page for more info.

Thursday, January 12
Pasta and beer pairing at Ruby Owl Tap Room. Here's a swank, little flyer with all the details...