Planning a beer day and unsure which Brooklyn breweries deserve your time? Start with Williamsburg, Gowanus and Bushwick taprooms, which show how the borough rebuilt its beer scene after 1976.
For the wider picture of the borough’s pints, read the overview of brooklyn craft beer.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Breweries in Brooklyn at the start of the 20th century | 45 |
| Breweries in Brooklyn by 1976 | Zero |
| Share of US beer brewed in Brooklyn as late as 1960 | 10% |
| Bushwick’s Brewers’ Row | 11 breweries in a 12-block area |
| Year Brooklyn Brewery sold its first beer, Brooklyn Lager | 1988 |
These figures come from The Bridge and The Oxford Companion to Beer. Counts and dates can change or differ between sources, so check the source before you rely on them.
How Brooklyn lost its old brewing industry
Brooklyn was once one of the country’s great brewing capitals. The Oxford Companion to Beer counts 48 working breweries in the city in 1898, the year Brooklyn was annexed by New York City, and says Brooklyn still brewed 10% of the beer consumed in the United States as late as 1960 (Craft Beer & Brewing).
The Bridge puts the early-20th-century count at 45 and notes that the borough had zero breweries by 1976 (The Bridge). The two sources measure different places and dates, so treat each number as a snapshot rather than a contradiction.
German immigrants drove that growth. Many settled in the Eastern District, which covered today’s Williamsburg and Bushwick, and the lager brewers were drawn by the crystal waters of natural springs fed by the Brooklyn-Queens aquifer. In Bushwick, a stretch known as Brewers’ Row packed 11 breweries into a 12-block area (Oxford Companion to Beer).
The end came in 1976. The last two Brooklyn breweries of that era, F. & M. Schaefer Co. (Schaefer Beer) and S. Liebmann & Sons (Rheingold Beer), both closed their Brooklyn facilities that year. The same source blames the rising cost of land, labor and nearly every other expense in New York City (Oxford Companion to Beer).
You can read the longer story of the old lager brewers in this guide to the history of brewing in brooklyn.
How the modern Brooklyn breweries took off
The restart began with Brooklyn Brewery, launched by former journalist Steve Hindy and a partner. The Oxford Companion says it was founded in 1987 and sold its first beer, Brooklyn Lager, in 1988 (source). As of The Bridge’s February 2018 ranking, 19 other breweries had followed it (source).
Your Brooklyn Guide, in a guide dated March 2024, credits a law passed in 2014 that allowed on-premise sales at breweries with setting off the boom. It adds that before 2014, it was hard to find a Brooklyn beer that was not Brooklyn Brewery or Sixpoint (Your Brooklyn Guide).
Some brewers began as so-called nomads, without a plant of their own. In February 2018 The Bridge noted that Grimm Artisanal Ales and Braven Brewing were planning their own brick-and-mortar plants in the borough (The Bridge).
The wider state picture is large too. Wikipedia’s list of breweries in New York says the state is home to more than 320 beer breweries (Wikipedia).
Where Brooklyn breweries cluster by neighborhood
Brooklyn breweries spread across the borough rather than sitting in one district, so the neighborhood shapes your visit. Here is a rough map built from the sources.
- Williamsburg: Brooklyn Brewery is located here, and Talea Beer Co. has a taproom by McCarren Park (Your Brooklyn Guide).
- Gowanus: Other Half Brewing’s original taproom and brewery sits here, as do Threes Brewing and Wild East Brewing Co. (New York Simply).
- Greenpoint: Threes Brewing also has a Greenpoint location (New York Simply).
- Bushwick: Kings County Brewers Collective brings brewing back to the old German-brewer neighborhood.
- Red Hook: Sixpoint Brewery is listed here, with a 2004 start (Wikipedia).
- Sunset Park: Five Boroughs Brewing Co. occupies a former steel manufacturer and warehouse (Your Brooklyn Guide). Brooklyn Kura opened in 2018 and is listed as the first sake brewery in New York State (Wikipedia).
- Dumbo and the Navy Yard: Evil Twin Brewing is in Dumbo, and Transmitter Brewing is at the Brooklyn Navy Yard (New York Simply).
Because the spots are spread out, pairing two neighborhoods in a day usually works better than trying to cover the whole borough.
Which Brooklyn breweries are worth knowing?
Rankings differ. The Bridge ranked its list of 20 craft breweries by social-media following, which measures buzz rather than quality (The Bridge). These are the names that come up most often across the guides.
- Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn Lager is its most famous beer, alongside Defender IPA (Your Brooklyn Guide).
- Other Half Brewing: It has been around since 2014 and is famous for hazy and cloudy IPAs dry-hopped with Mosaic, Citra and other hop varieties (Your Brooklyn Guide). New York Simply says it typically has up to 20 beers on tap (New York Simply).
- Threes Brewing: The focus is approachable lagers, hop-forward IPAs and floral pilsners. Since opening in 2014, it has expanded to five locations, according to New York Simply.
- Evil Twin Brewing: Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø opened it in Brooklyn in 2010 (New York Simply).
- Kings County Brewers Collective: It opened in 2016 and was the first brick-and-mortar brewery Bushwick had seen in 40 years (New York Simply).
- Talea Beer Co.: This woman-owned brewery is known for artisanal sours and hazy IPAs (Your Brooklyn Guide).
- Five Boroughs Brewing Co.: It has made a name for pilsners and lagers (Your Brooklyn Guide).
How to plan a brewery day
A little planning keeps a brewery crawl relaxed. Follow these steps.
- Pick one or two neighborhoods from the map above.
- Check each taproom’s hours, tour times and any special-release plans before you leave.
- Order a tasting tray first so you can sample before committing to a full pour.
- Pace yourself on the IPAs, since many of Other Half’s brews have a higher ABV, as Your Brooklyn Guide warns.
- Expect a crowd at popular spots: Other Half’s brewery fills up and can have a line on weekends.
What to expect when you visit
Many taprooms pour small tasting trays so you can sample widely. If tasting trays are new to you, read the short explainer on beer flight what is it before you order. Your Brooklyn Guide suggests trying one of Talea’s signature flights (source).
Brooklyn Brewery stands out for offering guided tours. In its March 2024 guide, Your Brooklyn Guide describes a 45 minute tour that is free on Sundays on the hour from 1 to 6 PM, while small-batch tours on weekdays and Saturdays are paid (Your Brooklyn Guide). Hours and prices change, so confirm with the brewery first.
Prices vary too. New York Simply lists a flight at Kings County Brewers Collective for $10 on Wednesdays, a deal worth confirming before you go (New York Simply).
Frequently asked questions
How many breweries are in Brooklyn?
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There is no single fixed count, and the number moves as taprooms open and close. The Bridge ranked 20 Brooklyn craft breweries in February 2018 (The Bridge), and Wikipedia’s list says New York State has more than 320 beer breweries (Wikipedia).
Which Brooklyn brewery came first in the modern era?
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Brooklyn Brewery was founded in 1987 and sold its first beer, Brooklyn Lager, in 1988, according to the Oxford Companion to Beer (Craft Beer & Brewing).
Can you tour a Brooklyn brewery?
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Yes, at Brooklyn Brewery. As of Your Brooklyn Guide’s March 2024 guide, the 45 minute tours were free on Sundays from 1 to 6 PM, so check the brewery for current times (Your Brooklyn Guide).
Why did Brooklyn have so many old breweries?
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German lager brewers settled in the Eastern District and were attracted by the crystal waters of natural springs fed by the Brooklyn-Queens aquifer (Oxford Companion to Beer).
