The August Schell Brewing Company was established in 1860 in New Ulm, Minnesota. This was just a few years after the town had been established by German settlers, first from Chicago and then from Cincinnati.

The latter were members of the Turner Settlement Society, which sought a place for a German settlement on the frontier. They found it in a beautiful setting in southwestern Minnesota located where the Cottonwood River merges into the Minnesota River.

On its banks a thriving German community soon developed, but was almost destroyed during the 1862 Sioux Uprising, also known as the Dakota War.

Two years before this Uprising the Schell Brewery had been established and amazingly survived the conflict. Fortunately, it also survived another, more protracted conflict - the disastrous era of Prohibition.

The Brewery is located on a hillside south of New Ulm, nestled in the woods along the banks of the Cottonwood River.
Schell’s Mansion, a red brick home with white trim, graces the grounds of the brewery.

Leading up to it is a beautifully landscaped garden with a fountain, bridges and walkways. To the south of the garden is a deer park, complementing the forested surroundings of the brewery.

Schell’s Brewery produces several fine brews, but my favorite is FireBrick. According to the Brewery’s website, “FireBrick was introduced in 1999, and is named after the bricks that line Schell's old boilers.”It has “a mild, pleasant maltiness with subtle sweetness and a light hoppy finish.”

Recently, Schell’s Brewery has also taken on brewing another favorite Upper Midwest beer – Grain Belt Premium, which is a veritable “classic” in the region. Also, it has just brought out Grain Belt Nordeast, which honors a neighborhood in northeast Minneapolis.

For its 150th anniversary Schell’s has brought out its Hopfenmalz. According to the brewery, this “incorporates the elegant drinkability of a Pilsner, the bready maltiness of a Vienna Lager, and the hopping of a Pale Ale.

"The malty backbone is beautifully balanced by a bright, citrusy hop aroma and bitterness. Then we lagered it for an extended period of time to give it a crisp, dry finish.”

When traveling in the Upper Midwest, look for the fine brews of the Schell Brewing Company. They are some of the finest produced in the U.S. and testify to the 150 year-old brewing heritage of this company.

A good time to visit New Ulm this summer and try some of the fine brews from Schell’s would be for the Bavarian Blast , which takes place Friday-Sunday, 16-18 July.

And while you are there, stop in at Sven and Ole’s Book Store, where yours truly will be for a book signing of his various books dealing with German-American history and culture.

After that you can go to the Bavarian Blast and during your stay also visit the historic Hermann Monument overlooking the city and the river valley.

Yours truly,

Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann, Cincinnati

P.S. For information on the author’s latest book, German-Americana: Selected Essays, please click HERE