Michael Brand was born in Gau-Odernheim, Rheinland-Pfalz,Germany. He had his primary education in his native land, after which he apprenticed in the Goldbeck Brewery in the city of Worms.

Upon completion of his apprenticeship he traveled extensively in France and Switzerland.  Germany, however, was in turmoil at this time and there became an uprising against the monarch.  Brand was a patriotic and politically-minded person and the struggle in his home country soon drew him back to Germany.  There he established a brewery in 1848.  But the revolution failed, and Brand fled Europe for America later that year.  

He arrived in America 

In 1878 he founded the Michael Brand Brewery in Chicago. The brewery would eventually become the United States Brewery. Brand died on October 26, 1897.

Johann Jacob Metzler was born in Bernkastel Germany. He is to be noted as serving for fifty years as a brewmaster culminating in his employ at the Michael Brand Brewing Co. of Chicago. It was thought at the time that he was the longest-employed brewmaster in the world. He died on December 23 1901 at the age of 72 years.