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Learn the History of Yorkville's Brewing Scene and Taste Craft Beers on UES

By Shaye Weaver | November 25, 2015 2:41pm | Updated on November 26, 2015 3:35pm
 Ehret's Hell Gate Brewery was once the country's largest beer-production facilities, according to the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts.
Ehret's Hell Gate Brewery was once the country's largest beer-production facilities, according to the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts.
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YORKVILLE — There was a time in when people walking down the street could smell beer from the breweries that peppered the Upper East Side.

In the late 19th century, the neighborhood was home to the country's largest beer-production facility — Ehret's Hell Gate Brewery on East 92nd Street, which shared a four-block complex with the Ruppert Brewery, according to the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts.

To remember the neighborhood's once-booming industry, Friends is hosting a beer tasting and discussion with architectural historian Francis Morrone on the neighborhood's numerous former breweries and their buildings on Dec. 9.

"It's important that people get to know the history of Yorkville, which was a huge German area, and a big part of that was its beer heritage," said Rachel Levy, a preservation associate at Friends. "People worked in the breweries and they were a part of the community… over time that heritage has been erased in terms of the physical aspects of the neighborhood."

New York State during the mid- to late-1800s was the largest producer of hops in the U.S., according to the New-York Historical Society.

Breweries began to move to the Upper East Side closer to the East River after the Civil War, according to a New York Times article.

Both George Ehret and Jacob Ruppert opened their breweries on East 92nd Street in 1860s, each with their own styles. Ehret's Hell Gate Brewery was eclectic with elements of a castle, a firehouse, a factory and even a huge clock tower, according to the article.

The breweries closed down in 1965 and the lot became the Ruppert House urban renewal property, Levy said.

"We're always looking to uncover history," she said. "If you're tuned in, you can find traces of it."

The industry overall has vanished from the Upper East Side, which is why it's important people learn about it, according to Jim Gerding, an owner of Ryan's Daughter bar, which is hosting the event and beer tasting.

"I think it's well-gone," Gerding said. "Yorkville won't remain the same for long if we forget our neighborhood's history."

He said there are a handful of city breweries, with most of them are located in Brooklyn, including the Coney Island Brewing Company, which will be part of the evening's beer tasting.

The event on Dec. 9 begins at 6:30 p.m. at Ryan's Daughter, 350 E. 85th St. The $10 for members of the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts and $20 for nonmembers.