One hundred and fifty years ago, you could find hundreds of what we now call “craft brewers” in New York City. But this period of flourishing beer of rapid expansion was followed by one of consolidation, driven by new technologies in refrigeration, bottling and transportation, and by new regulations following Prohibition. Local beer producers could no longer compete with national enterprises such as Anheuser-Busch and Pabst; they either went out of business or were bought out by these national behemoths. By 1980, this consolidation had whittled the number of brewers nationwide to less than 100, and the last remaining breweries in New York City – the iconic brands Schaefer and Rheingold – had been shuttered.
Tour of the Brewhouse at Brooklyn Brewery
Over the next two decades, there were many abortive attempts to bring beer brewing back to the city, including New Amsterdam brewing, Zip City and Park Slope Brewery. The effort that finally took hold was Brooklyn Brewery, which started selling beer in 1989. Today you can enjoy a Brooklyn Lager, Blast, or Pennant Ale at the Brooklyn brewery on 79 N 11th St. in Williamsburg. Not only does that facility turn out a rotating selection of craft brews, but the tap room has helped revive the tradition of drinking directly from the brew house, just as German immigrants did more than a century ago. Other brewers have sprung up in New York in recent years. Six Point Craft Ales, Greenpoint Beer Works, and Chelsea Brewing Company are also making great beer in the Big Apple. In addition to breweries, beer bars that serve a wide variety of craft and locally produced brews have also been popping up around the city. Barcade in Williamsburg, Blind Tiger Ale House in the West Village, and Rattle & Hum in Midtown offer drinkers more on tap and in bottles than the tired national brands most of America’s bar patrons have become accustomed to.
The truth is that New York City is enjoying a craft beer renaissance. Not since before Prohibition have New Yorkers had such access to great craft beer from the city and surrounding region, not to mention the country. Count your blessings to have come of legal drinking age at a time like this, and with Brooklyn Lager as the 3rd-most requested tap in the city, there just isn’t any reason not to make every week Craft Beer Week.
For more on craft beer and its history in New York, please join us for a Brewed in Brooklyn Tour.
The truth is that New York City is enjoying a craft beer renaissance. Not since before Prohibition have New Yorkers had such access to great craft beer from the city and surrounding region, not to mention the country. Count your blessings to have come of legal drinking age at a time like this, and with Brooklyn Lager as the 3rd-most requested tap in the city, there just isn’t any reason not to make every week Craft Beer Week.
For more on craft beer and its history in New York, please join us for a Brewed in Brooklyn Tour.