Hermann Obert was born in Karlsruhe, Germany. His family came to America in 1854, when Hermann was ten years old. They settled in Manayunk, a community in Philadelphia on the Schuylkill River.

Obert was put to work as a child in the cotton mills of Manayunk. In 1863 he got a position as a heater in the Pencoyd Rolling Mills, a firm in which he rose to the position of "Head Heater". It was here he met Peter P. Liebert, who was an engineer in a competing mill. Together they decided to enter the coal trade, and, seemingly on a whim, to start a brewery.

The brewery they started in Manayunk was so small they mashed the barley by hand, but demand grew so quickly the coal business was soon put on the back burner. The brewery continued to grow in popularity through the turn of the 20th century until it was finally closed down by National Prohibition in 1920. Hermann Obert died on the 25th of May, 1899 at age 55 years.

Peter Paul Liebert Sr. was born in Manayunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, son of Philadelphia Hotelkeeper John Liebert, who died when Peter was just ten years old. He worked in the cotton mills as a lad, eventually working up into the position of engineer. It was in this situation he met German immigrant Hermann Obert, who was also working in the cotton industry, and it was decided in 1873 to partner in the coal business. At about the same time they started a small hobby brewery in Manayunk. Both businesses were very fruitful. Demand spurred them to build a larger five-story brew house in 1885 and a larger cold storage house in 1887. Despite being in a city crowded with competition the brewery maintained its popularity until Prohibition forced its doors shut on the 16th of January, 1920. Peter Paul Liebert Sr. died of pneumonia on the 27th of February, 1915. He was fifty-five years old. The brewery would reopen after the repeal of Prohibition, only to close down for good in 1948.