In the 1700's tens of thousands of Germans took up Queen Maria Theresa's offer of homesteading and free land in an area of the Austrian-Hungarian empire known as the Banat, the most fertile land in Europe, that had been depopulated by the Ottoman Wars. My forefathers came from the town of Schoenholthausen, Germany and settled the town of Hatzfeld, Hungary (now Jimbolia, Romania) and as hundreds of German towns developed, the Germans brought brewer expertise with them. These Germans were known as Donau Schwabians (See our Banat History page).   My ancestors were farmers in Hatzfeld and made wine and beer. My Great Grandfather and Grandfather were the town barbers.  The photo to your left is the Catholic Church in Jimbolia where my Grandfather was Baptized in the late 1800's.  In 1911 he immigrated to Cincinnati, OH where he opened a barber shop. 

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On my Mother's side of the family, my Great, Great Grandfather assisted Christian Moerlein in starting his brewery in 1853 in the Over the Rhine district in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The brewery was shut down during Prohibition but was reborn in 1981 re-introducing Moerlein beer to Cincinnati.

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I brew my beer with the care and dedication my ancestors did, and use the finest water from the base of the Olympic Mountain range here in Washington State. I hope you enjoy this brew. Prosit!

Peter Michael Kraushaar and son Jacob - The  Brewmasters.

Peter Michael Kraushaar was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1960.  Grew up in Tucson AZ, is a Uof A alumn, and moved to the Pacific NW in 1988.  From 1979-1981 he was station in North Bavaria in West Germany where his interest in fine beer and family heratige increased.   in 2007 his son Jacob arrived.  Upon approaching retirement, Peter took up new hobbies, including Home Beer Brewing.