Johann Jakob (Jacob) Schroth was born in Lützenhardt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In about 1850 he and his brother Johann Ulrich Schroth emigrated to America with their young families. They settled in Monroe County, New York. The brothers were brewers and in around 1857 they set up a stand for that purpose in the city of Rochester. When Johann Ulrich died in June of 1867 Johann Jakob continued to operate the firm as sole proprietor until he retired in 1872. Johann Jakob Schroth died on the 15th of January, 1879 at the age of 47 years. His brewery, now owned by Matthias Kirst, had just closed the year before.

Johann Ulrich Schroth was the younger of two brothers born in Lützenhardt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The brothers were brewers by trade and separated in age by one year. They emigrated to America in around 1850 and settled in Rochester, New York. Sometime in the middle of that decade they established a brewery on St. Joseph Street. Together the brothers operated the brewery until Johann Ulrich's death in June of 1867 at the age of 54 years. After this older brother Johann Jacob ran the brewery alone. The brewery closed in 1877. Johann Jacob Schroth died the following year.