Susanville Brewery
Susanville, California, USA · Est. 1920
Tally's Take
Why this matters
California Pass 187. The 1885 Lassen County directory explicitly lists 'Susanville Brewery — Frank Runge proprietor.' Lassen Historical Society material independently states that German brewer Joachim Kroeger began brewing in Susanville in 1905, established the Susanville Brewery at Main and Union, brewed steam beer three times a week, and built a German-style beer hall in 1912. Because both sources use the same brewery name but do not establish whether Kroeger's operation was a direct legal continuation of Runge's earlier business, Pass 78 keeps one canonical historical lineage with proprietor phases and holds exact continuity. Prohibition in 1920 ended the beer business; the hall shifted to soft drinks.
The Beer Library
Beers
Steam Beer
Year-RoundCalifornia Common / Steam Beer
California Pass 187. Aliases: https://susanvillestuff.com/from-the-files-of-the-lassen-historical-society-joachim-kroeger-and-the-susanville-brewery/. Lassen Historical Society material states Joachim Kroeger used hops, malt and grains to make steam beer at Susanville Brewery and brewed a new batch three times a week. Exact ABV/recipe remain UNKNOWN.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Show your working
Sources
- recordProbable
Brewery record taken from Tally's California master, Pass 187, which cited https://www.cagenweb.org/lassen/1885.htm 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 Susanville Brewery
- Who owns Susanville Brewery?
- Susanville Brewery is independently owned — there is no parent company above it on record. It is based in Susanville, California, USA.
- Is Susanville Brewery independent?
- Yes. Susanville 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 Susanville Brewery still open?
- No. Susanville Brewery has closed. California Pass 187. The 1885 Lassen County directory explicitly lists 'Susanville Brewery — Frank Runge proprietor.' Lassen Historical Society material independently states that German brewer Joachim Kroeger began brewing in Susanville in 1905, established the Susanville Brewery at Main and Union, brewed steam beer three times a week, and built a German-style beer hall in 1912. Because both sources use the same brewery name but do not establish whether Kroeger's operation was a direct legal continuation of Runge's earlier business, Pass 78 keeps one canonical historical lineage with proprietor phases and holds exact continuity. Prohibition in 1920 ended the beer business; the hall shifted to soft drinks.
- When was Susanville Brewery founded?
- Susanville Brewery was founded in 1920 in Susanville, California, USA.
Drinking Susanville Brewery? Stamp it in your passport.
Discover it here — collect it in the Passport. Track every beer, earn stamps, and build your own beer passport.
Every brewery deserves its full story told.
If you're the owner or team behind Susanville Brewery, we'll build out your complete profile — history, the people, every beer — and feature you in a Tally's documentary. No cost, just your story.