Bavarian Brewing Company, former brewery and historic brewery building in Covington, Kentucky, USA
Bavarian Brewing Company is a brewery building complex in Covington, Kentucky that began operations in 1866 and eventually expanded to cover about six and a half acres of land. The structures include a bottling plant, warehouse, stables for delivery wagons, and an icehouse, reflecting the industrial growth of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Founded in 1866 and renamed Bavarian in 1869, the company expanded significantly under William Riedlin's ownership beginning in 1882. During Prohibition from 1919 to 1935, it ceased beer production and shifted to soft drinks and ice, then resumed brewing after the ban was lifted.
The brewery was the social and economic center of Covington for decades, employing thousands of workers from the region. It shaped the city's identity as an industrial hub and remains remembered as a source of local pride.
The site is now part of the Kenton County Government Center and displays exhibits about the brewery's history with artifacts and photographs from its past. Visitors can walk through the buildings at their own pace to learn about the industrial heritage of the city.
By 1914 the facility was Kentucky's largest brewery producing about 216,000 barrels annually, but declined as competition from major national breweries intensified in the mid-1900s. The site reflects how local industries struggled to compete when larger corporations dominated the market.
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