Breweries of New York:

A look at how the cultural and industrial development of the brewing industry influenced brewery architecture in New York City

George Ringler & Co. Beer Bottles, c. 1897 (Image courtesy of "Colored Illustration Hand book showing the main departments of our large brewing plant.” Geo. Ringler and Co. Brewers, New York Historical Society)

Alison LaFever American Architecture I Faculty: Andrew Dolkart November 24, 2010

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The art and science of brewing beer has been part of the American cultural identity since the

Colonial Era. The evolution of the brewing industry in the United States parallels the evolution of

the country itself, in many ways being shaped by the same innovations, events, and cultural

influences that have shaped the development of this country. And as the beer industry progressed to

become one of the nation’s leading industries, the design of the buildings that housed that industry

also evolved to accommodate the changing brewing technologies. From the late 17th to the early 19th

century, beer was brewed in small batches in private residences or in small craftsman shops. By the

end of the 19th century, beer brewing had become a major industry and the brewery had evolved into

a commanding structure that employed hundreds and was capable of producing thousands of barrels

of beer. The brewery had evolved into a specific industrial building type that incorporated stylistic

design trends and was in many cases designed by well-known architects, several of whom

specialized in brewery design.1

This evolution was particularly evident in New York City. Historically, it was considered

the capital of the brewing industry from its foundation as a Dutch settlement in the 17th century

through the early 20th century, producing more barrels of beer per year than any other city.2 Beer

brewing was not only a big business in New York City, but it was also significantly part of the city’s

culture. The evolution of brewery architecture in New York City was directly influenced by

developing brewing and building technology and the cultural impact of German immigrants who

changed the cultural landscape of the city of New York and revolutionized the brewing industry.

While this evolution is not unique to New York City, but rather is related to the greater context of

the development of the brewing industry and brewery architecture in America, it can be most vividly

illustrated by looking at the breweries of New York City due to the long history of the brewing in the

city and the considerable number of breweries that were located there during this period.

                                                            1Susan K. Appel, “Brewery Architecture in America From the Civil War to Prohibition,” The Midwest In American Architecture. Ed. John S. Garner. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1991) p. 186. 2 Martin Stack, “Local and Regional Breweries in America’s Brewing Industry, 1865 to 1920.” The Business History Review, Vol 74. (Autumn 2000) p. 463.  (Accessed: 21 November 2010) 

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As an industrial building, the evolution of the brewery is related to the development of

industrial architecture in a broader context. The design of industrial buildings had early on been

commonly attributed to a varied combination of carpenters, craftsman, and industrialists, rather than

engineers and architects. And while even the earliest of industrial buildings have not been void of all

ornament, rather they occasionally have employed a limited number of elements to evoke an

architectural style, the design of industrial buildings has largely expressed stability and function over

lavish decoration and were for the most part simple vernacular structures.3 Industrial buildings have

historically shared common forms but as technology of the various industries and building

techniques have changed, distinctive building forms have eventually developed that reflect the

particular needs and purposes of the industries they serve. Such is the case with the brewery.

However breweries did not develop their own unique style until the end of the 19th century.4 During

the colonial period, because the scale of the individual brewery works was pretty small, the design of

the colonial brewery for the most part was typically not any different from the everyday architecture

of the period. In rare cases, the building may have been specifically shaped in part by the needs of

the brewing process with interior equipment arranged to facilitate a horizontally oriented, semi-

gravitational flow of the developing brew.5 However, more often than not, the early brewery was

small and simple in its layout, whose form was dictated purely by the materials used and the design

aesthetic of the time.

It has been claimed that the first beer in the colonies was brewed in New Amsterdam. The

Dutch, who were “even more partial to beer than the English” discovered early on that beer could be

brewed using local ingredients, including wild hops, before traditional ingredients could be grown.6

Early brewing in the Dutch colonies was conducted in the home by many small family-run

                                                            3Betsy Hunter Bradley, The Works: The Industrial Architecture of the United States. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999) p. 202. 4 Appel, p. 205.  5 Appel, p. 187. 6 Stanley Baron.  Brewed In America: A History of Beer and Ale in the United States.  (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1962) p. 20. 

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operations, but by 1632 the first commercial brewery was established in New Amsterdam by the

Dutch West India Company.7 The brewery was located on what came to be known as

Brouwerstraat or “Brewers Street” (now Stone Street) in what is now lower Manhattan, so named

for the numerous breweries that were located there in the early years of the settlement. Beer was

largely produced there then sold in one of several local taverns located throughout the town that the

brewery controlled. Brewing immediately became an important industry in the colony and beer

became an integral part of the culture, as more and more breweries and taverns were established.

The fact that many early Dutch brewers went on to become important political figures was proof

that the brewing industry was a significant business early on in New York.8 A map from 1660 shows

the proliferation of the brewers and taverns throughout the town, particularly along Brewers Street,

setting an early precedent for the brewing mecca New York was to become. [See Image 1]

By the time the settlement was turned over to the British in 1664, New Amsterdam had

evolved into the first real cosmopolitan city in the New World with a population of 1,600.9 The

local brewing industry continued to expand throughout the city during the 18th and early 19th

century. Between 1695 and 1796, 20 new breweries were established in New York City, many of

which were located on Brewer’s Street, unfortunately few of these operations lasted beyond the turn

of the 19th century.10 The addition of English-style ales to the market further diversified the

continually evolving industry. English techniques and top floating yeast were primarily used to

produce beer, ale, and porter, all of which were wildly sold in local markets and taverns. The

English style beers did not require cooling and were consumed at room temperatures.11 Although

beer styles were beginning to evolve, both the brewery form and the brewing process remained

                                                            7 Baron, p. 20. 8 Baron, p. 22. 9 Baron, p. 22 10 Baron, p.68. 11 Kenneth Jackson, Ed. Encyclopedia of New York.  (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995). “Brewing and Distilling” p. 136. 

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relatively unchanged and generally small and simple in layout.12 It wasn’t until the lager brewing

process was introduced by German immigrants in the 1840’s, drastically changing the entire brewing

industry, when the basic design of the brewery began to evolve dramatically, in order to reflect first

the functionality of the brewing spaces, and later cultural, social, and economic identities.

Just as the introduction of porter changed the history of English brewing, the same effect was

produced in the United States with the appearance of lager beer. Lager comes from the German

word "to store."13 Lager beer is brewed with a yeast that is fermented at the bottom of the vat at

colder temperatures, and then “lagered,” or stored, at a cool temperatures for a long period of time.

Lagering yeasts were first introduced in the United States in 1842 by a Bavarian brewmaster named

John Wagner.14 Lager beer was regarded for a very long time as something very new and different,

and its immense popularity amongst the American public did not arise right away. However, the

tidal wave of German immigration would quickly change that.

Between 1840 and 1860, over 1,350,000 Germans immigrated to the United States.15 The

huge influx of German immigrants was spurred by social and economic upheaval in Germany

following the uprisings of 1848.16 With the vast increase in the population of German immigrants,

the new lager style of beer became very popular. In 1850, there were a half-dozen or so taverns and

tap rooms in New York City that sold lager, and all of these were patronized by Germans.17

Eventually the general public caught on and by 1870, ale had fallen out of favor and lager was

largely accepted as the “universal” beer of New York City.18

One of the earliest lager beer breweries in New York was the F.M. Schaefer Brewery.

Founded by German brothers Frederick and Maximilian in 1842, the small brewing operation at

                                                            12 Appel, p. 186. 13 Bill Yenne, The American Brewery: From Colonial Evolution to Microbrew Revolution.  (St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing, 2003), p. 29. 14 Baron, p. 177. 15 Anderson, p. 17. 16 Baron, p. 177. 17 “Lager and Weiss.” Brooklyn Eagle, 23 June 1873. 18 “Lager Beer, Where and How it is Made.” Brooklyn Eagle, 2 August 1870. 

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Broadway and 50th Street in Manhattan grew into one of the largest breweries in the United States.19

It was the first Manhattan brewery to move all operations to Brooklyn in 1916, and was the last of

the New York City breweries to close in 1976.

Lager beer was almost always brewed by German immigrants, and where German

immigrants settled in New York City, breweries were established there.20 German neighborhoods

developed in both Manhattan and Brooklyn and each area therefore become home to several

prominent brewery operations. Three of the largest New York City breweries in the late 19th century

were all German owned and operated, and were located together in the German neighborhood of

Yorkville on the Upper East Side. This area formed the nexus of German-American culture in

Manhattan and was known as "Kleinduetchland."21 The George Ehret Brewery, which later became

Hell’s Gate Brewery, opened in 1866 and by the 1870’s had become the largest brewery in the

country.22 The George Ringler Co. Brewery was founded in 1872 and operated a large brewery

operation between 90th and 92nd Streets and Second and Third Avenues. The Jacob Ruppert

Brewery was also opened in the early 1870’s and was the last brewery to leave Manhattan.23

Brooklyn breweries were largely located in Williamsburgh and Bushwick, in an area called

"Brewer's Row." After being incorporated into Brooklyn, these neighborhoods were referred to as

the East District. While the brewing industry in Brooklyn was slower than brewing in Manhattan to

materialize, with only two breweries in Brooklyn in 1825, by 1898 Brooklyn was home to 45

breweries, more than any other borough.24

Every brewer, no matter how small, had a tap room or "bier-stube." This is was a tasting

room used for social affairs and camaraderie. The consumption of lager beer was central to German

                                                            19 Anderson, p. 113. 20 Yenne, p. 31. 21 Yenne, p. 55. 22 Yenne, p.55. 23 Yenne, p. 80. 24 Anderson, p. 15. 

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culture, and German immigrants patronized the local bier-stubes, supporting the local brewery

industry within their neighborhoods. [See Image 2]

With the influx of German immigrants also came the proliferation of German “biergartens”

or beer gardens. Beer gardens were immense buildings, capable of accommodating 400-1,200

people, that served beer and liquids at a small cost and provided music and wholesome

entertainment for hardworking immigrant families.25 The beer gardens were extremely popular

among German families, who would often spend evenings and weekends socializing at one of New

Yorks many beer gardens and consuming considerable quantities of lager beer.26 The Atlantic

Garden on Bowery and Canal, was one of New York’s most famous beer gardens. [See Image 3]

The popularity of the beer garden illustrates the immense effect that German culture and lager beer

had on the social customs of 19th century New York.

In addition to beer gardens, brewer’s picnics were another a popular social event related to

the lager beer industry. The Yorkville Brewer’s Battalion was a “benevolent and social organization

comprising the employees of the Ehret, Ruppert, and Ringler Breweries.” 27 The battalion not only

provided aid to its employees and supported local charities, but also hosted a parade and picnic for

their employees every year. In 1895, the 25th anniversary of the event, the picnic was attended by

10,000 people. The brewing industry in New York City was a virtual fraternity with strong social

ties that spread over many generations, rather than a hot bed of fierce competition.28 The Yorkville

Brewer's Battalion illustrates that sense of brotherhood of New York City breweries.

The transition to lager brewing over ale brewing dramatically altered the design of brewing

spaces. The biggest challenge faced by early lager brewers was the necessity to store beer in a cool,

undisturbed place for several months, year round.29 [See Image 4] The early solution was the

                                                            25 Baron, p. 180. 26 Bill Yenne, The American Brewery: From Colonial Evolution to Microbrew Revolution.  (St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing, 2003), p.32. 27 “Brewers Have a Picnic.” The New York Times. 19 September 1895.   28 Anderson, p. 5. 29 Appel, p. 186. 

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construction of large underground storage chambers that kept the beer cool naturally. In the South

Bronx, the Hupel Brewery and Eagle Brewery took advantage of their geography and built storage

caves into the adjacent hillsides.30 The F.M. Schaefer Brewery dug out underground caves for

lagering into the solid bedrock under its Mid-Manhattan site at 50th and Fourth Avenue in 1849.

Fluctuating temperatures of underground lagering facilities regulated brewing to the cooler months

of the year. High demand required the exploration of year round cooling methods. Ice houses were

incorporated into the brewery complex in order to facilitate the brewing of lager beer year round.31

The ice house was an above ground structure that used natural ice to create a temperature controlled

environment. The ice house of the late 19th century brewery was a transitional development between

the underground and cave cellars of the past and the mechanically cooled stock houses made

possible by artificial refrigeration in the 20th century. Because it had such a dramatic effect on the

efficiency of the brewing process, the inventions of the ice machine and later mechanical

refrigeration were most widely adopted by the brewing industry very early on.32 [See Image 5] 

Increasing demand inspired more and more breweries to open in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

It also pushed many well established brewers to expand their existing facilities or build newer and

larger brewing complexes in an attempt to keep up with the phenomenally increasing demand. By

1879, the brewing industry had reached its peak, and there were 78 breweries in Manhattan and 43

in Brooklyn.33 New York City had established itself as the beer brewing capital of the United States.

As the industry grew, its success encouraged the invention of more efficient and economical

equipment, which helped to regulate the process more scientifically and further increased

production. New equipment forced the physical reorganization of the brewery spaces. The use of

heavy timber (and later steel) columns and beams helped make possible the vertical arrangement of

brewing equipment such as water tanks, malt hoppers, mash tubs, brew kettles and other equipment.                                                             30 Norval White, Ellliot Willensky, and Fran Leadon, AIA Guide to New York. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.) pg. 831. 31 Baron, p. 231. 32 Baron, p. 235. 33 Jackson, “Brewing and Distilling,” p. 136. 

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[See Image 6] The clearly organized, vertically aligned design allowed plenty of room for large

equipment on multiple floors. The floors also had enough strength to support the weight of several

levels of large liquid filled tanks. [See Image 7]

As brewing became more complex, the task of solving these spatial challenges became much

too complicated for traditional brewers and carpenters to handle. In the years following the Civil

War, professionally trained architects and engineers began to address the issues of brewery design,

including efficient organization of equipment, appropriate structuring of the building and

distribution of the weight of the equipment, and the incorporation of new architectural styles and

ideas.34 Brewery design as an architectural specialty began to grow and prosper along with the

brewing industry until prohibition.

Early brewery architects began to establish the essential design features that would transform

the vernacular brewery into a highly specialized and handsome form of industrial architecture. As

an industrial architectural type, breweries in particular have generally been more ornamental that

other factories, their elaborate detailing attempting to emphasize the good taste of the owner. The

exteriors were often detailed to reflect the desire to present an architectural presence that

corresponded to the magnitude of the brewery’s business rather than the technically advanced

aspects of the facilities.35 The most popular architectural style used for brewery construction in New

York City was the early Romanesque Revival. This style, as is seen at the George Ringler Co.

Brewery, incorporates the use of brick, round arches, corbelled blind arcades, and hints of

battlements. [See Images 8 & 9] The lager brewery stylings tied these American breweries to their

German heritage through Rundbogenstil, an eclectic style combining Romanesque and Renaissance

design elements.36 Most of the pioneer brewery architects were German-born, and some were

                                                            34 Appel, p. 187. 35 Bradley, p. 204. 36 Appel, p.190. 

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known to have trained in German polytechnic schools. Therefore, the American brewery acquired a

double dose of German influence, both in physical building design, and brewing techniques.

The addition of more modern technology to the brewing process and expanded shipping

methods allowed brewers to branch out beyond local markets. As breweries expanded, few newer

breweries were established, and national market firms continued to expand, making it harder for

local breweries to compete. Furthermore, rising costs of inner city production contributed to the

decline in the brewing industry in New York City.37

Subsequent generations continued to design breweries with continued success up until the

onset of prohibition, but no era is as definitive as the late 19th century. The evolution of the brewery

form has been conditioned by its German heritage, innovations demanded by the growth of the

industry, and expertise of well trained architects and engineers and the success of breweries in the

19th century reflected the remarkable burgeoning of lager beer’s popularity with not only German

American immigrants, but the American public at large.

                                                            37 Anderson, p. 22.  

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Images:

Image 1: Brewers and Taverns of New Amsterdam (in black), 1660

(Image Courtesey of U.S. Brewers Association, via Stanley Baron. Brewed In America: A History of Beer and Ale in the United States)

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Image 2: Bier-Stube at the George Ringler Co. Brewery, c. 1897

(Image courtesy of "Colored Illustration Hand book showing the main departments of our large brewing plant.” Geo. Ringler and Co. Brewers, New York Historical Society)

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Image 3: The Atlantic Garden c.1872

(Courtesy NYPL Digital Collection, Mid-Manhattan Picture Collection)

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Image 4: "Lagering" of Beer in Cold Storage Cellar

(Image courtesy of "Colored Illustration Hand book showing the main departments of our large brewing plant.” Geo. Ringler and Co. Brewers, New York Historical Society)

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Image 5: Example of an early Ice Machine in use at the George Ringler Co. Brewery

(Image courtesy of "Colored Illustration Hand book showing the main departments of our large brewing plant.” Geo. Ringler and Co. Brewers, New York Historical Society)

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Image 6: Section of a typical brewery structure showing vertical alignment of systems

(Image Courtesey of Stanley Baron, Brewed In America: A History of Beer and Ale in the United States)

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Figure 7: Interior view of George Ringler Co. Brewery

(Image courtesy of "Colored Illustration Hand book showing the main departments of our large brewing plant.” Geo. Ringler and Co. Brewers, New York Historical Society)

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Figure 8: Exterior of George Ringler Co. Brewery, c. 1897

(Image courtesy of "Colored Illustration Hand book showing the main departments of our large brewing plant.” Geo. Ringler and Co. Brewers, New York Historical Society)

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Figure 9: Exterior of George Ringler Co. Brewery, Ice Machine Building and Stables, c. 1897.

(Image courtesy of "Colored Illustration Hand book showing the main departments of our large brewing plant.” Geo. Ringler and Co. Brewers, New York Historical Society)

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Bibliography:

Appel, Susan K., “Brewery Architecture in America From the Civil War to Prohibition,” The Midwest In American Architecture. Ed. John S. Garner. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1991.

Baron, Stanley. Brewed In America: A History of Beer and Ale in the United States. Little, Brown, and Co., Boston, 1962.

Bradley, Betsy Hunter. The Works: The Industrial Architecture of the United States. Oxford University Press, New York, 1999.

"Brewers have a picnic," New York Times. 19 September 1895.

"Brooklyn Breweries: Interesting Facts about Making and Consuming Malt Liquors." Brooklyn Eagle, 5 December 1886.

"Colored Illustration Hand book showing the main departments of our large brewing plant.” Geo. Ringler and Co. Brewers, ca. 1897.

“’Lager’ and ‘Weiss.’” Brooklyn Eagle. 23 June 1873. p. 2.

"Lager Beer: A Trip through the Breweries of Williamsburgh." Brooklyn Eagle, 12 August 1875. p. 2.

“Lager Beer: Where and How the Beverage is Made.” Brooklyn Eagle, 2 August 1870. p. 2.

Jackson, Kenneth, Ed. Encyclopedia of New York. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.

Stack, Martin. “Local and Regional Breweries in America’s Brewing Industry, 1865-1920.” The Business History Review, vol. 74 (Autumn 2000) p.435-463. Accessed: 21 November 2011.

White, Norval, Ellliot Willensky, and Fran Leadon, Eds. AIA Guide to New York. Oxford University Press, New York, 2010.

“William Ulmer Brewery Designation Report.” Landmarks Preservation Commission (LP-2280) New York, City of New York, 2010, Prepared by Tara Harrison.

Yenne, Bill. The American Brewery: From Colonial Evolution to Microbrew Revolution. MBI Publishing, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2003.