Benicia Brewery
Benicia, California, USA · Est. 1855
Tally's Take
Why this matters
California Pass 187. Benicia Magazine, citing the Benicia Historical Museum, says Swiss-born brewer John Rueger moved his brewing business from Marysville to Benicia in 1855 and converted the California House on West H Street into the Benicia Brewery. The brewery remained in business until a March 1945 fire destroyed the old brewery building; by then it had been renamed Benicia Brewery and Soda Works. Contemporary 1870s newspaper evidence independently confirms Benicia Brewery operations/distribution. Exact intermediate ownership chronology remains open.
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Sources
- recordProbable
Brewery record taken from Tally's California master, Pass 187, which cited https://www.beniciamagazine.com/benicias-brewing-history-and-a-resurgence-of-craft-beer/ for this entry. The cited page has not been opened by the archive.
Tally's California master, Pass 187 (research workbook) · Tally's Beer Universe research workbook · 2026
CommercialMedium reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-19Reviewed 2026-08-19
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about Benicia Brewery
- Who owns Benicia Brewery?
- Benicia Brewery is independently owned — there is no parent company above it on record. It is based in Benicia, California, USA.
- Is Benicia Brewery independent?
- Yes. Benicia Brewery is recorded as independent, with no parent company. Independence is recorded as the brewery states it; where a stake is a minority holding or joint venture, this archive leaves it unmapped rather than calling it ownership.
- Is Benicia Brewery still open?
- No. Benicia Brewery has closed. California Pass 187. Benicia Magazine, citing the Benicia Historical Museum, says Swiss-born brewer John Rueger moved his brewing business from Marysville to Benicia in 1855 and converted the California House on West H Street into the Benicia Brewery. The brewery remained in business until a March 1945 fire destroyed the old brewery building; by then it had been renamed Benicia Brewery and Soda Works. Contemporary 1870s newspaper evidence independently confirms Benicia Brewery operations/distribution. Exact intermediate ownership chronology remains open.
- When was Benicia Brewery founded?
- Benicia Brewery was founded in 1855 in Benicia, California, USA.
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