Carl Beck was born in Germany. He emigrated to America in 1875 in order to work with his brother, who was leasing the Santa Cruz Brewery (colloquially known as the Vienna Brewery) on Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz, California.

In 1894 he struck out on his own and opened the Big Trees Brewery on Market Street in that city. When the Santa Cruz brewery on Soquel closed in 1906 he built a new brewery on Neary Street and took for it the name of the defunct firm, as well as some of its key employees.

He ran this brewery until it was closed by National Prohibition in January 16th, 1920. Beck was a lover of music. He was a talented violinist and an avid singer. It was while leading a chorus at the Arion hall on the 18th of October, 1932 that he had a stroke and died. He was 77 years of age.