Georg Joseph “George” Dotterweich was born in Bavaria to a family of beer brewers. In 1851 he, his parents and brothers Konrad P. "Charles" and Jacob "Robert" Dotterweich emigrated to America. All three siblings established breweries in western New York towns.

George founded his brewery in Dunkirk in 1855. In 1857 his 23 year old half-brother Andrew Joseph Dotterweich, who had stayed behind in Bavaria to finish his studies, emigrated to America and joined George in the business. George ran the brewery until his death on April 8th, 1884, at which point Andrew Joseph took it over, renaming it the A. Dotterweich Brewing Co. The brewery closed with National Prohibition in 1920.

Andrew Joseph Dotterweich was born into a family of brewers in Steinsdorf, Bamberg, Bavaria. At age 23 he emigrated to America and joined his family in western New York. He moved in with his half-brother Georg Joseph “George” Dotterweich, who had three years earlier established a brewery in Dunkirk. George was his older brother by 13 years and took Andrew under his wing, providing him a place to live and showing him the ropes of the brewery business. Upon George's death in 1884 Andrew took over the company and ran it until his own death on June 17th, 1900. After his passing the family carried own the brewery as the A. Dotterweich Brewing Company. The firm was finally closed by National Prohibition in 1920.