In 1826, Justus Reinhold Schramm established the first Estonian brewery in the City of Tartu. The factory buildings were completed in 1898 and they have more or less been preserved up to the present day. At the same time, M. Friedrich established a joint-stock company called 'Actien-Gesellschaft der Bier- und Meth-Brauerei und Destillatur 'Tivoli.'' The plant had its own ships on Lakes Peipsi and Võrtsjärv, and its own railway carriages that transported goods to the departments in St. Petersburg, Pskov, Võru, Valga and Viljandi. The good quality of the 'Tivoli' products earned them gold medals at the 1903 and 1910 Liivimaa trade fairs. In 1913, 'Tivoli' was acquired by the company A.Le Coq & Co.

On 1 July 2003 the museum was opened in the malt tower of Tartu Brewery built in 1989. Over 300 exhibits in the museum tell us about beer-culture in Estonia and all over the world as well as about the history of A.Le Coq. The museum visit includes tasting the drinks and an excursion to the brewery if wished.