Sixth Generation
Koch is the sixth-generation oldest son in a row to be a brewer. Born in 1949, Koch grew up in Cincinnati, where his father was a brew master. The domestic beer business had been decimated by Prohibition, a period from 1920 to 1933 when theU.S. outlawed the production and sale of alcoholic beverages.Grain rationing in World War II then steered public tastes away from richer-flavored small batch beers to lighter-styled brands such as Budweiser and Coors.
The emergence of national television advertising and ease of transport allowed the major beer makers to dominate the market. Seeing no chance to be a brew master, Koch decided to pursue a different career.
After attending Harvard University for undergraduate and graduate school, Koch went to work for Boston Consulting Group in 1979, advising pulp and steel mills on manufacturing processes. When he decided he wanted to pursue his passion for beer, there were about a dozen craft brewers in the country,Koch said.