The driving force behind the Excelsior Brewing Company was John Reisenweber who was the owner of a restaurant called “Reisenweber’s at the Circle.” Located at Columbus Circle, it was one of the oldest and most popular New York City restaurants at the time. His entry into the brewing business and the early history of the brewery was described in a section of the Staunton (Va.) “Daily Leader” entitled “Industry and Commerce” published on May 23, 1908.
Scores of New York’s prominent citizens and many thousands whose frames are not enrolled in any Hall of Fame have quaffed the foaming steins of beer dispensed at the popular hostelry and restaurant of mine host John Reisenweber at Columbus Circle, but few of them are aware, perhaps, that the grateful beverage served there has been brewed under the vigilant eye of the genial hotel man himself. To them it will be interesting to learn that Mr. Reisenweber is the president and active head of the Excelsior Brewing Company, whose large plant at Hart and Pulaski Streets, Brooklyn, N.Y., is a worthy example of a large industry.
What is now the Excelsior Brewery was established in 1890 by the Fred Hower Brewing Company. This company went into bankruptcy in 1895, and the brewery was taken over by the John Kart Malting Company of Buffalo, a creditor. In 1898 a number of gentlemen engaged in the liquor business in Greater New York conceived the idea of co-operating in the establishment of a modern brewing plant. The leader in the movement was John Reisenweber and associated with him were Frederick D. Frick, Charles P. Faber, Franz Neumuller and others…
Casting about them for a suitable site, they learned that the Hower plant was in the market, bought it, and on the 16th of May, 1898, took possession. The new owners almost immediately took steps to remodel the then small brewery. They built extensive additions, including new cellars, which increased the storage capacity from 75,000 barrels to 150,000 barrels, and installed a new 75-ton refrigerating machine and complete set of new boilers.
As a result of these extensive alterations, which cost $200,000, the Excelsior Brewery today is second to none in New York in point of modern equipment, and ranks among the largest in point of capacity and output. The buildings, which are fireproof, are up to date in every detail. The company owns a plot equal to 33 city lots, having a frontage of 700 feet on Pulaski Street and running through to Hart Street. The output, which was only 20,000 barrels in 1895, was gradually increased to 160,000 barrels last year. To operate the brewery requires over eighty employees, while 95 horses, 38 wagons and 2 electric trucks are required for the distribution of the output. This output, besides having many consumers in Greater New York, is shipped to points on Long Island, in New Jersey and Connecticut. The value of the plant has practically trebled and it is today worth about $1,500,000.
Four grades of beer are brewed – Real German Lager, Pilsner, Bohemian and Wurzburger. In quality they are equal to the best imported product and their popularity is attested by the strong and growing demand for them.
The officers of the company are John Reisenweber, President; Franz Neumuller, Vice President; Frederick Frick, Treasurer, and Charles P. Faber, Secretary.
The feature mentioned that the Reisenweber ownership group took possession of the plant in May of 1898. It wasn’t long after that the brewery reopened. The August 1898 issue of the “American Brewers Review” announced that:
The newly organized Excelsior Brewing Co of Brooklyn NY was opened on July 31, 1898. Some German singing societies were invited among others who helped entertain the visitors by a number of songs. The favor accorded to the new brew must have given John Knoll, the brew-master, intense satisfaction. The guests were received by Franz Neumueller, the first vice president and Ernst Distler, the superintendent.
An advertisement published in March of 1909, provided an overall picture of the plant less than a year after the feature was written.
The Bottling Department of the brewery was apparently run by John H Muller. His name appears on an October 5, 1907 advertisement that touted the same four beers mentioned in the 1908 feature: Pilsner, Real German, Bohemian and Wurzburger.
The 1913-1914 Copartnership and Corporation Directory of the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens continued to list John Reisenweber Pres, Frederick D Fricke Tres and Charles P Faber Sec. Frick was an old time New York hotel man who owned Earle’s Hotel on Waverly Place. Faber, also in the hotel business, was a director of the Dollar Savings Bank.
A June 21, 1921 article in the “Beverage Journal” provided a review of brewery activities (during prohibition) that stated that at the time the Excelsior Brewery was operating a cold storage plant and was producing cereal beverages.
Two years later, the plant was purchased for $500,000. The story appeared in the August 9, 1923 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Times.”
The Excelsior brewing plant, occupying practically the entire block on Pulaski Street, between Throop and Sumner Avenues, has changed hands, the purchase price being reported to be nearly half a million dollars.
John Reisenweber, prominent in brewing and cafe circles for many years, transferred his interests to Charles I. Mandel, well-known business man and real estate operator.
The property, which covers thirty-two city lots is one of the largest industrial plants in the Williamsburg section and consists of several buildings…
In discussing his purchase Mr. Mandel said:
“The Excelsior name has long been associated with the highest quality of beverage, and the plant at the present time is producing a good quality of half of one percent brew. It will be the purpose of the new management to surpass, if possible, the old quality standards and by personal service to customers to make relationships as happy as they should be…
While Mandel said he wanted to surpass the brewery’s “old quality statndards,” it was apparently his intent to surpass the current legal alcohol standards as well. According to the January 19, 1926 edition of “Brooklyn Daily Times” this got him in trouble with the authorities.
Ten Federal prohibition agents led by John A. Foster, Prohibition administrator for the Southern and Eastern Districts, early today seized about $35,600 worth of beer and arrested two men in a raid on the Excelsior Brewing Company’s plant in Pulaski Street, between Throop and Sumner Avenues…
The prohibition agents saw a 7-1/2 ton truck laden with beer drive out of the building followed by another truck of the same description and similarly laden. Just as the second truck was passing through the open door seven of the agents forced their way in, arrested the truck drivers and took possession of the plant…
Seven trucks of 5 and 7 tons each laden with about 80 barrels of beer, were found by the raiders in a shed and inside the building they found 1,800 more barrels all ready for loading.
As a result, the company lost its permit to manufacture cereal beverages, a permit they would get back seven months later, as evidenced by this item that appeared in the August 16, 1926 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle.”
In 1928 the plant was certainly operational again producing a “near” beer called “OLDe KEG” under the name of Excelsior Brewery, Inc.
While Olde Keg may have been “Within the Law,” other beverages being produced by the brewery apparently were not. In August 1930, the current reputed owner, Charles I. Mandel, was arrested and the brewery seized for violation of the prohibition law. An August 11, 1930 story in the “Brooklyn Daily Times” told the story.
The Excelsior Brewery on Pulaski Street, was seized today by the Federal Government and a man and his son, believed to be the owners, were held in $2,500 each by U. S. Commissioner Fay for a hearing on September 11 on charges of conspiracy to violate the Prohibition Amendment.
The defendants arrested today are Charles J. Mandell, 53, describing himself as a building contractor, and Milford Mandell, 28, both of President St.
The raid on the brewery, made by prohibition agents and the police, followed discovery of a pipeline from the brewery to a garage through Dekalb Ave., a block and a half away.
For four days, police and laborers have been digging to uncover the line and today traced it to the Excelsior Brewery on Pulaski St.
Seventeen workers also are under arrest and are free on bail…
Interestingly, a September 1, 1930 story in the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” followed up the raid by stating:
The raided Excelsior Brewery, it was learned, did almost no business for local consumption. Practically every barrel that went out from the plant, according to officials, went to Pennsylvania, New Jersey or into the up-State counties.
Later the arrest and seizure were voided on the grounds that the federal agents failed to obtain a search warrant prior to invading the premises.
Nonetheless, the brewery was seized again, this time in 1931. According to the August 22nd edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Times.”
Prohibition agents sent from Manhattan are in charge of the Excelsior Brewery in Pulaski St., between Throop and Sumner Ave. They entered the brewery with a search warrant Friday night, went through the establishment and claim they found evidence of prohibition law violation. When they departed they left guards in the place
Later, the October 22, 1931 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” announced that seizure had also been set aside.
The raid upon and seizure by the prohibition authorities of the Excelsior Brewery, 227 Pulaski St., last August was pronounced illegal in a written decision by Federal Judge William B. Sheppard of Florida, received today in Brooklyn Federal Court.
This was the second seizure of the brewery since August. 6, 1930 to be set aside.
The 1930 seizure was upset by Federal Judge Galston because the agents had failed to obtain a search warrant on evidence in their possession which the court deemed sufficient for its issuance. The search warrant on which the second raid was conducted was held obtained on insufficient evidence.
In 1932, the plant was renamed the Kings Brewery and upgraded in anticipation of the repeal of Prohibition. The upgrade was announced in the November 25, 1932 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle.”
Believing that “real beer” will be legalized, the Kings Brewery, Inc. has commissioned Shampan & Shampan, borough architects, to draw plans for and supervise the reconstruction of the old Excelsior brewery at 277 Pulaski St. at a cost of $1,500,000.
The Excelsior Brewery’s plant operated under the Kings Brewery name until sometime in the late 1930’s. As late as January, 1937 the brewery was still advertising “Kings Beer” in New York’s “Daily News”
Ten years later, the still standing brewery buildings had been abandoned and, according to the April 29, 1949 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle,” were being used by local street gangs.
A community school is currently located at the former brewery location.
I have three bottles from this business. One is a champagne style tooled blob embossed Excelsior Bottling Dept that probably goes back to the beginning of the Reisenweber ownership. The bottle also has the initials JHM embossed on it which stand for John H Muller. The two other bottles are champagne style tooled crowns from 1900-1910.