Andreas Betz was born in Bavaria. When he was 26 he came to America and settled in the German colony of New Ulm. It was there he met his wife, Maria Anna Friton. Her brother Augustus Friton was an energetic young man six years his Junior. In the late 1850s he and Andreas partnered to establish what is said to be the first brewery in New Ulm. Selling beer to Germans was a sound business plan and in 1870 they cashed out, selling the firm and accompanying bowling alley to Joseph Schmucker who ran it until 1909. Betz moved west up the Minnesota river to Beaver Falls, Minnesota where he established another brewery in 1874. He ran that brewery until 1888. He died September 11th 1918 at age 92 years.

Augustus Johan Friton was born in Ellwangen a. d. Jagst, Germany. His family emigrated to the United States in the late 1840s and settled in the nascent German colony of New Ulm, Minnesota. In the late 1850s Friton partnered with his new brother-in-law Andreas Betz to form the first brewery in that village. The business of selling beer to Germans was apparently good, and in 1870 they sold the firm to Joseph Schmucker who ran it for another 39 years. Friton, at age 38, took the proceeds from his brewery and retired. He died on June 20th of 1892 at 60 years of age.