Henry Elias Brewing

Business Type: Brewery (NY 388 a-d, NY 389 c & d & NY 390 a)

Years of Operation: 1853 to 1920

Location: Various locations throughout Manhattan (West 39th, East 54th,55th,56th,59th & 92nd)

Description: Henry Elias was a well known and prominent brewer in NYC who spent much of his career establishing (and also selling) breweries throughout the city. The history of Elias’s career can be found in several scattered sections of “One Hundred Years of Brewing” (H.S. Rich, 1903). In summary, Elias moved to the United States from Germany in 1850 and started his first brewery in 1855 near W. 39th St & Broadway producing lager beer. Elias closed this business to join as a partner with fellow brewer George Schmitt to open a new venture on East 59th St. “The Central Park Brewery”, he soon sold his interest in this company and started a new brewery on E. 92nd St in 1868. After operating the 92nd St. brewery for the next 4 years he sold the business to George Ringler & Christian Hagemeister in 1872 (in 1874 it would become the well known Geo. Ringler & Co. Brewery). All the while Elias had also been in partnership since the 1860’s with another well known brewer, Frederick W. Betz the two operated a brewery “Elias & Betz” on W. 44th St. which would relocate to E. 54th in 1874. Elias took sole control of this brewery in 1880, removed “Betz” from the name of the business and operated it as a sole proprietorship until 1886 when the business was incorporated.

This variation of the Elias bottle is aqua in color and embossed “THE HENRY ELIAS BREWING CO, N.Y.”. I have also come across a very similar variation that is nearly the same but has the word “REGISTERED” embossed on the front of the bottle near the base. *Photo taken by David Tingen
Light amber or citron color Henry Elias with embossing that reads “THE HENRY ELIAS BREW CO’S NEW YORK LAGER BEER” and has an embossed antelope head as a trademark.
Amber Henry Elias with embossing that reads “THE HENRY ELIAS BREW CO’S NEW YORK LAGER BEER” and has an embossed antelope head as a trademark.
The reverse of the above bottle reads “FAIRBANKS & SNYDER BOSTON MASS” this was a bottling company who served as a bottling agent for Henry Elias in Boston and surrounding areas of New England.
This aqua/ice blue Henry Elias bottle has faint embossing but reads “THE HENRY ELIAS BREW CO’S NEW YORK LAGER BEER” and has an embossed antelope head as a trademark. *Photo taken by David Tingen
The reverse of the above bottle reads “FAIRBANKS & SNYDER BOSTON MASS 1891” this was a bottling company who served as a bottling agent for Henry Elias in Boston and surrounding areas of New England. *Photo taken by David Tingen
This variation of the Henry Elias bottle is embossed “The Henry Elias Brewing Co. New York” but also below that contains an additional embossing “F. Wuterich, 208 State St. Meriden CT.” the name of the bottling agent who sold Henry Elias beer in Meriden, CT.