John Piemeisl was born in Harischen, Bohemia. In 1867 he emigrated to America aboard the ship Carlshaven, landing in Baltimore harbor. Piemeisl made his way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He stayed a short time before moving west to Minnesota. His first stop was Jordan, in Scott County, where he worked in Fred Heiland's brewery. Next he moved down the river to the German colony of New Ulm, in Brown County. There he purchased the defunct brewery owned by Johann Baptist Karl in 1887. Piemeisl operated that concern until about 1890 when he decided to go back north to Scott County to the Bohemian colony of New Prague. The New Prague brewery was floundering and looking for investors. Piemeisl stepped up and by 1898 he had become controlling partner in the firm. John Piemeisl died on the second of March, 1901 at 54 years. His brewery in continued to slake the thirst of New Praguers until National Prohibition forced it to close its doors on January 17th, 1920.