Potosi Brewery
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Potosi Brewery | |
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| Location | Main St., Potosi, Wisconsin, United States |
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| Coordinates | 42°40′37″N 90°43′32″W / 42.67694°N 90.72556°W |
| Area | 3.5 acres (1.4 ha) |
| Built | 1890[citation needed] |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000138[1] |
| Added to NRHP | November 19, 1980 |
The Potosi Brewery is located in Potosi, Wisconsin, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[2]
Beer began being brewed in the building in 1852 by Gabriel Hail and John Albrecht.[3] In 1886, the building was bought by Adam Schumacher. The Potosi Brewing Company was officially founded by Schumacher and his brothers, Nicholas and Henry, in 1906. Beer was brewed in one building and piped underground to a bottling facility across the street. At its peak, it was the fifth-largest brewer in the United States.[4] During Prohibition, the Potosi Brewery produced nonalcoholic beer by brewing beer and boiling the alcohol out of it. They also bottled milk from the company's farm.[5]
In 1972, the brewery ceased operations.[6][7] Gary David purchased the building, damaged by a fire, at auction for $6,300 in 1995.[8][3] He donated it to the Potosi Foundation in 2001 and the brewery property was officially transferred.[9] The Potosi Brewing Company building re-opened as a museum and brewpub in 2008 following a $7.5 million restoration.[10] The Potosi Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and sole owner of the Potosi Brewing Company, reopened the brewery in 2008. The Foundation is run by a board of elected volunteers and donates its profits to charity.[9][11]
Production
In 2015, the business opened a new production facility, in addition to the museum and brewpub. It produced around 8,000 barrels of beer per year with the capacity to brew 20,000. Prior to that, beer was being brewed at Stevens Point Brewery.[10]
The brewery uses caves attached to the original building to age some of its products.[11] In 2017, they expanded distribution to retailers in Iowa.[12] In addition to their own brand, the brewery is also contracted to produce beer for other manufacturers.[11]
