Thomas Hofer was born in Germany. His family brought him to America in 1863 and they settled in Jefferson County, New York. Hofer finished his studies in the town of Evans Mills. After completing his studies he farmed for a time with his brother-in-law in Redwood, New York then returned to Evans Mills to apprentice in a brewery.
His apprenticeship lasted about three years, after which he became a boatman on a ferry between Oswego and Ogdensburg on the St. Lawrence River. After a season on the water he obtained a position at the Bartholomay Brewery in Rochester, New York, and there he remained for about three years and a half.
In 1876 took his brewing skills west to St. Louis, Missouri to accepted a position in the Wainwright Brewery. In 1880 he was hired away by the William Lemp Brewery and in 1883 Wainwright hired him back again as brewmaster.
He worked in the Wainwright until 1888 when he was hired to oversee the construction and brewing operations at the Weckerling Brewery of New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1890 he left that firm to supervise the construction of the Jackson Brewery on Jackson Square, a firm in which he would also be the brewer. A year later he left that firm to organize the Home Brewery near the levee, a company in which he would have total control.
The Home Brewery building was an impressive four story building with adjoining stables large enough for scores of animals. It was capitalized to over $100,000, and had a capacity of 40,000 barrels annually. It employed the better part of a neighborhood. But unlike the brick and stone brewery on Jackson square, the Home was a frame structure and encompassed an entire city block.
The brewery opened in the last months of 1892 amid several lawsuits for bills not paid. There was an ominous classified ad in the Times-Picayune offering shares in the brewery for sale "cheap". But the brewery was delivering good beer and had even leased out its unneeded livery stalls to house the animals of neighboring businesses.
On the night of the first of June, 1893, just after Hofer and his senior crew had left the premises, a fire broke out in the Home Brewery feed house. Before the fire company could arrive a strong northwest wind carried the flames to the main brewery building. The loss was complete. The buildings were in ashes. The shiny new machinery was destroyed. The beer vats had exploded. Forty horses were dead. The $100,000 brewery was still heavily indebted and was insured for only $50,000.
Hofer left New Orleans broke. He went back up the river to St. Louis where he resumed work in the Wm. J. Lemp Brewery. He lived out the rest of his days in that city, and died on the 11th of August 1917 at 62 years of age.
