SPRECHER HISTORY

Sprecher Brewing Co. has a long history as the oldest Craft Brewery in Milwaukee, and our story is one of devotion to craft, commitment to the community, and a drive to share our fire-brewed sodas and beers with customers nationwide. We grew from an idea in the mind of Randy Sprecher to a Milwaukee craft brewing institution proudly owned by a small group of local investors. This is our story.

The Inspiration

Randy’s love affair with brewing began in Europe. He was drafted into the army during the Vietnam war, but due to colorblindness he was sent to work for a general in Augsburg, Germany. There, Randy fell in love with German beers.  After his time in Augsburg, he returned to California, where he grew up, and began brewing German beers at home. In 1972, Randy decided to take his hobby to the next level, and applied to study fermentation science at UC-Davis. Then, he perplexed the State of California by applying to establish a microbrewery—a concept that the state did not understand. Down but not out, Randy secured a post as Supervisor of Brewing Operations at Pabst’s Milwaukee brewery. He packed up everything he owned into a VW Van and moved to Milwaukee.