Walter Brewing Co.-The Beer That Is Beer
The story of the Walter family and their contribution to the growth of the brewing industry in America was typical for the German immigrants in the late 19th century. Fleeing war & social unrest in their homeland, they arrived in America with only a few dollars in their pocket but with a will to succeed. They also brought with them a thirst for lager beer. Up until this time, brewing was a cottage craft in America, primarily producing top fermeted ales and ports. In a matter of a few years a whole brewing industry sprang up, primarily in the Midwest, to satisfy the increasing demand for German style lager beer. While not as well known as the Busch, Uehlein, or Pabst family, in the 1950s, the extended Walter family were the largest brewers in America, operating breweries in Eau Claire, Menasha, Appleton, and West Bend, Wisconsin as well as in Pueblo, & Trinidad, Colorado. Unable to match the marketing and sales budgets of the big nationals, one by one the Walter breweries closed in the 1960s and 70s. This is the story of the last one to survive, Walter Brewing in Eau Claire, WI.
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