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Photo by Chris Naffziger
The former Cherokee Brewery, now Earthbound Beer.
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Photo by Chris Naffziger
The refurbished building.
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Photo by Chris Naffziger
The interior of the refurbished building.
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Photo by Chris Naffziger
Norbert Loebs, Roger Kutschkau and Tim Kutschkau in front of Earthbound Beer.
Almost two years since I first climbed down a ladder with Stuart Keating of Earthbound Beer into pitch blackness under the streets of South City, the long-awaited opening of the old Cherokee Brewery stock house has arrived. The grand opening, including the “soft opening” the night before, saw lines out the doors. Earthbound Beer, made up of principals Keating, Rebecca Schranz, and Jeff Siddons, can now almost certainly claim to be brewing beer in the oldest brewery building in St. Louis, as the first floor and cellars of the stock house date to before 1875.
Now that this amazing milestone has been reached, I sat down with the descendants of George Loebs, one of two German-American businessmen (along with Ferdinand Herold) who purchased the newly built Cherokee Brewery from the Meier Brothers. Norbert Loebs, who is the great-grandson of George Loebs, has been researching his ancestor’s brewery for 15 years, and provided me with memories, photographs, and building permit records which shed light on the history of the Cherokee Brewery. Norbert’s son-in-law, Roger Kutschkau, who married daughter Lisa Loebs, and their son, Tim Kutschkau, joined us while discussing brewery and family history. Norbert retired from Emerson Electric 21 years ago, and now lives in Chesterfield. St. Louis County Library’s main branch and the Recorder of Deeds office at St. Louis City Hall have proven invaluable in Norbert’s research of his ancestor’s business. Interestingly, Norbert’s family never talked about the brewery when he was young. But he does remember there was a four-sided clock on a pole at the intersection of Cherokee and Iowa with the Loebs' name on it. That clock has since vanished.
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Postcard of the Herold & Loebs Cherokee Brewery #23. Courtesy of Norbert Loebs.
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Photograph of Cherokee Brewery from 1885-1890. Courtesy of Norbert Loebs
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George Loebs & Ferdinand Herold. Courtesy of Norbert Loebs.
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George Loebs. Courtesy of Norbert Loebs.
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Postcard for Cherokee Brewery after Herold Buyout. Courtesy of Norbert Loebs.
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Invoice Addressed to George Loebs. Courtesy of Norbert Loebs
Like many of his colleagues, George Loebs was Lutheran, arriving in America and living on the South Side near the German-American breweries that were increasingly taking advantage of the old limestone quarries, sinkholes, and caves (when augmented with river ice) that provided a stable temperature to lager beer in the manner of their homeland. He lived down Ohio Street, near Zion Lutheran Church, within walking distance of the brewery. Interestingly, Loebs did not leave the Cherokee Brewery due to declining sales, quarrels with Herold or a hostile takeover; rather, it was because his wife, Maria Magdalena Schmidt Loebs, insisted he withdraw from the “sinful” business of brewing beer. But Loebs’s story continues: he relocated to Wittenberg, Missouri, where he helped grow the Lutheran town. Sadly, the town was destroyed by repeated flooding, but Norbert says there are still interesting ruins to be seen. “It’s fascinating to go there," says Roger Kutschkau, "because it’s completely abandoned but you’re still able to see the brewery and the cellar."
Back to Cherokee Street, new insights can be gained from photos and building permits for Earthbound’s location. As suspected, the stock house received its upper stories in 1890 for a cost of $12,000, its first floor and cellars being finished before 1875. In an old photograph, we see the old brew house with its pitched roof, which would later be expanded with the addition of a flat roof after 1875; unfortunately, its building permit does not survive. But also of interest, the two-story refrigerator house has a building permit record; it was completed in 1885 at a cost of $3,000. As mentioned in earlier articles, the brew house and refrigerator house were demolished for the current 2720 Cherokee Building, a former home of Dau Furniture. When the stock house was sandblasted and tuckpointed, the words “Dau” can now be seen high up, almost to the roof, on the stock house’s western side.
The stock house has seen a beautiful, inventive and sensitive renovation, and was designed by architect Nathan Dirnberger. In fact, the first floor, where the tasting room is located, is barely recognizable from its time as a corner store. The giant plaster drop ceiling and walls have been removed, revealing windows from the old brew house on the east, and the former saloon on the west. A mezzanine, hanging by giant chains, provides a view down to the floor below. Regulars will recognize many of the old stools and tables from the former space, but they’ve been joined by a new bar made from reclaimed wood and vintage school cafeteria chairs. Most importantly, the original portals on the front of the stock house have been restored to their original appearance, based on old photographs.
The Loebs family approve of the renovation of their ancestor’s building. Tim Kutschkau, who would be the great-great-great grandson of George Loebs, remarks, “they did such a great job restoring it. I think it’s absolutely incredible. It started with graffiti on the walls [outside] and they kept the historical part of the building.”
“To me, it’s really cool," Roger Kutschkau adds. "We didn’t have anything [this] exciting in our family. I’m excited because Norbert is excited. My family owned a bar in Nebraska. Then to meet the Loebs, it’s fascinating. And I like beer. We see buildings get torn down right and left, and it blew me away that Stuart [Keating] wanted to renovate this building. It just blows me away they had so much respect for the history.”
“When we started this project we didn't realize how much it would come to define us as a business or as individuals," Keating says. "After two years and countless strange, laborious and occasionally terrifying ordeals, we are overwhelmed and humbled by how well our efforts have been received. It's immensely rewarding to watch people's faces light up the first time they walk through those big doors.”
Chris Naffziger writes about architecture at St. Louis Patina. Contact him via email at naffziger@gmail.com.
Read our prior coverage of Earthbound Beer here.
The author is always interested in hearing from descendants of historic brewers or any industry in St. Louis. No story is too short or too small.
