Biography

"Jacob Gimlich, born in Weisenheim, Bavaria, October 4, 1845, married Louisa Ellen, daughter of the late William Feige of Pittsfield...Soon after coming to Pittsfield with his father, Mr. Gimlich entered the Taconic woolen mill and learned designing, and was offered a good position in that department. He preferred, however, to enter into business with his brother-in-law, John White, and the two purchased a small brewery in which they began operations on a small scale, and now they are owners of a mammoth establishment two hundred feet long, operated under the corporate title of Berkshire Brewing Association with a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars, and a capacity of seventy thousand barrels with a gratifying yearly increase of output."

Source: Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Page 282

According to Images of America Pittsfield, by Susan Eisley, Published 2001 Arcadia Publishing, page 64, "The Berkshire Brewing Association, c. 1905. Two German immigrants, Jacob Gimlich and John White, purchased a small brewery in Pittsfield in 1868. Under their guidance the business grew to produce 325 barrels of beer each day. Incorporated in 1892 under the name Berkshire Brewing Association, the brewery shipped its product all over the United States. Prohibition put it out of business in 1919."

NOTE: Some of the products produced by Berkshire Brewing Association include: Mannheimer Lager Beer, Berkshire Pure Malt Extract, Lenox Half Stock Ale, and Berkshire Pale Ale.