A. Haas Brewing Co.

12 Aug 2021, last revised 10 May 2026

The A. Haas Brewing Co. was named after Adam Haas, a Copper Country pioneer who started the brewery in Houghton. Haas did not use a formal name for the brewery, and the A. Haas Brewing Co. was established after his death.

Adam Haas and His Brewery

Adam Haas was born in Bavaria, Germany, on 22 Jan 1822 and learned the cabinet-making trade (1). In 1852, he immigrated to Houghton and remained for a few months before moving north, where he operated a boat service between Houghton and Eagle River (1). In 1854, he returned to Houghton and operated a liquor store (1).

Haas started the brewery in 1859 in a log building on the northeast corner of Shelden St. and Dodge St. (1). At first, the brewery had a capacity of only 500 barrels per year (1). The 1859 Michigan State directory listed Adam Haas as "brewer and wine and liquor dealer" (14). The 1873 directory listed him for "brewery and saloon" (15). In Sep 1874, he advertised that his Palace Beer-hall, attached to the brewery, was now open. Haas enlarged the brewery with framed additions, and in 1875 he built a stone building, expanding capacity to 6,000 barrels per year (1). Actual production in 1877 slightly exceeded 3,000 barrels (20).

Haas brewery c. 1905

Newspaper ad – Sep 1874

Adam Haas died on 11 Jan 1879 at the age of 56 and was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Houghton (8).

Company Organization and Incorporation

Shortly after Adam's death, his widow, Eva Haas, and his sons, Joseph and Adolph Haas, organized the A. Haas Brewing Co. (1). They were listed for the A. Haas Brewing Co. in the 1881, 1883, and 1887 directories (9,10,11). Given that even the earliest bottles were embossed A. HAAS BREWING CO., bottling must have started after Adam's death, probably in 1879-80, as the bottles indicate.

Polk directory ad – 1883

Polk directory ad – 1887

In Oct 1879, the Haas company purchased the old Hahn brewery (25), which had opened in 1858 (4), burned in Jul 1873 (26), was rebuilt, and closed in 1875 (1). The mammoth stone building (25) was located near the courthouse (23). The 1888 Sanborn map showed a building labeled Formerly Haas' Brewery on the southeast corner of Dodge St. and Montezuma Ave.; however, it should have stated Formerly Hahn's Brewery because Haas still owned the building at that time.

Sanborn map – Jun 1888

Sanborn map – Aug 1893

Sanborn map – Jun 1900

Sanborn map – Feb 1908

Eva Haas died on 16 Nov 1886 at the age of 61 and was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Houghton (12). According to ads in the Holland directory, the company was incorporated in 1887 (7). Joseph Haas was president, Adolph Haas was vice president, and their brother-in-law (1), Christof Fox, was secretary and treasurer (7). Adam Haas' daughters formed the board of directors (2).

Holland directory ad – 1887

Polk directory ad – 1895

Growth and Expansion

Business was growing and the company required continual improvements and expansions. In Sep 1887, electric lights were added to the company office (28). In Nov 1887, the brewery added a new steam boiler, a new beer kettle, and fifteen large fermentation casks (29). By Mar 1888, beer was transported from Houghton to Baraga by rail, and then two teams hauled beer from Baraga to Ontonagon, with each team taking 25 kegs per load (30). In Nov 1888, new fermenting tubs were added (27).

In Apr-May 1889, the company refitted the old Hahn brewery with a new roof, replacing the fire-destroyed roof (21,22). Following annual increases in production, in Jan 1890, the company ordered new vats for the Hahn building to increase storage capacity by 1,000 barrels (23). The Shelden St. brewery, where brewing occurred, had no more room for vats (23). The water for brewing came from the celebrated Huron spring (23). The company expected to have an ice machine operating by Apr 1897 (31) and installed an improved bottling machine that used water pressure by Jul 1897 (32). In Feb 1900, the company made extensive improvements, including installing new machinery and storage vats that increased capacity by 500 barrels (33).

Company Sold

The family-run company ended on 31 Jul 1901 (34), when it was sold for $125,000 (3) to a syndicate of Houghton gentlemen represented by Phil Scheuermann [Jr.], who would act as managing director (34). The new company operated the brewery under the same name (2), and the new management proposed enlarging the brewing and storage capacity at once (34). Joseph Haas and Adolph Haas would retire from the business, but the office and clerical force would remain (34). Christof Fox, who had served as secretary and treasurer for 20 years, resigned in Oct 1902 (36). Phillip Scheuermann [Jr.], who was acting as brewer, resigned in Dec 1902 (37). In Nov 1903, the company increased its capitalization to $150,000, divided into 15,000 shares (45).

Beer Brands and Styles

According to paper labels, the company produced Haas Beer as a Pilsner style of beer, which seems to have been its signature brand. Extra Pale was advertised from Jan 1902. ABM bottles with paper labels show that Extra Pale was bottled in aqua or colorless glass. In May 1902, the first brew of bock beer under the new management would be placed on the market (40). Bock beer had been marketed previously in May 1893 (24) under the Haas family operation. It was a seasonal beer released in spring and Haas produced 225 barrels of bock for 1904 (43). In Mar 1903, the company announced that its "new brew" was on the market (38), and an ad indicated that it was a porter. In Feb 1904, Haas advertised a new malt beer.

Newspaper ad – Sep 1899

Newspaper ad – Jan 1902

Newspaper ad – Apr 1902

Newspaper ad – Mar 1903

Newspaper ad – Feb 1904

Renovations and Expansion of the Brewery

The brewery underwent further renovations to expand the business. In Oct 1901, the brewery received four large oak vats and had four more ordered, which together would increase storage capacity by 880 barrels (35).

In Mar 1904, annual capacity reached 23,000 barrels, which necessitated a new ice machine and two new fermentation tubs (44). Other improvements included replacing the wood sheathing on the cellar walls with plaster to reduce dampness, adding an air filter to the fermentation room, adding an air pump to force beer from the vats to the filling room, and installing electric lights throughout the brewery (44).

In Oct 1906, with demand having taxed the brewery to its utmost capacity several times over the past year, plans were underway to expand the brewery with a two-and-a-half-story addition built of steel and stone (49). Construction started in early Nov 1906 and was expected to be completed by Feb 1907 (13). The addition would include a storage room, fermentation room, and cellars and would increase annual capacity by 15,000 barrels (13). Installation of the new machinery and equipment was completed by late Mar 1907 (6). The upper floor held eight glass-lined fermentation tanks, while the first floor had nine chip tanks (6). A large steel brine tank was also held in the addition (6). The addition was practically airtight, built of brick, equipped with a cooling apparatus, and supplied with the latest means of sanitation and ventilation (6). Beer would be held in the fermentation tanks for 10 days, transferred to the chip tanks below, and then stored in vats in the cellar, where the atmosphere was kept below the freezing point (6). A new ice machine, capable of making 50 tons of ice in 24 hours, was installed in the engine room of the main brewery, replacing a small 20-ton ice machine (6). The 1908 Sanborn map showed the new addition extending from the north side of the brewery.

The company had 10 employees in 1904 (16), up to 32 in 1909 (17), and 28 in 1917 (18).

Renovation and Expansion of the Bottling Works

The bottling works underwent expansion, reflecting the growing market for bottled beer. By 1901, the company ordered at least four carloads of bottles in a year, with each carload holding 115 to 125 grosses of bottles (42). In Jul 1901, it received a carload from Streater, Ill. (42), which would have been bottle #69a.

The company announced in Mar 1902 that it would move its bottling works from the building north of the brewery to the vacant building in the rear of Karger & Sons refrigerator (41). In May 1904, the company received a new labeling machine and a machine to iron out the tin foil for the necks of premium-brand beer bottles (46). The new machines eliminated hand labor and completed the work faster and more neatly (46). In Feb 1905, the company replaced old-style foot- or hand-powered machines with steam bottling machinery, including a Hennes-Kellar revolving filler, a Leader labeling machine, a Crown Cork & Seal Co. power corker, and a Tonelli bottle washing machine (47).

In Feb 1906, the company announced plans to build a new bottling works in the rear of the main building just across the street from the present bottling works (48). The building currently on the site would be razed for the new framed bottling works (48). The bottling department would occupy the entire first floor and would be fitted with new machinery, including a Bishop-Babcock counter-pressure automatic filling machine with a capacity of 10,000 quart bottles per day (48). The basement and second floor would be used for storing empty boxes and bottles (48). By late May 1906, construction of a new bottling works was nearly completed (39). The new machinery was installed by late Mar 1907 and was soon to be ready for operation (6). The new equipment included a new engine, a steaming tank, a lightning wiring machine, a labeler, an air pump, an Elck washer, a Volz bottle rinser, a regulation filling machine, a corking machine, and other machinery (6). For washing, the bottles were inserted into sockets of a conveyer that carried them twice through washing water and then deposited them in a soaking box (6). They were then put on racks and thoroughly rinsed twice (6). The new equipment could wash 2,900 bottles in about 15 minutes (6). The 1908 Sanborn map showed the new bottling works on the opposite side of the street where a warehouse once stood.

Prohibition Hits Michigan

After state prohibition commenced on 01 May 1918 (50), the A. Haas Brewing Co. was listed for "soft drinks" with only four employees (19), and then operations were suspended (4). National prohibition went into effect on 17 Jan 1920 (69).

Post-Prohibition Revival

An amendment to national prohibition legalized the sale of beer and wine with 3.2% alcohol by weight effective 06 Apr 1933 in states without state prohibition laws (51,52). Michigan legalized the sale, manufacture, possession, and transportation of such beer and wine on 27 Apr 1933 (53). Breweries first needed to obtain a state license and a federal permit before they could start manufacturing beer (53,54).

Early in 1933, the Cohodas & Paoli Co. purchased the brewery and began remodeling it on 26 Apr 1933 (57). With a practically rebuilt and modernized plant, the A. Haas Brewing Co. resumed manufacturing beer on 21 Jun 1933 (55,57). Two shifts produced 200 barrels every 24 hours (55). With additional renovations, the brewery was expected to reach a capacity of 40,000 barrels per year (55). A rebuilt and newly equipped bottling plant was expected to start operating in early Aug 1933 (56).

Haas introduced Special Brew on 04 Aug 1933 at the Governor's Day banquet (57). The company hosted an open house on 16 Aug 1933 so residents could inspect their modern facilities and tour the process of beer making and bottling (58). On 17 Aug 1933, the company consigned a carload of beer to the City Beverage Co. of Traverse City in lower Michigan and had already made large shipments to Sault Saint Marie, Escanaba, and other upper peninsula and northern Wisconsin towns (59). In Sep 1933, two carloads of Special Brew were shipped to Texas (60), and three days later, two more carloads were shipped to Texas, indicating the high demand for Haas beer out of the state (61).

The company advertised Bavarian beer in Sep 1933 (63). National prohibition ended on 05 Dec 1933 (69), and state prohibition ended on 16 Dec 1933 (62). The day after, the company advertised Muenchener beer with "increased strength" (64). More styles or brands of beer followed, including Pilsner beer in Jan 1934 (65), bock beer in Mar 1934 (66), and Extra Pale in Nov 1934 (67).

In Feb 1934, the Michigan Securities Commission granted a permit for the company to increase its capitalization from $100,000 to $175,000 (65). The additional capital would be used to make improvements to increase production of the plant (65).

Magnaghi (4) stated that the Haas Brewing Co. moved into the former Park Brewing Co. building in Hancock in 1942. Accordingly, in Jun 1942, when Julius C. Binder became manager, the newspaper stated that the Hancock plant "was opened several months ago following its removal from Houghton" (70). According to the Houghton centennial book, the company became the Copper Country Brewing Co. in 1952, and the brewery finally closed in 1954 (5). In Sep 1954, the Cohodas-Paoli Co. was the only bidder for the property, which the newspaper noted had originally belonged to the Park Brewing Co. (71). Another old pioneer brewery passed into history after existing for 95 years, leaving behind a story to be told and old bottle artifacts to help interpret that story.

Pilsner label

Pilsner label

Citations

1. The Western Historical Company. (1883). History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Western Historical Company. Chicago, IL.
2. Biographical Publishing Company. (1903). Biographical Record: Houghton, Baraga and Marquette Counties, Michigan. Biographical Publishing Company. Chicago, IL.
3. Peninsular News. (1901, Aug 03). The L'Anse Sentinel (L'Anse, MI). p. 1.
4. Magnaghi, R. M. (2015). Upper Peninsula Beer: A History of Brewing Above the Bridge. American Palate. Charleston, SC.
5. Nancarrow, A., V. Elizabeth, and Houghton Centennial Committee. (1961). Houghton Centennial Souvenir History and Program. City of Houghton, MI.
6. Modern brewery. (1907, Mar 28). The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 5.
7. Holland, A. H. (1887). Hand-book and Guide to Houghton, Mich. Mining Journal Book and Job Print. Marquette, MI.
8. Find a Grave. (2012, Dec 22). Adam Haas. Retrieved Aug 2021. www.findagrave.com/memorial/102480545/adam-haas
9. R. L. Polk & Co. (1881). Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1881. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
10. R. L. Polk & Co. (1883). Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1883. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
11. R. L. Polk & Co. (1887). Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1887-88. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
12. Find a Grave. (2013, Mar 02). Eva Haas. Retrieved Oct 2021. www.findagrave.com/memorial/106049847/eva-haas
13. Brewery addition. (1906, Nov 02). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 8.
14. G. W. Hawes. (1859). Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1860. F. Raymond & Co. Detroit, MI.
15. J. E. Scripps and R. L. Polk & Co. (1873). Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1873. Tribune Book and Job Office. Detroit, MI.
16. Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics. (1905). State of Michigan Twenty-Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics Including the Twelfth Annual Report of State Inspection of Factories. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
17. State of Michigan Department of Labor. (1910). First Annual Report of the Department of Labor of the State of Michigan. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
18. Michigan Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics. (1918). Thirty-Fifth Annual Report of the Department of Labor of the State of Michigan. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
19. State of Michigan Department of Labor. (1919). Thirty-Sixth Annual Report of the Department of Labor of the State of Michigan. Fort Wayne Printing Co. Fort Wayne, Indiana.
20. Amount of lager beer made and sold in this district last year. (1879, Jul 24). Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
21. Hancock and Houghton. (1889, Apr 23). Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
22. From our Hancock reporter. (1889, May 14). Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
23. About Portage Lake. (1890, Jan 09). Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
24. [Untitled]. (1893, May 23). The Native Copper Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
25. Local jottings. (1879, Oct 16). Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
26. Disastrous fire. (1873, Jul 31). Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
27. Local jottings. (1888, Nov 22). Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 1.
28. Local items. (1887, Sep 01). Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
29. Local items. (1887, Dec 01). Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 1.
30. Local jottings. (1888, Mar 08). Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
31. Twin city notes. (1897, Mar 25). Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
32. Additional twin city notes. (1897, Jul 01). Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
33. On Portage Lake. (1900, Feb 02). The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
34. A big deal. (1901, Aug 01). The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
35. Portage Lake briefs. (1901, Oct 30). The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
36. Christof Fox resigns. (1902, Oct 18). The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
37. Scheuerman resigns. (1902, Dec 13). The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
38. Additional Calumet. (1903, Mar 10). The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
39. New works nearly ready. (1906, May 27). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 2.
40. Bock beer time. (1902, Apr 30). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 2.
41. Houghton brevities. (1902, Mar 19). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 2.
42. Bottles by the carload. (1901, Jul 11). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 8.
43. Bock beer season. (1904, Mar 31). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 8.
44. Improvements in Haas brewery. (1904, Mar 11). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 8.
45. Increases capitalization. (1903, Nov 30). Hancock Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 5.
46. New equipment. (1904, May 21). Hancock Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 7.
47. New bottling machinery. (1905, Feb 16). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 8.
48. Bottling works. (1906, Feb 05). The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 5.
49. New addition to cost $30,000. (1906, Oct 21). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 5.
50. National and state prohibition. (1919, Feb 14). The L'Anse Sentinel (L'Anse, MI). p. 8.
51. Roosevelt O.K. put on beer bill. (1933, Mar 23). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 1.
52. Provisions of U.S. beer bill. (1933, Mar 23). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 5.
53. Cameras record end of 15 years of prohibition. (1933, Apr 28). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 1.
54. Shilson, G. T. (1933, May 03). State board licenses 8 breweries. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 1.
55. A. Haas brewery here starts the brewing of beer. (1933, Jun 22). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 10.
56. A. Haas Brewing Co. bottling plant to start next week. (1933, Jul 25). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 10.
57. Haas' 'Special Brew' will be introduced at banquet. (1933, Aug 04). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 9.
58. Haas brewery to hold open house all day Aug. 16. (1933, Aug 14). The Evening Copper Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 3.
59. A. Haas Brewing Co. ships carload beer to lower Michigan. (1933, Aug 18). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 7.
60. Haas brewery sends 2 carloads to Texas. (1933, Sep 17). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 2.
61. Two more carloads of Haas beer are shipped. (1933, Sep 19). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 10.
62. 15-year-old prohibition reign ends. (1933, Dec 16). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 1.
63. A. Haas Brewing Co.. (1933, Sep 22). [Advertisement for Bavarian beer] The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 8.
64. A. Haas Brewing Co. (1933, Dec 17). [Advertisement for new Muenchener beer] The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 6.
65. A. Haas Brewing Co. (1934, Jan 26). [Advertisement for Bavarian and Pilsner beers] The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 7.
66. A. Haas Brewing Co. (1934, Mar 16). [Advertisement for Haas Bock beer] The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 9.
67. A. Haas Brewing Co. (1934, Nov 24). [Advertisement for Haas Extra Pale] The Evening Copper Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 8.
68. Haas Brewing Co. gets permit to increase stock. (1934, Feb 11). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 2.
69. Prohibition in the United States. (2024, Dec 27). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States
70. New manager takes charge of the Haas Brewing Co. plant. (1942, Jun 30). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
71. Hancock brewery, The Copper Country, sold this morning. (1954, Sep 08). The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 8.