While growing up in Wisconsin, George Wittkopp came to think of Bratwurst as a normal part of life. Bratwurst, or "German sausage" was great served as a breakfast sausage or grilled as a barbecue sausage.

However, upon migrating to Oregon in 1977, George discovered that the unmatched dining experience of real, genuine Bratwurst was unavailable in the Pacific Northwest, so he set about recreating that very special Bratwurst he remembered. Years of effort and experimenting with old family recipes were finally crowned with success. He named his creation 'Altengartz' ^® Bratwurst after the German town which was the ancestral home of the Wittkopp family.