Stevens Point Brewery

Lore & Background

The brewery was founded in 1857 by George Ruder and Frank Wahle. During the American Civil War, in 1864, the company provided its beer to troops. The brewery was sold to Andrew and Jacob Lutz in 1867, and the Lutz family operated it until 1897, when it was sold to Gustav Kuenzel. In 1901 the company was organized as the Gustav Kuenzel Brewing Company, and the following year it was renamed the Stevens Point Brewing Company. Ludwig Korfman purchased a controlling interest in 1924 and reorganized it as the Stevens Point Beverage Company. The brewery faced local competition from the mid-1860s through Prohibition, when the remaining competition went out of business. In 1973, Point Special brand beer was rated the top American beer in a taste test reported by columnist Mike Royko. In 1990 the company first sold its product outside Wisconsin, in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota. In 1992 the Shibilskis sold the company to Chicago-based Barton Beers Ltd., for which Point beer was its only domestic product line. Barton planned to tie sales to its Mexican brand Corona, but when Corona's sales exploded, the Point brand became a distraction. In 2002 the company was sold back to Wisconsin ownership by Milwaukee-based real estate developers Joe Martino and Jim Wiechmann. That same year, the company introduced gourmet sodas. In 2003, Point Special won the gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in the premium lager category. In 2005 the company bought four beer brands from the James Page Brewing Company. By 2008, its products were distributed to 18 states. For nearly 20 years the company brewed and bottled Karl Strauss Brewing Company brands until production was moved in January 2009. The brewery expanded its annual capacity to 100,000 barrels in 2011 and to 150,000 barrels in 2013.

Reader's Guide

Stevens Point Brewery's significance lies in its longevity and its role as a regional brewer that has adapted through ownership changes and market shifts. Founded in 1857, it is one of the oldest continuously operating breweries in the United States and the third-oldest privately owned. Its Point Special brand gained national attention in 1973 when it was rated the top American beer in a taste test reported by a prominent Chicago columnist. The brewery has won multiple awards at the Great American Beer Festival, including a gold medal for Point Special in 2003 and several medals for Point Amber Classic and Point 2012 Black Ale. The company's history includes a period of ownership by Barton Beers Ltd., which used Point as its only domestic brand alongside imports, and a subsequent return to Wisconsin ownership in 2002. The brewery expanded its distribution to 18 states by 2008 and increased its capacity to 150,000 barrels by 2013. As of 2025, it ranks as the 23rd-largest craft brewer and 35th-largest overall brewer in the United States. Its portfolio includes a wide range of beers, gourmet sodas, and brands acquired from James Page Brewing Company, as well as the Ciderboys hard cider line and Baraboo Brewing Company beers produced for Hy-Vee supermarkets.

Did You Know?

• The brewery provided beer to troops during the American Civil War in 1864.
• Point Special was rated the top American beer in a 1973 taste test reported by columnist Mike Royko.
• The brewery was owned by Chicago-based Barton Beers Ltd. from 1992 to 2002, during which Point was its only domestic product.
• Stevens Point Brewery expanded its annual capacity to 150,000 barrels in 2013.