Pre-Prohibition, Sacramento was the West Coast Beer Capitol. California’s first brewers knew Sacramento was an ideal place to brew beer. There was fresh mountain water and rich hops & barley that thrived in the valley. At its pre-Prohibition peak, downtown Sacramento hosted no fewer than 7 breweries. The city’s largest, and in fact the largest west of the Mississippi, was the Buffalo Brewery (founded ca.1874) located where the Sacramento Bee currently stands. Its co-founder was Swiss Captain Frank Ruhstaller who emigrated to Sacramento in 1865. Having successfully established Buffalo Brewery, the Captain looked to make his mark. He knew Sacramento was uniquely positioned to produce a great beer thus, in 1881, was born Ruhstaller–Sacramento’s first premium beer.