Jacob Beihl Was born in Reihnprensen, Germany to Michael and Barbara (Singer) Biehl, a farming family. He and his siblings emigrated to America in 1881 and settled in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. where he found work in a "leading" brewery.

In 1890 Biehl partnered with Louis Roehel to lease the Bavarian Brewery owned by Joseph Hewel in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. Biehl sold his partnership in that brewery in 1895 and purchased the brewery in Altoona owned by George A. W. Arnholdt. This became the American Brewery and Biehl operated it under that name until V. A. Oswald purchased it in 1900. In that year Biehl became president of the National Brewing Company of Steelton. The following year he opened the massive Union Brewery in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and operated it until ill health forced him to retire from both firms in August of 1908.

Jacob Beihl died of heart disease aggravated by diabetes on the 29th of March, 1912 at age 55 years.