I’ve known for months that the Petaluma River Craft Beer Festival was today (9/14/13) and had looked upon the event as opportunity to write something about Petaluma’s beer history. Well things haven’t gone quite as planned, but I still wanted to put something out there so here I present an abbreviated version of what I originally had in mind.

According to J.P. Munro-Fraser’s 1880 History of Sonoma County, the Petaluma Brewery was started in 1855 by Christlich & Erbe, and was the first establishment of its kind in Sonoma County. After some years they were succeeded by Baltz & Schierhold. In 1873, George Roberson, purchased the property and in 1880 he was producing about twelve hundred barrels of beer annually, which was sold throughout Sonoma County and to adjacent counties. The Petaluma Brewery was located on Main Street (where I’m not exactly sure) and according to Munro-Fraser was surrounded by pleasant gardens and shady arbors, making it a pleasant resort for those looking for a refreshing beverage of “jolly Gambrinus.”

Photo courtesy of the Sonoma County Library. Image No. 18244

George Griess was another well known Petaluma brewer. He was born in Alsace, France around 1844 and came to Petaluma in 1870, where he joined Charles Mitchell in operating the Sonoma Brewery which was located on Stanley and Upham Streets. Following a fire at the brewery in 1886, Griess established the United States Brewery at Bodega Avenue and Upham Street which he operated until his death in 1914. The property was later purchased by local contractor, William Sylva who built several homes in this neighborhood, including his own at 115 Bodega Avenue, beginning in the mid 1920s.