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 company was founded in 1874 by Joseph Bosch (b. 11 February 1850), the son of a beer brewer. Bosch spent several years traveling, to Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Louisville to learn the art of brewing. He worked for some time at the Schlitz Brewing Company.
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 Calumet. 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. (father of Bishop John Vertin), 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 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.
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 Lake in Houghton, a location he had long wanted. The plant became known as the Scheuermann branch of the Bosch Brewing Company. In 1903 the company had an annual production capacity of 60,000 barrels.
The newly organized Bosch Brewing Company continued its growth, becoming the second largest industry in the Copper Country, second only to mining. Joseph Bosch maintained a close relationship with the community, using local themes in his advertising such as the tagline "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.
Prohibition
Hard times threatened with talk of prohibition. 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.
Back to brewing
The reprieve came in 1933 when the 21st amendment repealed prohibition, and Bosch was able to return to brewing, although only the Scheuermann plant reopened.
In 1937, Joseph Bosch died 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. In 1955, sales were over the 100,000 barrel mark.
