The history of craft beer is impressive

Today’s Ruhstaller Beer represents itself as a revival of the Ruhstaller Brewery of the late 1880s, both of which have a Sacramento beer and hop heritage. But similarities continue between past and present with the strong commitment to locally sourced ingredients and quality. Today’s Ruhstaller’s has a California ingredients list that shows almost exclusively California sources. Ruhstaller Brewery of the past was also a highly regarded local ingredient brewery for several decades, beginning just after the California Gold Rush era (1849-1855) and disappearing due to Prohibition from 1920 to 1933.

Captain Frank Ruhstaller came to the United States at age 15, arriving in Sacramento in 1865. In Sacramento he began working in breweries and a few years later bought his first brewery. Upon his death in 1907, the local newspaper wrote in his obituary: “Surely no death has caused more sorrow in this city than that of Captain Frank J. Ruhstaller.” He was a beloved gentleman by all accounts.

The backstory on today’s Ruhstaller beer centers on Sacramento as it was with the original Ruhstaller brewery. Frank Ruhstaller built the largest brewery west of the Mississippi in Sacramento. That’s amazing because Sacramento, at one point, had 16 breweries in town. Much of Sacramento’s economic success was based on population growth (due to the gold rush), agriculture, large water sources, the railroad, and access to the sea. From 1870 to 1880, the Sacramento region became the hop capital of the world due to the success of quality beer. Regional hop growers even exported their hops to Europe.

An interesting fact from the time is that Adolphus Busch came to the United States in 1857. In 1861 he married the daughter of another German immigrant named Eberhard Anheuser. Mr. Anheuser had opened a small brewery in St. Louis, MO in 1857. After the Civil War, Busch went to work for his mother-in-law at the Anheuser Brewery located “west of the Mississippi.” Here’s what’s interesting: Frank Ruhstaller had built the Ruhstaller Brewery empire in Sacramento to be the largest west of the Mississippi in 1881. He pulled it off on his own.

In an era in California where agriculture was king, it was the quantity, quality, and variety of hops that was amazing for the time. Sacramento would eventually become the main supplier of hops to much of the world’s and American breweries.

You could say that Ruhstaller Brewery (formerly) was one of the first premium craft breweries. They produced a steam beer 15 years before Anchor Steam was founded. According to Beer-FAQ, “Steam beer is a style of beer that originated in California during the gold rush. They are usually clear and crisp like a lager, but also full-bodied like an ale. The taste is Roasty and malty but with quite aggressive hops and carbonation.The brewing process is unique in that it uses lager yeast but brewed at warmer brewing temperatures.

Taking the banner of the original Rruhstaller Brewery, in 2011 Ruhstaller Beer began operations. The culture of the first Ruhstaller Brewery is the foundation for today’s award-winning “Ruhstaller Beer•Sacramento.” The founder and leader of Ruhstaller Beer is Mr. JE Paino. JE, as he prefers to be called, graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in business administration; the beer race came later. He impresses me as a down to earth person who appreciates the team approach and is totally customer focused. Like many who build companies, he is driven by the quality of his ingredients, and that quality begins with the hops, namely Sacramento hops.

JE has been methodical in creating an award-winning craft beer company brand, building on Sacramento’s rich history in beer, grains and hops. The company has invested a great deal of time and money to nurture the hop industry that remains today. Enough hops are produced from 3 local hop farms to supply Ruhstaller Beer with most of the hops they need, except for the 5% that comes from outside of California. Even the barley comes from farmers in Northern California.

JE is not shy about his belief that California offers the best environmental/terroir conditions for growing premium hops. “I’ve tried it on our own 10 acres of hops,” says Paino. As he drives west on I-80 in Dixon, CA, he can see his hop farm on the side of the road. “At Ruhstaller Beer, we believe that a great beer starts with the best ingredients. Like our founder, Captain Frank Ruhstaller, we’re partnering with California hop and barley farmers to grow the best California ingredients for our beers.

To show how serious Ruhstaller Beer is about their commitment to ingredients, they started a hop school to teach the history of Ruhstaller, the techniques needed to grow premium hops, and to help consumers understand the foundation of a good hop. beer. In fact, the class is not free, in 2019 they charged $30 per participant for 6 sessions and provided lunch and beer.

Interestingly, Sacramento was the hop capital of the world and that era is generally recognized to have started around 1850. A hop farmer from that period started a hop farm located at what is now the University of Sacramento. By 1904, that producer was supplying hops to the Guinness Brewery.

Research indicates that most people buy craft beer based on regional identity, a recommendation, a positive tasting experience, label design, and brand loyalty. If a brewery owner and employees are passionate about what they are doing, they will inherently drive quality and customer recognition. The value of quality, passion and a recognizable corporate culture that is recognizable will drive consumer brand loyalty.

To paraphrase a legendary New York City advertising genius: if it doesn’t sell, nothing else matters. Ruhstaller Beer’s marketing approach has probably had a profound impact on the brand. As just noted, Ruhstaller Beer•Sacramento is based on a historic regional name known for consistent quality, support from local producers, and an identity consumers can relate to. From faucet handles they make out of old farm implements to the stylized abstract silhouette of a man with a cigar and the name ‘Sacramento’ on their labels; they have created a brand that is easy to understand and creates affinity. Who doesn’t like the success story built on the early history of an upstart Western brewery?

At Yolo County News Bret Johnson’s article, JE Paino (founder of Ruhstaller Beer) says about beer marketing: “You can’t just have a good story with a good name. You have to have a good beer first. When Sacramento was the -region in growth in America before Prohibition, brewers were competing on quality, not Super Bowl ads. Not gimmicks. It had to be good beer. It was supposed to be better beer.” The Ruhstaller family presented Paino with one of the original gold-rimmed glasses.

In that same interview, Paino forecast that beers made with local hops will cost an extra 50 cents per bottle. To justify the cost, it is essential that the consumer is aware of the value and purpose of quality ingredients that add aroma, flavor and mouthfeel to the quality craft beer experience.

It’s about Ruhstaller Beer•Sacramento: Yes, the name does matter. The resurrection of the iconic JE Paino name comes with best wishes from the surviving Frank Ruhstaller family. Today’s Ruhstaller beer is unique in the craft beer industry because of its history. This craft beer brand has roots dating back to 1881 in its humble beginnings. The history of Ruhstaller Beer today is the documented history of Frank Ruhstaller, the history of Sacramento as the beer capital of the western half of the US, the history of ingredient sourcing, and a deep history of corporate culture. We can always learn from the masters of old. Mr. JE Paino adds to the Ruhstaller legacy/story by adding a deep understanding of building brand loyalty over true quality.

History can make a good beer!

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