Saturday, May 28 will mark our twentieth year in our Williamsburg home. We’ll be celebrating during our Public Hours, with co-founder Steve Hindy behind the bar and a few other surprises to mark the special day. But we’ll also remember how much has in the decades since we moved to North 11th Street. What was once a largely forgotten, dangerous neighborhood has been transformed into one of the most vibrant areas of New York City.
We first came to Williamsburg in 1991, moving into a warehouse across the street from our current brewhouse. In 1994, our current home became available, so founders Steve Hindy and Tom Potter and freshly enlisted Brewmaster Garrett Oliver stepped in to transform the once-abandoned building into a production center. The photo above shows Garrett in the room that is now our brewhouse. Note the gentleman on the scissor lift, clad in a full-body safety suit; it appears Garrett was impervious to whatever danger was floating in the air. One tends to feel that way when dressed as The Highlander.
Our building was far from the only ignored property in the area. Years of industrial and economic stagnation had turned much of Williamsburg into a graveyard of battered warehouses and rickety postwar homes. Our street in particular was seen as a dangerous area. Steve, often first into the office, felt that he was greeted with a smoldering car, likely reported stolen and burned for insurance money, “at least a few times a month.” Truck drivers stoutly refused to deliver after dark. Police officers only entered the neighborhood in groups, often with one hand on their weapons.
“It just wasn’t the sort of place you came to,” Garrett says. “You didn’t want to drive on the streets, there was nowhere to grab lunch during the workday. If you were hanging out there, you had to have a pretty good reason to not be anywhere else.”
Garrett just after installing our 25-barrel Newlands brewhouse system. Yes, he’s wearing a fireman’s jacket.
Fortunately, building a brewery was a pretty good reason to come to the neighborhood. Our earliest workers found food, comfort and company at establishments like Kasia’s on Bedford Avenue, Teddy’s on Berry Street (also our first account), and a handful of small businesses that were starting to push their way through the shuttered facades of the area. This was the first wave of new interest in Brooklyn. Young artisans, artists and creatives turned to Brooklyn to tap into its rich history and affordable living spaces. Slowly, the neighborhood began to change.
The day of the ribbon cutting on our new facility, Mayor Rudy Giuliani (above center, in the red and blue tie) arrived and spoke to the crowd of press, family and friends. He spoke of a new era for Brooklyn, of the jobs the brewery would bring, and the promise of an industrial brewery in New York City. He also pulled Steve Hindy next to him and razzed the gathered reporters, saying “I want all you reporters to take a look at this man. He used to be a reporter, but now he is making an honest living.”
To the relief of everyone in the crowd, the ceremony was followed by the official opening of the Brooklyn Brewery Tasting Room. Everyone, including our fearless leaders, raised a considerable number of celebratory pints. At about six PM, several hours into the merrymaking, Steve was moved by the power of beer and gratitude alike to shout to the assembled crowd: “From now until we run out, FREE BEER!”
The crowd cheered, only to have their hopes dashed when Tom Potter clambered hastily on top of the bar and called. “We’re out of beer! Thanks!” It was a slight disappointment, but probably saved us from running out of stock for a few weeks.
It seems surprising that twenty years have already passed since we’ve taken up residence in Williamsburg. Our once-barren neighborhood is a cultural center, home to countless bars, restaurants, artists, pizza places, and other terrific spots. Our brewhouse and cellar expanded several times, our Tasting Room hosted more raucous parties than can ever be counted (or accurately remembered), and our company has grown from a hardscrabble little brewery to a craft beer mainstay.
Even as we continue to grow around the world (and into the Brooklyn Navy Yard), we’re always thankful for our home on North 11th Street. Brooklyn will always be our home, and we’re happy we’ve gotten a chance to share it with so many beer drinkers around the world. If you haven’t visited yet, be sure to visit soon– the 28th is sure to be a party of historic proportions.