Carl "Charles" Bierbauer was born in Einselthum, Pfalz, Bavaria. He was a master brewer, trained in Vienna and Munich. At age 30 he fled Bavaria for America after supporting an unsuccessful rebellion against the King. Following him were five of his six brothers.

They all settled in Oneida County, New York. In 1850 Charles, the oldest by 12 years, purchased Strom's brewery on Third Street in Utica and likely used it as training grounds for his siblings. Two years later he sold his stake to Peter Vidvard and built a new brewery on Edward Street.

Charles died on August 18th, 1885 at age 67 years. His brothers had long gone on to their own brewing careers but Charles's operation lived on under good management. Upon his death the firm was renamed the Columbia Brewery, then in 1888 it became the West End Brewery. The company was one of the few breweries to survive National Prohibition. In fact it exists to this day, more than 200 years after its founder's birth.