Archive record · Brewery
Washington Brewery (Grass Valley)
Grass Valley, California, California, USA
- Founded
- 1858
- Closed
- Year unknown
- Archive ID
- TB-34WSFR4M
- Last checked
- Not yet checked
Who owns this brewery?
The archive is still digging. That is a gap in the research, not a finding of independence.
Know who owns it? Tell us, and we will correct the record.
From the record
Summary
Grass Valley historical marker records Washington Brewery as founded in 1858 by John Frank and operating until Prohibition; the federal 1878-79 brewer list separately records John Frank as a Grass Valley brewer. A local walking-tour source notes some sources date construction to 1862, so the 1858/1862 discrepancy is retained.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
Founded in 1858 by John Frank — two years after he entered a brewery partnership with David Binkelmann — and it outlasted everything around it, running until Prohibition. The federal 1878–79 brewer list records Frank separately as a Grass Valley brewer, which is how the archive can say both partners ended up with businesses of their own. One caveat is kept rather than smoothed away: a local walking-tour source dates construction to 1862 rather than 1858, and that discrepancy stands in the record.
Where it brewed
- 114-116 East Main St, Grass Valley, CA 95945Grass Valley, California
PRODUCTION
Operated by Washington Brewery (Grass Valley)
Site detail
Grass Valley historical marker records Washington Brewery as founded in 1858 by John Frank and operating until Prohibition; the federal 1878-79 brewer list separately records John Frank as a Grass Valley brewer. A local walking-tour source notes some sources date construction to 1862, so the 1858/1862 discrepancy is retained.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1858Founded by John Frank
Some sources date construction to 1862; the discrepancy is retained.
- 1878In the federal brewer returns
John Frank listed separately from his former partner.
- 1920Operated until Prohibition
Per the Grass Valley historical marker.
Show your working
Sources
- recordProbable
Brewery record taken from Tally's California master, Pass 187, which cited https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=48672 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 reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-19Claim last checked 2026-08-19 - historyProbable
Dated evidence as recorded in California Pass 187: 1858, 1878, 1920.
Tally's California master, Pass 187 (research workbook) · Tally's Beer Universe research workbook · 2026
CommercialMedium reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-19Claim last checked 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 Washington Brewery (Grass Valley)
- Is Washington Brewery (Grass Valley) still open?
- No. Washington Brewery (Grass Valley) has closed. The archive has not established the year it stopped. Grass Valley historical marker records Washington Brewery as founded in 1858 by John Frank and operating until Prohibition; the federal 1878-79 brewer list separately records John Frank as a Grass Valley brewer. A local walking-tour source notes some sources date construction to 1862, so the 1858/1862 discrepancy is retained.
- When was Washington Brewery (Grass Valley) founded?
- Washington Brewery (Grass Valley) was founded in 1858 in Grass Valley, California, USA.
Drinking Washington Brewery (Grass Valley)? 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 Washington Brewery (Grass Valley), 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.
No payment affects this record — editorial policy