Description
he building known as the “Old Brewery” was first completed in 1898 and was used to brew Petoskey Sparkle beer until 1915. According to a 1973 article in the Petoskey News, the Petoskey Brewing Company was originally owned by Frank and Garrett Fochtman, A. Bremmeyr and John Zaiger, who also acted as the Brewmaster. The building owes its unique stature to the brewing practices of the late 19th century. With a total of four stories, it is over 70 feet tall, yet only 20 feet deep. The breweries of the day relied on gravity (thankfully, we have electric pumps today) to move water, wort and beer through the production process. The fourth-floor cupola likely contained a large water tank serving the brewery’s needs. The fire-brewing (probably wood-fired) took place on the third floor as evidenced by the chimney flues still visible today. Fermentation and packaging likely occurred on the 2nd and 1st floor as the production followed its way down.
