Mantorville Brewery

Mantorville Brewery. , John Hischi founded the Dodge County Brewery in May of 1857. This establishment was located on Fifth Street West near the 1918 Opera House, making this business the oldest microbrewery in Minnesota. One year later, Hirschi sold the business to Charles Ginsberg. Beginning in 1864 Ginsberg built this facility, using limestone from the hills behind the site, on Brewery Creek, a branch of the Zumbro River., Construction began with the three story portion on the left side of the drawing. The ground floor held the brewery, the second floor was Ginsberg family residence and the third floor became storage. natural caves behind the building became storage for the barrels of brew produced. Cold, crystal clear water from a spring one quarter mile uphill was piped in and used in production., The taller portion of the brewery was completed in 1874. Its cellar was dug into the bluffs. First floor above the cellar held ice and large vats. The upper parts were used for a granary. Access to the granary was from behind the structure where the ground was level with exterior doors to the third floor. This complex also boasted a dance hall, "Brewery Hall," where entertainments and celebrations were held., The brewery stayed in production for 82 years, through a number of different owners. During Prohibition, it served as a creamery and soda pop factory. But by the start of World War II, the brewery was not being used. Its metal parts had been scrapped for the war effort and parts of the structure were demolished. By 1939, the brewery was officially closed., In 2020, John Olive made preservation of the Ginsberg Brewery ruins his mission. With permission from the landowners Brad and Suzanne Lohrbach and support from the Mantorville Restoration Association as well as the Mantorville Economic Development Authority, John Olive, Rich Olive, Mike Tully and Luverne Vangness have been able to unearth the ruins, giving residents and visitors a glimpse into another part of Mantorville's history., Additional information can be found through the Dodge County Historical Society, The Minnesota State Historical Society and the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub (Mantorville Express).