To most people or students, college and beer go together like peanut butter and jelly or macaroni and cheese. Beer has long been a staple for college students and consequently, college towns have developed reputations for the consumption of alcohol. The consumption of beer hasn’t always had a stigma behind it, and the history behind the consumption of beer is no longer visible to the public eye due to several years of evolution and expansion amongst the brewing industry.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website, “Fifty-eight percent of full-time college students ages 18–22 drank alcohol in the past month.” This statistic enforces the prevalence of drinking amongst college students in college towns. Where did this phenomenon come from? Beer has evolved through several cultures and countries to become what it is today.
Even though alcohol is prominent in America, it did not originate here. “Breweries were often started by immigrants from Europe, particularly from Germany, who brought with them strong-beer drinking traditions,” states Chris Hardle, writer for the Winona Daily News. The drinking culture has been introduced and influenced by several people, including immigrants like Jacob Weisbrod, who came to America and started a successful beer brewing company in a small Minnesota town.
Jacob Weisbrod was the founder of Peter Bub’s Brewery, more famously known as “Bub’s,” (pronounced “boobs”) in Winona, Minnesota. Bub’s is locally famous for their fat, juicy, crispy burgers, along with their assortment of beer. As a college student who visits the pub on occasion, I have always applauded the satisfying service and fantastic food, but until recently never considered the rich history behind such a locally famous establishment. While biting into a mouth-watering burger, or sipping an ice-cold beer, it’s easy to dismiss or ignore the cultural history behind the food you’re indulging in, especially since a burger is considered an American food. Many people fail to see the deep cultural history behind the burgers and beer at Bub’s Brewery, and do not recognize that the pub has not always served burgers.
Even though it is an American food establishment, like many restaurants and bars, Bub’s is the result of hundreds of years of cultural evolution. The cultural history behind the restaurant is what makes it such a phenomenal business. Unfortunately much of that history is of little interest to patrons when they are staring at a juicy burger or an ice-cold beer. By uncovering some of the cultural history behind the establishment, perhaps the community and customers can appreciate the authenticity of Bub’s Brewery.
It is unknown when Weisbrod immigrated from Germany to America, but it can be inferred by the starting of a new business that it was shortly before the founding of the brewery in 1856. From 1820 until 1870, the United States increased in population by over seven and a half million people; all of these people being immigrants. Many Germans migrated to America due to economic hardship, political riots, and religious freedom. After migrating to America, immigrants were desperate to establish their lives in the United States. Several people started farms, while others only did what they knew how; drink alcohol and spread alcohol awareness.
While alcohol was not created in Germany, it has been very prominent in the country for hundreds of years. According to An Early Winona Brewery written by Brother H. Raphael Erler, most of the first settlers were “inveterate drinkers.” It is inevitable that immigrants from Germany and Europe brought the drinking culture to America as alcohol and the presence of breweries were very prominent in Germany during the late 1800’s.
Drinking is a huge aspect of German culture. For example, in the United States, the government recommends limiting alcohol consumption to one to two drinks per day. In comparison, Germany provides no quantitative recommendations. German culture views drinking as a part of the meal. In the United States, bar closing time is normally 1:00 am. In Germany, there are no restrictions on opening or closing times for alcohol distribution establishments. German culture views alcohol consumption as a regular part of daily life, simply because their intent for consumption is much different than the United States’.
Bub’s Brewery was founded in 1856 in what was then known as the territorial village of Montezuma but is known as Winona today. The brewery, originally named Weisbrod Brewery, was an overwhelmingly successful business that no one saw coming. According to an article published in the Manufacturing Industries, during the first few years of business, the brewery produced about five-hundred barrels of beer annually. The business faced several different location changes, along with various owners.
Weisbrod hired immigrant Peter Bub in 1869. Bub was a Bavarian immigrant who settled in America in 1865. Bub was familiar with the brewing industry and had worked as a brew master in Milwaukee, Wisconsin prior to his employment for Weisbrod. Weisbrod passed away in 1870 and Bub married his widow in 1871, also taking over the business and naming it “Peter Bub’s Brewery.” Bub continued the business for several years, along with the continuation of authentic beer brewing. With a Bavarian background, Bub was highly educated in the brewing of beer, contributing to the long-lasting booming business.
Weisbrod’s theory of introducing German brewing to a small village was brilliant. Winona State University was founded in 1858, two years after the development of the brewery. There is a strong correlation between being located in a college town and the business’ success. For 113 years Peter Bub’s Brewery brewed thousands of barrels of beer each year. The consumption of large amounts of alcohol raised concerns for several people.
Alcohol lives in a complicated place. A place where some people can enjoy it, while other people don’t know how to stop drinking, leading to alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse can contribute to several negative habits and consequences, which relates to the negative stereotypes of alcohol during the Prohibition era. Because of this complicated place that has remained in similar nature for hundreds of years, several debates have taken place, laws have been passed, and protests have been had.
The complexity of the evolution of alcohol began with outbursts of debates. In the early 1900’s, many people believed that alcohol was the core of several social issues such as poverty, violence, and criminal activity. President Woodrow Wilson knew these issues needed to be addressed, so a law was written and implemented. The law was first effective in Minnesota at midnight on June 30th, 1919 and prohibited the manufacture, transfer, and sale of alcoholic beverages. This time period is known as the Prohibition Era. Prohibition impacted Bub’s Brewery immensely. From the first brewed beer in April 1862, to the last brewed beer in 1969, the brewery faced its fair share of challenges, but none were as great as the Prohibition Era.
Although the law was supposed to end the consumption of alcohol, many say Prohibition was not effective, and did not work. Stated in the Winona Daily News in 1984 by Jim Troyer, Dr. Lewis Younger was present during the period of Prohibition and claims, “You went to a place and were served behind curtains.” According to newspaper article, An Early Winona Brewery written by Raphael Erler, “By 1919 Winonans had become so accustomed to their lifestyle that even a national law had minimal effect on their practices.” Even though there was immense ignorance towards the law, the brewing company still struggled greatly during the Prohibition era.
Although the years of Prohibition impacted Peter Bub’s Brewery due to the inability to operate as it had in previous years, employees were reluctant to let the business dwindle. The brewery continued selling alcohol by using the words, “Know your customer.” Of course, the sales of alcohol should not have occurred during Prohibition, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The employees were informed that that they would continue serving alcoholic beverages, but with caution. Federal agents would often go undercover to bars and alcohol-serving establishments with intent to make arrests to any business violating the Prohibition law, according to Winona Daily News on December 5, 1984. It was the underground distribution of alcohol that allowed the brewery to stay in business.
The brewery also resorted to serving soft drinks during the Prohibition era. Soft drinks enabled Bub’s to continue the distribution of alcohol because it appeared that they were just distributing soft drinks such a coke, lemonade, and tea.
Prohibition ended in 1933 after the public was so greatly opposed to the law. The twenty-first amendment was added to the constitution, repealing the eighteenth that originally placed the ban on alcohol consumption. The Prohibition Era was the greatest obstacle that Peter Bub’s Brewery faced in its existence, and the company was able to successfully navigate through the years.
Peter Bub’s Brewery ended brewing in 1969 after the advancement of technology became too expensive to keep up with. The Winona Daily News states on September 19, 1969 that owner Carlus E. Walter did not see the economic benefit in breaking the bank trying to keep up with modern trends. There was a steady decline in the consumption of the brewery’s products, and they were simply not bringing in enough revenue for the upgrades to be worthwhile. As alcohol continued to become more prominent, nationally and regionally recognized companies such as Budweiser and Miller Lite dominated the competitive field. The cost of advertising was much too great to fathom.
The downtown location of Bub’s Brewery opened for business in March of 1992. The owners and employees have no connection to the original owners and founders, however, they are simply just trying to carry on the legacy that Bub’s left behind in 1969. The pub serves an assortment of beer named after Peter Bub with intention to “bring the legendary Bub’s name into the 21st Century,” states the Bub Brewery website. As a brewing company that once filled the taps of more than one hundred bars and saloons, it is disheartening that the history and legacy of Bub’s could be lost and forgotten. The current Bub’s Brewery illuminates an atmosphere with cultural value, cold beer, and tables packed with college students.
Bub’s Brewery has largely contributed to the city that Winona is today, as the brewery has existed just as long as the city. A large aspect of Winona is Winona State University. The presence of the brewery contributed to the drinking culture at Winona State, as everyone enjoyed the authentic beer from Bub’s. The brewery continues to radiate a drinking atmosphere, but it in a different light.
College drinking is associated with intoxication and pure stupidity in today’s society. People no longer view beer as another part of the dinner plate, but rather as a hobby to engage in to be socially accepted. Brewing beer in Winona has evolved into weekend pub crawls, and every day drinking at the local bars where they advertise daily drinking deals such as “wop Wednesday’s and Tav Tuesdays.” This change in drinking culture is shocking to many, as previous generations haven’t experienced alcohol in the same context. The concept of consuming alcohol purely for the enjoyment of the taste is rare amongst college students.
With the high population of college students in Winona and the high presence of bars downtown, the community holds varying views on the drinking culture. Some see the college drinking atmosphere as a negative influence on the community, however, beer brewing and drinking is a part of history. The reason that prohibition didn’t last forever is because the community realized alcohol can be enjoyed without binge-drinking or abusing the substance. When something like alcohol is viewed negatively, the cultural aspect of it is lost.
Many of the negative views about a high number of drinking establishments in a small college town revolve around the substance abuse aspect. Binge-drinking and alcohol abuse is a very serious matter. However, just because one engages in cultural customs and enjoys the authentic alcohol brought to America from first generation settlers, does not mean they are an alcoholic or will become one.
The argument is extremely controversial and complex, especially in a small college town where drinking is an everyday occurrence for some. To be open-minded is extremely important when creating a personal perspective because there is an immense amount of cultural value and history behind the consumption of beer.
It’s important to remember, embrace, and appreciate the history that contributes to the rich culture we live in today. Much of the history that is forgotten is often a buried treasure, that holds substantial value. Bub’s Brewery holds great cultural value that stems from a German immigrant who brought cultural value to America. Without contributions from people like Weisbrod and Bub, the beer industry wouldn’t be as prominent as it is today. Regardless of your view and beliefs on the consumption of alcohol, it is, and will remain, a prominent aspect of society and culture.
