Background
Frederick Pabst was born at Nicholausreith, in Saxony, Germany on the 28th of March 1836. In 1848 he emigrated with his parents to Chicago.
Frederick Pabst was born at Nicholausreith, in Saxony, Germany on the 28th of March 1836. In 1848 he emigrated with his parents to Chicago.
In Chicago, he became, first a waiter in an hotel, then a cabin-boy on a Lake Michigan steamer, and eventually captain of one of these vessels. In this last capacity he made the acquaintance of a German, Philip Best, the owner of a small but prosperous brewery at Milwaukee, and married his daughter.
In 1862 Pabst was taken into partnership in his father-in-law's brewery, and set himself to work to study the details of the business.
After obtaining a thorough mastery of the art of brewing, Pabst turned his attention to extending the market for the beer, and before long had raised the output of the Best brewery to 100, 000 barrels a year. The brewery was eventually converted into a public company, and its capital repeatedly increased in order to cope with the continually increasing trade.
Frederick Pabst would come to own the largest brewery in America, marketing beer in every state and around the world. With his brewing profits, Pabst left his mark on the city of Milwaukee, investing in real estate projects like the Whitefish Bay Pleasure Resort and the Pabst Theater and making financial contributions to welfare, education and arts organizations.
Pabst married Best's daughter, Maria, on March 25, 1862. They had 10 children.
