Daniel Bermes was born in Hesse-Darmstadt.  His father was Charles Bermes, one of the wealthiest brewers in Germany.  Daniel emigrated to America in 1852 and established a brewery in Union Hill New Jersey later that year.  Several years later he moved to the other side of the street and renamed his firm the Boulevard Brewery.  In 1872 Bermes rebuilt his brewery to become the largest lager beer manufacturer in New Jersey.

It was a family business.  Daniel's wife Dorothea shared much of the day-to-day responsibilities in the early days.  In the 1880s their daughters married brewery employees, and their grandchildren became a third generation of Bermes brewery management. 

On March 23rd 1882 the New York Times printed the stark notice: "Daniel Bermes, a wealthy Union Hill brewer, has become insane".  He had been taken to a State asylum in Morris Plains.  It is not known for how long, but the illness was serious enough to remove the brewery's patriarch from major responsibilities.  It was at this point that Dorothea took over management and Bermes's nephew Louis Bermes was elevated to partner.

Then in April of 1884 Louis was reported missing.  His family told police they feared his body would be found in the river, yet they gave no specific reason for this fear to the press.  On May 8th authorities did find his body on Penn Horn Creek.   The death was ruled a suicide.

Despite the death of her partner and her husband's incapacitation Dorothea persevered.  The business continued to be a major east-coast beer maker for the next three decades.

On June 18th 1898 Daniel Bermes died at the age of 74 years.  Dorothea died less than five years later, on December 5th, 1903.  She had managed the brewery right up until the time of her death.  Her grandsons continued the brewery until January 16, 1920, when it was shut down by National Prohibition.