Founded in 1867, Jacob Ruppert’s Brewery is one of the most famous breweries in New York’s history, which was located in Midtown. Jacob Ruppert Brewery quickly became known for its high-quality lagers and ales. New Yorkers liked them so much in the 19th and 20th centuries. But do they know the history of the old 19th-century brewery? Learn more at newyork1.one.
The history of Ruppert’s Brewery
Very few New Yorkers know that Ruppert’s Brewery dates back to the first half of the 19th century. Franz Ruppert immigrated from Bavaria to the USA and settled in New York in 1835. He decided to promote the Bavarian and German brewing traditions there. In 1845, he founded a small malting business and he bought the local Aktien Brraueri brewery in five years. Franz Ruppert renamed it Turtle Bay Brewery. But in the 1860s, he sold his beer business to another entrepreneur before retiring.
Despite that, the story of Ruppert’s Brewery didn’t end at that point. Franz Ruppert had a son, Jacob, who helped him at the brewery from an early age. When Jacob grew up, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and continue the beer business. Therefore, he opened his own enterprise in 1867, which later became one of the largest in the brewing industry.
The Ruppert’s beer quality and taste
Jacob Ruppert’s innovative business practices became a key to the brewery’s success. He directed all investments in new technologies and equipment, including refrigerators and automatic beer bottling machines that allowed him to produce beer of better quality and at lower costs. Ruppert also promoted his products through advertising and various campaigns. All of that made the brand recognizable and his beer incredibly popular. One of the most famous Ruppert’s Brewery products was Knickerbocker beer. It was named after the Dutch settlers who lived in New York. Another popular product was ale, which was similarly called Ruppert’s. The brewery’s products became so popular at the end of the 19th century that they were considered a true symbol of New York. In addition, the brand was often associated with the city’s cultural and sports events, as Jacob Ruppert’s son, Jacob Ruppert Jr., owned the New York Yankees baseball team.
Ruppert’s Brewery grew rapidly until Prohibition was declared in the United States in the 1920s. The company’s management decided to change the type of activity in order to survive difficult times. Those were extremely hard years for Ruppert’s Brewery. Jacob Ruppert died in 1939 and his brewery existed until 1965. In the last years of its activity, Jacob’s son ran the business. The brewery doesn’t exist nowadays. In fact, it was a real family business, which was passed down from generation to generation of Rupperts.
Ruppert’s Brewery with its unique family history remains an important part of New York’s history and culture. New York Ruppert’s Brewery has successfully competed with other American breweries owing to innovative business methods and high-quality products. That company was one of the few that set trends and standards for brewing in the United States.