This collection consists of materials collected and created by Herman W. Ronnenberg throughout his professional life as a historian, teacher, and author, between the years of 1962-2014. The bulk of materials are subject files pertaining to various beer, alcohol, and other topics, as well as manscript drafts for several of Ronnenberg's publications.

Subject files in this collection pertain primarily to brewers and breweries, but also include a few other subjects, such as archaeology, Native American history, American history, Idahoan history, European and Asian brewing history, and environmental issues. Materials consist mostly of photocopied materials from historic newspapers, but also include photographs, slides, printouts of genealogical website searches, and ephemera collected from brewery visits. The earliest dated materials in the collection are photocopies of newspapers from the 19th and early 20th century.

The manuscript materials contain various drafts of books written by Ronnenberg and research materials used in researching for his books. Manuscripts represented in the collection include Material Culture of Breweries, Beer and Brewing in the inland Northwest, 1850- to 1950, The Beer Baron of Boise: the life of John Lemp, millionaire brewer of frontier Idaho, The disciples of Gambrinus volumes I and II, History of the brewing industry in Idaho, 1862-1969, Jeanette Manuel: the life and legend of the belle of fabulous Florence, and Pioneer mother on the River of No Return: the life of Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie.

Other materials in the collection consist of articles he wrote, book reviews, various correspondence (both professional and personal), research notes, The Brewery business records, lecture and class notes from his time as a student and a professor, as well as some materials from his time as a teacher and basketball coach.