Founding

Franz Sales Reisch was born in 1808 in Baden on the Rhine, at Niederhausen January 19, 1809.^[1] At the age of 17, he apprenticed at a brewery. Reisch emigrated to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1832.^[1] Unsatisfied with the water quality of New Orleans, Reisch moved to Cincinnati where he found there were already a large number of breweries. He headed south west on the Ohio River and north up the Mississippi. He caught the Illinois River and settled in Beardstown, IL where he worked as a cooper making wheels and wooden barrels. He eventually settled in rural Sangamon County near present day Pleasant Plains, IL. 39°51'11.2" N89°45'33.5"W. https://www.google.com/maps/place/39%C2%B051'11.2%22N+89%C2%B045'33.5%22W/@39.8437749,-89.7716019,15700m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d39.8531111!4d-89.7593056?entry=ttu

Finally settling in Springfield, Illinois in November 1833.^[1] Reisch bought a parcel of land on Kelley Branch in 1847 in Springfield, IL . He began selling beer in 1849.

Prohibition

The Reisch brewery operated until 1920 when it was forced to close because of Prohibition. It reopened in 1933 and stayed open until it shut its doors permanently in 1966. Reisch Charities resurrected the Reisch Gold Top Beer brand in March 2019 using the original recipe brewed by George Reisch and Patrick Reisch. Reisch Charities was founded November 2018 by board members George Reisch, Daryl Ponder, Vince Salvo, Jim Reisch, Jeff DeGeal and Roy Mayfield. All of the beer proceeds will be used for Springfield charities focusing on preserving Springfield heritage sites.^[2]