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Capital Brewery was founded on March 14, 1984. Located in a former egg processing plant building, Capital Brewery produced its first brew in the spring of 1986. Much of the brewing equipment currently used in the brewery, including the two copper brewing kettles, came from the Hoxter Brewery in Germany. At the heart of the operation is an excellent refrigeration system that enables the brewery to produce extremely high quality lager beers, prompting many to refer to Capital Brewery as the finest lager brewery in America. This opinion is supported by the fact that Capital Brewery was named the #1 Brewery in America at the 1998 Beverage Testing Institute's World Beer Championships in Chicago, IL. Kirby Nelson, our Brewmaster, has been with Capital Brewery since February 1986. His first position was as Assistant Brewmaster. Since September 1987, Kirby has been Brewmaster and has made his name synonymous with fine lager beers. Currently, Capital Brewery produces 15 beers; seven Annuals, four Seasonals, and four Limited Releases. All beers, with the exception of Kloster Weizen, Weizen Doppelbock and Capital 1900, are produced under the strict "Reinheitsgebot." These are the German beer production purity laws, which date back to the 1500s. Over the years, Capital Brewery has gained national and worldwide attention by having won several platinum and gold, silver, and bronze awards at several beer competitions. Some of these contests have been the Great American Beer Festival, Chicago Beer Society Tastings, and the Great Taste of the Midwest. The most prominent award was at the Beverage Testing Institute's World Beer Championships. It was here that the Blonde Doppelbock was awarded platinum not once, but three times in the past 8 years and the brewery was rated #1 in the U.S. and #7 in the world. The brewery also houses a Gift Haus, a Bier Stube, and an outdoor Bier Garten. In the Gift Haus, one can find high quality clothing, fine German Crystal drinkware, and our world-class beers. The Bier Stube is a cozy room used for sampling our beer after a tour of the brewery and for private parties (available to anyone). The Bier Garten is a comfortable setting to get together with friends and family for conversation and camaraderie. During the summer, it is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. There are many other family events taking place here during the spring, summer, and autumn. Capital Brewery is a publicly held company that currently produces approximately 17,000 barrels annually and has distribution in four Midwestern states.