Past Exhibits October 2003 to Present
100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall:
Brewing in Brooklyn
Exhibition ran May 14, 2004–October 15, 2004

The Brooklyn Historical Society opened 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall: Brewing in Brooklyn, an interactive and media-rich exhibition exploring the history of beer brewing in Brooklyn, on May 14, 2004, in its third-floor galleries. It  ran to October 15.  100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall examined the important cultural and economic role of Brooklyn as one of the nation’s largest beer producers from 1870 until the 1950s. Visitors discovered brewing methods and recipes for creating distinct flavors and aromas, as well as beer connoisseurship skills and the art of home brewing. Entrepreneurship was highlighted through “case histories” from Liebmann’s Rheingold to the Brooklyn Brewery. On Friday evenings, May 14 through August 27, 2004 the Historical Society celebrated local brewing by creating a beer garden featuring Brooklyn bands and beer from the Brooklyn Brewery.

The Golden Age of Brewing
Brooklyn boasted some 48 breweries by the 1870s and continued brewing until 1976.  The rapid growth of the beer industry was due, in part, to German immigrants who brought with them a taste for good beer and strong brewing traditions. The high quality of the region’s water, inexpensive labor and land, easy access to raw materials, and proximity to Manhattan’s huge market also contributed to the breweries’ success.  Most breweries were located in Brooklyn neighborhoods with the highest concentration of German immigrants:  Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Greenpoint.  Nearly half of the brewery founders had immigrated to America between 1840 and 1860, and most traced their origins to the Bavarian region of Germany. 
By the industry’s height, just before Prohibition, Brooklyn had joined other major cities, including Milwaukee and St. Louis, as one of the nation’s brewing centers. In the industry’s heyday, Brooklyn beer was part of everyday life. From late afternoon through early evening, it was common to see children carrying pails of beer (known as growlers) from neighborhood taverns to houses and tenement apartments.
In the 1890s, the Temperance Movement pitted the supporters of the Anti-Saloon League against the breweries. After Prohibition was passed in 1919, making the production and sale of alcoholic beverages illegal, some breweries hung on by producing low-alcohol beers (now known as “near beer”).  Other breweries survived by diversifying their product offerings to include ice cream and soda.  When Prohibition ended in 1933, very few breweries remained.  The industry rose again after World War II, but local flavor gave way to large breweries and national brands.

Malt and Memorabilia
Drawing on the Historical Society’s eclectic collection of beer memorabilia, 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall featured advertising posters and other graphic materials, early porcelain-topped bottles, prohibition bottles, maps, German cultural artifacts, photographs, memorabilia, and of course 100 bottles of beer.  Because brand loyalty was key to any brewer’s success, attention was devoted to historic favorites such as Trommer’s, Rheingold, Piels, and Schaefer—the official beer of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Vintage Brooklyn beer, television commercials, and a film of the brewery process were also on view in the galleries. The exhibit uncovered the unique characteristics of Brooklyn brewing, with a special section on formulations of interest to today’s beer drinkers and home brewers. 

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