Heinrich "Henry" Bierbauer was born into a family of brewers in Einselthum, Pfalz, Bavaria. At age 20 Henry and five of his brothers emigrated to America. Charles, the oldest of the five, was escaping persecution in Bavaria for supporting a failed rebellion against the King.

The brothers settled in Oneida County New York where Charles started a Brewery. In the brewery was employed Peter Fauerbach.  Fauerbach's sister, Barbara, became enamored with Henry, and in 1850 the two were married.

Later that decade the newlywed Bierbauers and Peter Fauerbach moved to Dane County Wisconsin where Henry and Peter bought out Joseph Hausmann's New Lisbon Brewery. Peter stayed on until 1868 when he left to take over George Rockenbach's brewery in Madison. Henry continued the brewery as a sole proprietorship until his death on March, 18th 1902, after which time the firm was run by his estate.

By 1911 his estate was settled and the brewery continued to operate under new management (but the same name) until 1916. The firm was resurrected after Prohibition as the Christmann Brewing Company (1933), then the Million Brewing Co. (1937) and finally closed its doors for good in 1941.