India Wharf Brewing Co.

Business Type: Brewery (NY 108 a & b)

Years of Operation: 1889 to 1920

Location: 48-60 Hamilton Ave. Brooklyn

Description: Brewers Leonhard Michel & Uriah Herrmann started India Wharf Brewing Co. in 1889. The waterfront location is on Buttermilk Channel across from Governors Island. India Wharf is set apart from the Williamsburg/Bushwick area that was most popular for brewing at the time. Leonhard Michel led the company until 1907 when he decided to leave and open “Leonhard Michel Brewing Co.“, in his absence Herrmann and his family took control of the business. Despite the unconventional location, India Wharf was a successful brewery producing ale, porter and lager remaining in business until prohibition (and re-opened afterwards as India Wharf Brewery, Inc. in 1933). Although the original brewery was demolished long ago it would have sat between the start of the present day Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and the Atlantic Basin Ferry Terminal.

Dark amber colored variation of the India Wharf bottle w/ Baltimore Loop style closure. Embossed “INDIA WHARF BREWING CO. BROOKLYN NY” in round slug plate.
Aqua India Wharf Bottle embossed “INDIA WHARF BREWING CO. BROOKLYN NY” in oval slug plate. This seems to be an older less common variation.
Aqua India Wharf Bottle embossed in script “INDIA WHARF BREWING CO. BROOKLYN N.Y.” One interesting feature of this variation is that the bottom 1.5″ of the bottle is fluted. This variation seems to be more commonly found compared to the others shown. *Photograph courtesy of David Tingen

Light aqua crown top example of India Wharf bottle w/ embossed w/ globe abd brewery name.
This is another variation of the India Wharf bottle, this one seems to be less common then the others
Original label from India Wharf’s “Export Beer”
India wharf bottle with round slug plate embossed “INDIA WHARF BREWING CO.”
India Wharf Porcelain Stopper
Original India Wharf porcelain stopper reading “INDIA WHARF BREW’G CO. BROOKLYN” *Photograph courtesy of David Tingen