The Licher Privatbrauerei Ihring-Melchior GmbH is a brewery in Lich, Germany. With 250 employees, the brewery is the largest private brewery located in Lich. "Licher Beer" has been market leader since 1988 in Hessen and is known to be one of the top 20 beers in the German beer market.Founding and beginningsJ.H. Ihring BrauereiIn 1854, brewer Johann Heinrich Ihring started the J.H. Ihring Brewery in Lich am Hardtberg. At this location there is a natural spring and a fermentation cellar for chilling the beer. Johann's father was known to provide the beer to the guests and residents of his guesthouse, which was called "Zum goldenen Löwen" ("The Golden Lion"). Since 1873, the steam-brewing process has been powered by a 6 HP motor. At the turn of the century, the company had brewed a total of 22,000 hectoliters. In 1911 the beer of the brewery was transported between locations with a single truck belonging to the brewery.Gambrinus-BreweryStarting in 1858, Christoph Jakob Melchior ran "Zum goldenen Stern" guesthouse in Butzbach with his self-brewed beer provided to the guests. Three years later construction of the private brewery began and shortly thereafter construction was begun on subsequent guesthouse to be called "Zum Gambrinus" featuring an outdoor gastronome. In 1896 Melchior died and his sons Hermann Melchior and the late Christoph Melchior took over the business. Starting in 1890, the boys had helped their father to seek new business further away through their communication with customers, three years later, the guesthouse was provided with electricity, leading to the installation of a refrigerator to be used in the brewing shortly after. At the turn of century this brewery had produced upwards of 27,000 hectoliters.