Joseph Fallert, the founder of the Joseph Fallert Brewing Company, was born in Germany in March, 1842. He had certainly arrived in the United States by 1870 when census records listed his occupation as “Foreman in Brewery.” In fact, according to a feature on Fallert found in the June 15. 1895 edition of the “New York Times:” his early history in the U. S. involved stints with at least two different breweries.
An expert, his first engagement was with John Schneider, now the Congress Brewing Company. His connection of eight years with Otto Huber, is known to all members of the brewing profession.
The feature went on to say that Fallert established his own brewery in 1879, and in the 1879/1880 Brooklyn directory Fallert was listed for the first time at his long time plant location of 66 (52-66) Meserole Street. According to a publication called “One Hundred Years of Brewing,” published in 1901, Fallout’s annual output that first year was 3000 barrels.
In 1887 the business was incorporated in New York State as the Joseph Fallert Brewing Company. The incorporation notice was printed in the March 16th edition of the (Brooklyn) Times Union.
In 1889 the name change was reflected in the New York City directories at which time the business listed both an office address of 86 Lorimer Street and plant address of 60 Meserole Street.
Over the course of the first 15 years the brewery grew year by year, with the 1895 New York Times” feature putting some numbers to the growth:
9457 barrels in 1886; 18,635 barrels in 1887; 28,796 barrels in 1888; 39,907 barrels in 1889; 46,230 barrels in 1890; 51,368 barrels in 1891; 57,390 barrels in 1892; 59,063 in 1893; 64,600 barrels for the fiscal year ending July 1, 1894.
By the above it will be seen that there was a growth in 1894, which can be said of few breweries in the United States, last year having been one of universal depression and stagnation.
In July, 1893 Joseph Fallert passed away and his son, also named Joseph, took over management of the business. Fallert, Jr.’s qualifications to run the business were also enumerated in the 1895 “New York Times” feature.
Mr. Joseph Fallert, son of the founder, was born in Brooklyn in 1867. A knowledge of the details of the business was secured at his father’s plant. He then engaged with the Rubsam & Horrmann Brewing Co., Staten Island. This valuable experience was supplemented by a course at Worms Germany, graduating with honor.
The 1913 – 1914 Copartnership and Corporation Directory of Brooklyn and Queens continued to list Joseph Fallert Jr. as president. In addition, his brothers Bertold and Charles were listed as vice president/secretary and treasurer respectively.
“One Hundred Years of Brewing’s” item on the Fallert business went on to state that the brewery introduced artificial refrigeration in 1886 and established their bottling works in 1892. In the 1904 Directory, the office location moved to 346 Lorimer Street.
This early 1900’s rendering of the Fallert plant appeared in a publication called “Bushwick and Her Neighbors, Vol 2,” published in 1909.
Fallert marketed several brews under what they called their “Arrow Brand,” as evidenced by their 1897 calendar.
The Joseph Fallert Brewing Co., Brooklyn N. Y. hereby announces that they have adopted and registered labels on their arrow-brand “Alt-Bayerisch,” “Standard” and “Superb” Beer.
This advertisement that appeared in the January 30, 1897 edition of the New York Tribune appears introductory in nature, suggesting that they began bottling the brand sometime in 1896.
A series of advertisements in December 1896/January 1897 editions of the ‘Brooklyn Eagle” described Alt-Bayerisch as:
A dark beer especially brewed and bottled for family use where a strengthening and healthy beverage is necessary. It’s a food.
Later, from 1908 through the mid-teens, advertisements for their bock beer also ran in the local newspapers.
Joseph Fallert Jr. passed away in March, 1919 leaving management of the business to his brothers, Berthold and Charles.
It’s not clear if the business continued to operate during and after National Prohibition. The business was listed in the 1922 Copartnership and Corporation Directory of Brooklyn and Queens and continued to be listed as the Joseph Fallert Brewing Company at the 346 Lorimer Street office location through the late 1930’s. After Prohibition, in the classifieds (today’s yellow pages) for 1935 and 1936 they were listed under beverages even though classifications such as beer, beer gardens, brewers or bottlers were available to them. In the 1940’s they were still listed in the general phone books at the same address but dropped the word “Brewing” from the company name. By 1950 I don’t see them listed at all.
It’s worth noting that I haven’t been able to find any Fallert advertisements during or after Prohibition so it appears they may have been operating in name only. Prior to Prohibition they advertised quite a bit.
It appears that several buildings associated with the brewery are still standing including the offices at 346 Lorimer Street.
I found two champagne style 12 oz Joseph Fallert Brewing Co. Ltd bottles each with the trademark Arrow embossed on it. One is a tooled blob, the other a tooled crown. Both were manufactured no earlier than 1896, recognizing that that’s when Fallert began bottling the brand. The blob probably dates to the late 1800’s – early 1900’s and the crown early 1900’s.