Auto City Brewing was founded in 1910 by the Chronowski Brothers. They were a Polish family that lived in Hamtramck, MI, which is a city within the confines of Detroit. The brewery was located at 8213-8221 McDougall Ave.
According to the book Brewed in Detroit, by Peter Blum, the Auto City Brewery was one of many breweries in the city caught illegally brewing during Prohibition. Blum said, “The Chronowski family owned, but leased to a relative when brewing became illegal. When the brewery was eventually raided, the Chronowskis were in the clear, but their front man had to serve time in Leavenworth.” Instead of making illegal beer, the brothers decided to make liquid malt for homebrewers in 1928.
The brewery did operate legally once again when Prohibition came to a close in 1933. The brewery was reopened in 1934 and made 75,000 barrels annually until 1937, when the local economy started to slip. The brewery ended up closing in 1941. The label for Auto City Bock Beer was created and used sometime between 1935-1941.
