About Fauerbach Brewing Company

Two black horses are standing attached to a wagon filled with beer barrels.
Barrels from Hess Cooperage being delivered to Madison accounts by Horse Drawn Wagon.

Fauerbach Brewery was a family-owned brewery for over 4 generations, located in Madison, Wisconsin on the edge of Lake Monona.  A small regional brewery that produced lager beer.  Deliveries were made by horses carrying kegs. Just about the Civil War time railroads came through Madison and so beer deliveries expanded along western and northern rail routes. The first brewery buildings included saloon, residence for family, workers, and a barn. By 1905 a new brewery was built on the same site. It lasted until 1967. These are shown in the gallery.

Prohibition Era (1920-1933)

Over the next 20 years until prohibition started in 1920, the brewery underwent rapid growth. The 13 years of prohibition crushed many community breweries. Fauerbach survived through the sale of 65 properties including motels, saloons, homes, sales of near beer, and business loans. By 1933 when prohibition ended, the brewery was revitalized. The following two images on this page show the jubilation of 5000 happy citizens on April 7, 1933, and our grandpa borrowing a C&NW railroad steam engine to heat the boilers while repairs were made. Fauerbach could not make enough beer during those first 7 years from 1933-1940.

Hundreds of people celebrating the end of prohibition at Fauerbach Brewing Company Tap Room in Madison WI.
People celebrating the end of Prohibition drinking Fauerbach Beer on April 7th, 1933 at the Fauerbach Brewing Company Taproom.
Fauerbach Brewery team standing in front of a steam locomotive in Madison, WI.
Fauerbach Brewery team standing in front of a steam locomotive in Madison, WI.

Late Era (1934-1966)

The last 33 years for the brewery were good years even with rationing required for WWII. In 1960 Schlitz produced Old Milwaukee and undersold many community breweries. Eighteen Wisconsin breweries closed in the 60s.  Fauerbach had introduced soda production by 1929 including a Pepsi franchise. Those helped the brewing family. In the last year of beer production, 1966, the brewery could not make a profit, mostly due to pricing from large Milwaukee breweries.  For over a hundred years the brewery provided financial security and a source of pride for Madison, and the brewing crews.