Dubuque Star Brewery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dubuque Star Brewery
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Dubuque Star Brewery
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 500 E. Fifth St. Dubuque, Iowa |
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| Area | 2.4 acres (0.97 ha) |
| Built | 1899 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| MPS | Dubuque, Iowa MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000348 |
| Added to NRHP | April 24, 2007 |
The Dubuque Star Brewery in Dubuque, Iowa, is a historic building. For many years, it was a place where special Dubuque Star beer was made. It's located right next to the Ice Harbor in Dubuque.
This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. This list includes important places that are worth protecting.
Contents
A Look Back: The Brewery's Story
Starting Up and Tough Times
The Dubuque Star Brewery was started by Joseph Rhomberg in 1898. It made Dubuque Star beer until a time called Prohibition. Prohibition was a period in the United States when making, selling, and transporting alcohol was against the law.
Because of Prohibition, the Dubuque Star Brewery had to close down. Before this time, Iowa had many breweries. But after Prohibition ended, Dubuque Star was one of the only small breweries left in the state.
Facing Floods and New Owners
When Prohibition ended in 1933, the brewery was able to open its doors again. However, being so close to the Mississippi River often caused problems. When the river flooded, it could damage the brewery.
The floods in 1965 were especially bad. The brewery had prepared for the river to rise to 23 feet. But the water went even higher, reaching 26 feet! This caused serious damage to the lower floors and the machines used to make beer.
In 1971, a new owner named Joseph Pickett bought the brewery. He found that the building and its equipment were very old. Most of the machines were from the 1930s. The brewery also wasn't selling much beer. Pickett decided to make big changes. He worked hard to update and modernize the entire brewery.
New Beers and Movie Fame
Joseph Pickett introduced a new beer called "Pickett's Premium." By the late 1970s, this beer was very popular. It made up about 12% of all beer sales in the area.
The brewery also became famous in another way. Its special "hospitality room" was shown in two movies! These were F.I.S.T. and the 1981 comedy Take This Job and Shove It.
Changes and Challenges
In 1980, a company called Agri Industries bought the brewery. They made "Rhomberg Beer" until 1985. The beers they made were very good quality. However, the company didn't have much money for advertising. This meant not many people knew about their beers.
Because of this, their efforts were not successful, and the brewery closed in 1985. There were a few more tries to reopen the brewery in the years that followed. But even though they made great products, these attempts also failed. The brewery finally closed for good in 1999.
Between 1988 and 1998, the Zele Brewing Company managed the brewery. They made beers for other companies. This was a time when big breweries made it hard for smaller, craft breweries to sell their products.
A New Chapter for the Building
The city of Dubuque later bought the building. They did this as part of a plan to improve the riverfront area. Work began to fix up the old brewery. A company from Madison, Wisconsin called Alexander Company was hired to help. They tried to find new businesses to move into the brewery, but it was difficult.
On March 23, 2006, good news arrived. Stone Cliff Winery signed a deal to rent part of the brewery building. This deal depended on the city and Port of Dubuque agreeing on a development plan. Stone Cliff Winery rented 10,000 square feet of the ground floor. They opened an expanded winery and tasting center there in the summer of 2007.
In April 2011, Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors moved into the third floor of the building. In 2014, Eagle Point Software moved into the second floor. The Star Restaurant, which was on the second floor, closed in 2013.
Today, the Dubuque Star brewing company is owned and run by Jeffery Monroe in Iowa City, Iowa.
