Newport in Campbell County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Barrels of Beer

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 30, 2021

1. Barrels of Beer Marker

Inscription. James Smith brewed an English style beer in Newport as early as 1798. In the 1840s and 1850s German immigrants introduced the new style lager. Although several breweries operated in Newport after the Civil War, the one established by George Wiedemann not only dominated locally but emerged as the largest brewery in the United States south of the Ohio River.

In its grand complex straddling Columbia Street, Wiedemann achieved a capacity of over 100,000 barrels of Standard, Bohemian, and München beer each year. Although the brewery reemerged, unlike other local breweries after Prohibition, it could not hold off the national breweries and was sold in 1967 to the G. Heileman Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin which closed Wiedemann in 1983. The iconic factory was torn down in 1987.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1798.

Location. 39° 5.453′ N, 84° 30.122′ W. Marker is in Newport, Kentucky, in Campbell County. Marker can be reached from Riverboat Row, on the right when traveling north. Marker is on the Newport Levee trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Newport KY 41071, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bridging the Licking (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Welcome to the Dan Beard Riverwalk Trail

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(about 400 feet away); Newport Barracks (about 500 feet away); Licking River (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Newport Barracks (about 500 feet away); Defending the Valley (about 600 feet away); Fort Thomas (about 600 feet away); James Taylor, Newport's Founder (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport.

Regarding Barrels of Beer. The Wiedemann brand was resurrected in 2014 as a local craft brewery in St. Bernard, Ohio.

Also see . . .
1. Wiedemann Brewing Company, Newport Kentucky. History and photographs of the now-gone brewery, by Historic Structures. (Submitted on June 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Our Rich History: George Wiedemann, Northern Kentucky’s Beer Baron and his brewery. By Don Heinrich Tolzmann in the Northern Kentucky Tribune, March 23, 2020. (Submitted on June 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

3. George Wiedemann (Wikipedia). (Submitted on June 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 30, 2021

2. Barrels of Beer Marker

George Wiedemann Brewery Complex, Bottling Shop image. Click for full size.

Barry Peper / Public domain, circa 1933

3. George Wiedemann Brewery Complex, Bottling Shop

Credits. This page was last revised on June 6, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 176 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.