Washington Brewery (Grass Valley)
Grass Valley, California, USA · Est. 1858
Tally's Take
Why this matters
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.
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 reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-19Reviewed 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 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 Washington Brewery (Grass Valley)
- Is Washington Brewery (Grass Valley) still open?
- No. Washington Brewery (Grass Valley) has closed. California Pass 187. 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.
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