What does STEVENS POINT BREWERY Own?

Stevens Point Brewery, also known simply as Point Beer, is one of the oldest continually operating breweries in the United States. It was founded in 1857 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin by George Ruder and Frank Wahle. In 1867 it was sold to Andrew and Jacob Lutz, who operated it for the next 30 years until it was sold to Gustav Kuenzel in 1897. Kuenzel renamed the brewery the Gustav Kuenzel Brewing Company in 1901, but changed it again to Stevens Point Brewing Company in 1902.

In 1924, Ludwig Korfman gained a controlling interest in the enterprise, renaming it to Stevens Point Beverage Company, and in 1972 it became owned by Felix and Ken Shibilski, who had both worked at the brewery for decades. Despite its long history, the beer had never been sold out of state, except for a brief stint shipping beer to the Union army during the Civil War. That changed in 1990, when the company finally began distributing to Illinois.

In 1992, they sold the business to Barton Beers, who were the local distributor for Corona. As Corona became more popular, focus on Point dwindled, and in 2002 they sold the company to real estate investors Joe Martino and Jim Wiechmann. Wiechmann originally wanted to purchase a distributorship or a chain of liquor stores, but found the brewery opportunity more compelling. The pair invest significantly in upgrading the facilities, including a $2 million brewery overhaul in 2006, and another $2.5 million expansion of capacity and equipment in 2020.

In 2009, the company added the Whole Hog brand of specialty beers to their portfolio, which was followed by Ciderboys Cider in 2012.

• CIDERBOYS CIDER
• POINT BEER BREWERY
• WHOLE HOG BEER