SCARCE GIEBENHAIN BROTHERS BREWERY DAY-BOOK – FIRST PRIZE AT THE ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION IN 1904

SCARCE GIEBENHAIN BROTHERS BREWERY DAY-BOOK – FIRST PRIZE AT THE ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION IN 1904

(California Brewery Day-Book) Day-Book for Fred Giebenhain (Giebenhain Brothers) brewery which was located in Placerville, California. Entries dating from January 1893 to September 1902 (pgs. 1-427) and pages 429-500 being a record of labor and material costs expenses.

Fred Giebenhain is famous for initially arriving in El Dorado County in 1852 and mining gold at Mud Springs followed by opening a bakery in Gold Hill. In 1857 he bought out the Mountain Brewery where he brewed the Mountain Steam Beer that won first prize at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904. When Frederick died in 1875 the business moved on to his sons who brewed Mountain Steam Beer which operated until prohibition in 1918.

Accolades for Mountain Steam Beer included:

PLACERVILLE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT - May 29, 1897: “Henry Giebenhain and Steve Weymouth departed last Wednesday for Lake Valley with a four-horse load of the celebrated Mountain Brewery Beer. The boys up there evidently know when they drink a good article, and are going to have it under any circumstances.”

PLACERVILLE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT - June 5, 1897. “The Mountain Brewery boys are selling all the beer they can make. The article gives such good satisfaction that it is almost impossible for them to fill orders received from all over the county.”

Many of the Giebenhain employees are listed (p. 429-500) with payments and disbursements made to each. Among them were Bill Dugan (pg. 434) who was paid $15.00 per month. Steve Weymouth (p. 436) was paid $50.00 per month and Tom Willman (p. 451) was paid $1.75 per day.

In 1902, the Giebenhain brewery was featured in the United States Health Bulletin as “The proper beer to drink and the purest and best beer from the Giebenhain Brewery of Placerville, California. Our staff of physicians have found this beer yields the greatest tonic strength so much desired to assist digestion and that it keeps down the temperature thus preventing sunstroke and establishes proper perspiration which promotes mental and physical activity, thus counterbalancing the effect of summer heat.” Dr. Amos Gray M.D. (New York Health Bulletin).

The Day-Book is 8 x 12 1/2 inches, leather tips and wear consistent with age. There are 500 pgs with the majority being filled with information.

Source: El Dorado County Visitors Authority; Ricky's Historical Tidbits.