Johann "John" Raible was born in Truchtelfiner, Kingman Wurtenburg, Germany.  He makes his first solid appearance in America in Prescott Arizona, where he is listed in the April 1864 Territorial Census as being an engineer, aged 30 years, single, and a newcomer like most people on the page, he having been in town for just one month. 

In June of 1864 Raible, Samuel E. Blair, and Daniel Hatz secured a contract to build Arizona's first Gubernatorial Mansion.  Materials were in short supply due to the Civil War.  They had to be imported and they were expensive.  Tenpenny nails cost $1.75 per pound (about $30 today).  Canvas was used for a time as a substitute for a roof.  The project also required guards to protect it from Navajo fighters who were being forcibly removed from their land.  The $4500 project went over budget by $1500.  Nonetheless, the building Raible & Co. built still stands in West Prescott as the Sharlot Hall Museum.  

The cost overruns sent Raible's construction firm into debt and they disbanded.  Raible, perhaps inspired by his hammering and sawing under the Arizona summer sun, opened a brewery saloon on South Montezuma Street.  He partnered with friend and fellow German emigre Philip Sheerer and they called their operation the Pacific Brewery.  They advertised that their first batch of "Good Lager Beer" was available on October 5th of 1867.

The year 1872 marked the departure of Philip Sheerer from the firm.  The following year John Raible married Miss Wilhelmine Wurth in New York City.   John took his new bride back to Prescott and reopened the Pacific.  He ran the brewery as a sole proprietor for the next six years.  His marriage, meanwhile, produced 3 children. 

In 1879 Raible's brother-in-law Charles Wurth took a partnership in the firm.  This partnership lasted until 1884 when Wurth left town to become a liquor agent in San Francisco.  Raible ran the Pacific alone until 1888 when, at age 55, he brought in another partner Mr. Waller.  The two ran the the firm for another two years before it closed for good in 1890.

John Raible died of dropsy on June 21st, 1899  He was 65 years of age.