Let’s Talk About Beer

From the December 6, 1886 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle*:

Ninety three million gallons of beer? That is impressive— but hardly surprising. Brooklyn once sported a large number of breweries. Many of them were located in our own proverbial backyard. Which brings me to the photograph gracing the beginning of this post. This building is located at the intersection of Belvidere and Beaver Streets. If you look very carefully behind the fire escape you’ll find this.

This building, now simply known as 75 Belvidere Street, was once a brewery. Curious to learn a little more about Vigelius & Ulmer’s lager works I did a little poking around the Brooklyn Daily Eagle archives. It took a few searches but the following item, which dates seven years after Mr. Vigelius and Ulmer opened shop was totally worth the extra effort.

Yes sir, things were hopping (horrible pun completely intended) in Bushwick during the 1870’s. Then again, this is hardly surprising given our fair city’s love of suds: 1,500,000,000 glasses per annum is a lot of beer. Given the previous statistic it goes without saying that (lawsuits notwithstanding) Vigelius and Ulmer became very rich men! As this obituary for the former attests.

Luckily enough for beer lovers— and us— Mr. Vigelius’s partner persevered. And we are left with this lovely building, Ulmer’s office, on Belvidere Street.

What’s more Mr. Ulmer was a bit litigious in his own right— especially when one miscreant tried to weasel his way to get out of paying for his product. From the December 4, 1900 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

In closing if any of you, dear readers, happen to be in the area do check out the Vigelius and Ulmer brewery. It’s really neat! And oh yeah: if you happen to order large quantities of beer today— or any other day, for that matter— be damned prepared to pay for it!

Nobody likes a welcher.

Miss Heather

*You can this article in its entirety by clicking here.