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Archive record · Brewery

Fred Koch Brewery

Dunkirk, New York, New York, USA

ClosedOwnership unknown
Founded
1888
Closed
Year unknown
Archive ID
TB-3YYRJZ3W
Last checked
Not yet checked

Who owns this brewery?

Genesee Brewing Company (brand/production successor after 1984)

Not yet mapped as a company, so the chain above it is still open.

01

From the record

Summary

Dunkirk Historical Museum verifies 1888 founding, West Courtney Street plant, Prohibition pivot to spring water/soft drinks/Kobru near beer/malt syrup, 1933 beer return, Vaux and Genesee succession. Period ads verify Lake City Export and later Koch/Deer Run products. Final Dunkirk brewing year remains UNKNOWN because reliable summaries conflict between 1985 and 1988. Licence class: Historical production brewery. Chautauqua County. Owner as recorded: Fred Koch; Koch family; Vaux Breweries Limited (1981); Genesee Brewing Company (1984). Parent as recorded: Genesee Brewing Company (brand/production successor after 1984). Acquisition history: Purchased by Vaux Breweries Limited in 1981; merged/acquired into Genesee Brewing Company in 1984. Dunkirk production-ceasing year conflicts between sources (1985 versus 1988) and remains held. Relocation: Began using the old Fink Brewery; moved to the West Courtney Street site in 1888. Exact historic numbering varies by period/source. Status as recorded: Closed - historical.

A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.

03

The People

Behind the beer

Fred Koch
Founder

Frank Werle (partner
Founder

04

The Beer Library

Beers

Lake City Export

Retired

Export beer — exact style UNKNOWN

Pass 120: 1902 Evening Observer advertisement names Lake City Export from F. Koch/Lake City Brewery; ABV and recipe UNKNOWN. (HISTORICAL / ARCHIVE-VERIFIED) [New York Pass 140]

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Kobru

Retired

Near beer — exact style UNKNOWN

Pass 120: Dunkirk Historical Museum identifies Kobru as a limited Prohibition-era near beer. Exact alcohol content and formulation UNKNOWN; retained as historical non-alcoholic/near-beer record. (HISTORICAL / ARCHIVE-VERIFIED) [New York Pass 140]

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Koch’s Golden Anniversary Beer

Retired

Lager — exact formulation UNKNOWN

Pass 120: 1978 Westfield Republican advertisement names Golden Anniversary Beer from Fred Koch Brewery; ABV and recipe UNKNOWN. (HISTORICAL / ARCHIVE-VERIFIED) [New York Pass 140]

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Deer Run Ale

Retired

Ale

Pass 120: 1978 Westfield Republican advertisement names Deer Run Ale from Fred Koch Brewery; subtype, ABV and recipe UNKNOWN. (HISTORICAL / ARCHIVE-VERIFIED) [New York Pass 140]

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05

Travel Guide

Plan a visit

Address13-21 West Courtney Street
09

Straight answers

Common questions about Fred Koch Brewery

Who owns Fred Koch Brewery?
Fred Koch Brewery is recorded as owned by Genesee Brewing Company (brand/production successor after 1984), which does not yet have a full company profile in this archive.
Is Fred Koch Brewery still open?
No. Fred Koch Brewery has closed. The archive has not established the year it stopped. Dunkirk Historical Museum verifies 1888 founding, West Courtney Street plant, Prohibition pivot to spring water/soft drinks/Kobru near beer/malt syrup, 1933 beer return, Vaux and Genesee succession. Period ads verify Lake City Export and later Koch/Deer Run products. Final Dunkirk brewing year remains UNKNOWN because reliable summaries conflict between 1985 and 1988. Licence class: Historical production brewery. Chautauqua County. Owner as recorded: Fred Koch; Koch family; Vaux Breweries Limited (1981); Genesee Brewing Company (1984). Parent as recorded: Genesee Brewing Company (brand/production successor after 1984). Acquisition history: Purchased by Vaux Breweries Limited in 1981; merged/acquired into Genesee Brewing Company in 1984. Dunkirk production-ceasing year conflicts between sources (1985 versus 1988) and remains held. Relocation: Began using the old Fink Brewery; moved to the West Courtney Street site in 1888. Exact historic numbering varies by period/source. Status as recorded: Closed - historical.
When was Fred Koch Brewery founded?
Fred Koch Brewery was founded in 1888 in Dunkirk, New York, USA.
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