Brooklyn has long been the home of immigrants, movers, artists, creative geniuses and small business idols. Over the years plenty of trades and traditions have come and gone, but one has been constant: beer. Some of the earliest residents from Germany, Belgium, Ireland and other brew-centric countries brought their passion and knowledge to our shores, making Brooklyn one of the most productive brewing centers of the country in the 19th century. Forty-eight breweries churned out an incredible ten percent of America's beer, mostly brewed with hops and grains from New York State. The city lived a happy, beer-soaked life until the 20th century was ushered in with a devastating one-two punch that rocked brewers from Brooklyn to the national level. First, a devastating hop blight in New York State made the costs of producing beer skyrocket. With the industry still reeling, Prohibition scored a crushing hit when most forms of alcohol were banned in 1919. A bare handful of Brooklyn breweries survived the dark years of the "Great Experiment" by marketing malt beverages and medicinal tonics, emerging in the light of repeal a mere shadow of the robust brewing scene that had characterized Brooklyn for so long. The businesses slowly dwindled, with the last two great brewing families-- Schaefer and Liebmann (Rheingold)-- shuttering in 1976. Aside from a few dependable bars, Brooklyn's beer scene had been laid low.
