Otto Peter Vill was born in Erlenbach, Bavaria. He emigrated to America and settled in New Ulm, Minnesota in 1854. On August 18, 1862 he helped defend the town during the Sioux Uprising, a battle in which two of his young children died. After this he left and headed east to Minnesota City where he established a brewery in a quiet area along Rollingstone Creek.

He ran the small primitive brewery for over fifty years, from 1863 until his death on the 3rd of May, 1914. His sons continued the business until Prohibition permanently shut it down in January of 1920.