Mayfield Brewery
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 1868 in Mayfield, California, United States |
| Founder | Michel Kleinclaus |
| Defunct | 1920 |
| Fate | Closed due to Prohibition |
| Headquarters | Mayfield (now part of Palo Alto), California , United States |
| Products | Steam beer |
The Mayfield Brewery, also referred to as the Mayfield Railroad Brewery, was active in Mayfield, California for more than five decades, from 1868 until 1920. Situated at what is now the intersection of California Avenue and Birch Street in Palo Alto, California, this establishment specialized in producing steam beer and supplied kegs to nearby taverns. Its operations ended as a result of Prohibition.
Kleinclaus's brewery
Established in 1868 by Michel Kleinclaus in Mayfield, California—which was later incorporated into Palo Alto—the brewery initially operated near the junction of Third and Lincoln Streets (present-day California Ave. and Park Blvd.). It later moved to the corner of Second and Lincoln (now California Ave. and Birch St.). The original facility covered an area of , with an annual production capacity of approximately one thousand barrels.
Eventually, the company removed "Railroad" from its title, becoming known simply as The Mayfield Brewery. Along with other local businesses such as a blacksmith and a livery stable, the brewery played a role in establishing Mayfield as a center where alcohol was readily accessible.
Christopher Ducker's brewery
In 1871, Christopher Ducker, a merchant and saloon owner from the area, acquired the brewery from Kleinclaus. Ducker emerged as an influential figure in Mayfield and was appointed to its inaugural board of trustees in 1903. During his tenure, Mayfield encountered pressure to prohibit alcohol sales, unlike its neighbor Palo Alto, which thrived as a dry university town after banning saloons in 1886. Despite the 1904 decision by Mayfield’s board to adopt prohibition—with Ducker standing as the only opposing vote—the brewery received a special wholesale permit allowing it to continue operations.
Ducker oversaw the brewery's management and occasionally collaborated with Leonard Distel until his retirement in 1906, when ownership transferred to Ernest Klevesahl. By 2005, the brewery premises had been converted into a salon, which was later subdivided in 2015 to accommodate a wine bar alongside it.