William Ulmer Brewery

Can you smell the hops? Imagine the scent of brewing beer wafting through Bushwick. We stand before the William Ulmer Brewery, a monument to Brooklyn’s brewing past. The William Ulmer Brewery isn’t just a collection of old buildings. It’s a story etched in brick and stone. It’s a tale of German immigrants, brewing ambitions, and a legacy that has endured through Prohibition and beyond. William Ulmer, a German immigrant from Württemberg, co-founded the brewery in 1871 with Anton Vigelius. The William Ulmer Brewery quickly became a powerhouse, one of the largest in Brooklyn by the time Ulmer died in 1907. The complex boasts four distinct structures: the brew house, the engine-machine house, the office, and the stable-storage house, each playing a crucial role in the beer-making process. Architect Theobald Engelhardt designed the brew house, engine-machine house, and the office. The stable-storage house was designed by Frederick Wunder. The William Ulmer Brewery, constructed primarily between 1872 and 1890, showcases the German Round-Arch style, a nod to the brewery’s heritage. The main brew house, a four-story giant, was where the magic happened. Malt grains were stored, mashed, boiled, and transformed into wort. The engine-machine house held the powerful machinery that drove the brewing process. The office building, a two-story Romanesque Revival structure, served as the brewery’s nerve center. The stable-storage house, initially used for wagons and later trucks, even had a stint as a cooperage. Prohibition forced the William Ulmer Brewery to close in 1920. The buildings were sold and repurposed for various manufacturing uses. The office building even became a private residence. In 2010, the William Ulmer Brewery earned a landmark designation. It was the first brewery in New York City to receive this honor. The complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024. The William Ulmer Brewery remains a testament to Brooklyn’s brewing heritage. It serves as a reminder of an era when Bushwick was a hub of German-American brewing ingenuity.