Valentin Löwer (Valentine Loewer) was born in Leiselheim, Darmstadt, Prussia. He emigrated to this America at age 24 in 1860. He married his wife Kate (birth name unknown) in about 1865. She was thirteen years his senior. The marriage produced three children by 1870, when Kate was 47.

In 1868 Valentine established a weiss beer brewery in New York City, which in 1879 was converted into a lager beer brewery. The brewery was very successful and was enlarged several times during the latter quarter of the 19th century. Loewer gradually brought his sons, Jacob and George, into the brewery business with him. The former eventually assumed the position of secretary and the latter became treasurer of the company. Therefore they were well positioned to continue the brewery when Loewer died at age 68 in 1904.

The brothers indeed guided the brewery through prohibition and into the 1940s, all the while using their father's good name to sell their beer.