Christoph Kusterer was born in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He had eight years' brewing experience under his belt when he emigrated to America in 1845. He first stayed in Ann Arbor, Michigan for two years. Then in 1847 he and William (maybe John) Parmell partnered in the brewery in Grand Rapids.  When Parmell left for the gold fields of California in 1849, the 26 year-old Kusterer continued the business as sole proprietor.  He ran the brewery as such for over thirty years.

At 9:00 pm on the 16th of October 1880 Kusterer, now aged 57, boarded the side-wheel steamer Alpena in Grand Haven, Michigan for its 100 mile journey across Lake Michigan to Chicago.  Over night the ship encountered a heavy gale and sank, killing everyone on board.

Although the brewery Kusterer had built up from scratch was unexpectedly without a president, the brewer had earned enough reputation for good beer in Grand Rapids that the brewery continued under his name for another 13 years. It was sold and renamed the Grand Rapids Brewing Co. in 1893.  The firm survived prohibition and World War Two, and finally closed down in 1951, after being run as a branch of the Fox Deluxe Corporation for 11 years.

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