Dubuque Star Brewery facts for kids

The Dubuque Star Brewery in Dubuque, Iowa, was a building where Dubuque Star beer was made for many years. This brewery is found just north of the Ice Harbor in Dubuque.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. This means it's an important historical site.

History of Dubuque Star Brewery

How the Brewery Started

Joseph Rhomberg started the Dubuque Star Brewery in 1898. The brewery made Dubuque Star beer until Prohibition began. Prohibition was a time in the United States when making and selling alcohol was against the law.

Because of Prohibition, the Dubuque Star brewery had to close down. Before this time, Iowa had 138 breweries. After Prohibition ended, Dubuque Star was the only small brewery left in the state.

Reopening After Prohibition

Prohibition ended in 1933, and the brewery reopened. The brewery was located near the Mississippi River. This meant that when the river flooded, it often caused problems.

The floods in 1965 were very bad. The brewery had prepared for the river to reach 23 feet. But the river rose even higher, reaching 26 feet. This caused serious damage to the lower parts of the building. It also damaged the machines used to make beer.

New Owners and Changes

In 1971, Joseph Pickett bought the brewery. He found that the brewery was not in good shape. Most of the equipment was old, from the 1930s. The brewery also sold very little beer compared to others.

Pickett started a big project to fix up and modernize the brewery. He introduced a new beer called Pickett's Premium. By the late 1970s, this beer made up about 12% of sales in the area.

The brewery's special room for visitors was even shown in movies. It appeared in the film F.I.S.T. and the 1981 comedy Take This Job and Shove It.

Later Years and Closures

Agri Industries bought the brewery in 1980. They made Rhomberg Beer until 1985. The beers made by the brewery were good quality. However, the company did not have much money for advertising. This meant not many people knew about their beers.

Their efforts were not successful, and the brewery closed in 1985. There were a few more tries to reopen the brewery in the following years. Even though they made good products, these attempts also failed. The brewery finally closed down in 1999.

Between 1988 and 1998, the Zele Brewing Company managed the brewery. They made many beers for other companies. This period showed promise for the brewery. However, during this time, large breweries made it hard for smaller ones to sell their products.

The Brewery Building Today

The city of Dubuque later bought the building. This was part of a plan to improve the riverfront area. Work began to fix up the brewery building.

In 2006, Stone Cliff Winery agreed to rent part of the brewery. They opened an expanded winery and tasting center there in 2007. The Dubuque Star brewing company is now owned and run by Jeffery Monroe.

In April 2011, Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors moved into the third floor of the building.

The Star Restaurant, which was on the second floor, closed in 2013. In 2014, Eagle Point Software moved into the second floor of the building.