Leonhard Eppig Brewery

Business Type: Brewery (NY 85 b-f)

Years of Operation: 1876 to 1920

Location: 24-44 George St. Brooklyn

Description: In 1866 Leonhard Eppig entered the brewing business with Herbert Fischer as a partner. The two launched their operation in Bushwick at 22-32 George Street as an address. Eventually in 1876 Fischer left the business and Eppig continued at the same address with an updated name: “Leonhard Eppig’s Germania Brewery”. The brewery was quite popular and the Eppig name was well known in the industry (Leonhard trained his nephew Joseph Eppig who also went on to open his own successful brewery). Although Leonhard passed away in 1893 the business carried on until 1920 when the 18th amendment was passed. The building was acquired by the “Interboro Cereal Beverage Company” which produced non-alcoholic drinks during prohibition. After repeal in 1933 the operation was sold to the family of famous Manhattan brewer George Ehret, at this point beer was once again produced. Brewing would continue under the Ehret’s until 1948 when ownership of the plant was taken over by Joseph Schlitz in 1949. At this point, after a century of brewing in Milwaukee, Schlitz was a major brand in the United States beer industry. Schlitz brewed beer out of this location until 1973 when decisions were made to consolidate operations to their more modern plant in North Carolina.