Albert Julius Heinrich Koster was born in Mecklenburg-Schweren, Germany. He arrived in San Francisco with the Gold Rush and in 1854 established a brewery in San Francisco on Clementina Street, west of Fourth. At age 48 he described himself as retired from the brewery business and used his wealth to purchase property in and around San Francisco. Albert Koster died on June 10th, 1879 at age 67 years. His firm, now called the Union Brewing Company, operated until 1916.