Sheesh, it's hard to believe that almost a century has flown by since old Jake Ruppert passed away on this date.
In the 1800s, two Manhattan brewers stood out not only from among the rest in the city, but also from the rest in the young nation. They were George Ehret and Jake Ruppert.
Most beer historians consider George Ehret the first great brewer in America. Ehret came to New York in 1857 armed with an impressive knowledge about brewing thanks to intense training in his homeland of Germany. He found work at a local brewery and rose to the position of head brewer. A frugal man, he soon saved enough money to eventually buy the brewery.
Ehret’s goal was to make a beer in America that was a match for his beloved Munich lager. Using water from a self-drilled 700 foot artesian well he produced a brew called Franziskaner. It proved to be an instant hit despite the fact that lager was a beer style not yet common in the US. In his first few months of production Ehert sold 34,000 barrels, a large amount for a new beer. Customers found that the crisp, flavorful lager went well with the extensive free lunch of sandwiches, sausages, cheese and pickles, that came with their beer purchase at most of the city’s taverns. It was truly a good time for brewer and customer.
Ehret’s beer, as was true of most beers of the time, was dispensed only in bars, directly from the keg. During the summer months the demand for Franziskaner was so great that city pubs were hard pressed to keep their supply chilled. In an era before refrigeration their solution was to build large ice tanks directly on the bar. The heavy kegs of beer were hoisted up by teams of bartenders and carefully placed in the tank. Many establishments even went so far as to hire special “Franziskaner tenders,” teams of youths whose sole job was to replace the quickly emptied kegs. Keeping beer ice cold was hard, hot work.
With sales nearly doubling every other year Ehret plowed his profits back into the business and built a huge new brewery that sprawled over 75 city lots. He had become the acknowledged leader in the beer business. His reign however only lasted until bottled beer became popular. It was his rival, Adolphus Busch, who was the first to see bottling as the future of beer. Bush’s foresight would lead to his ultimate domination of the beer business and a national consumer base. For his part, Ehret steadfastly refused to ever install a bottling department in his brewery. Good brewer, bad forecaster.
By the end of the 19th century Ehret’s annual production of 600,000 barrels made him the second largest brewer in America, behind only Busch’s one million. However closing fast on Ehret was his fellow New Yorker, Jacob Ruppert. (Not yet called "senior.")
Jake Ruppert was born in New York in 1842, son of immigrants from Bavaria. His father, Franz, owned the small Turtle Bay Brewery on the west side of Manhattan. Jake began working there when he was only ten, and he began absorbing everything he could about business and brewing. By the age of twenty, he was confident enough in his knowledge to ask his father’s permission to start his own brewery. The answer of course was yes, and brewing history was to be made.
Jake bought a piece of wooded property on Manhattan's forest Upper East side, ironically within blocks of Ehret’s. There Ruppert built a tiny fifty square foot building and made his first batch of beer. He aptly christened the structure The Jacob Ruppert Brewery. In his first year he sold just over 5,000 barrels, making his fledgling business a success. Always proud of that first year’s production, Jake later was to often brag to his own son, “Jacob, my ambition was to sell 5,000 barrels of beer in a year and I did it!”
Most beer historians consider George Ehret the first great brewer in America. Ehret came to New York in 1857 armed with an impressive knowledge about brewing thanks to intense training in his homeland of Germany. He found work at a local brewery and rose to the position of head brewer. A frugal man, he soon saved enough money to eventually buy the brewery.
Ehret’s goal was to make a beer in America that was a match for his beloved Munich lager. Using water from a self-drilled 700 foot artesian well he produced a brew called Franziskaner. It proved to be an instant hit despite the fact that lager was a beer style not yet common in the US. In his first few months of production Ehert sold 34,000 barrels, a large amount for a new beer. Customers found that the crisp, flavorful lager went well with the extensive free lunch of sandwiches, sausages, cheese and pickles, that came with their beer purchase at most of the city’s taverns. It was truly a good time for brewer and customer.
Ehret’s beer, as was true of most beers of the time, was dispensed only in bars, directly from the keg. During the summer months the demand for Franziskaner was so great that city pubs were hard pressed to keep their supply chilled. In an era before refrigeration their solution was to build large ice tanks directly on the bar. The heavy kegs of beer were hoisted up by teams of bartenders and carefully placed in the tank. Many establishments even went so far as to hire special “Franziskaner tenders,” teams of youths whose sole job was to replace the quickly emptied kegs. Keeping beer ice cold was hard, hot work.
With sales nearly doubling every other year Ehret plowed his profits back into the business and built a huge new brewery that sprawled over 75 city lots. He had become the acknowledged leader in the beer business. His reign however only lasted until bottled beer became popular. It was his rival, Adolphus Busch, who was the first to see bottling as the future of beer. Bush’s foresight would lead to his ultimate domination of the beer business and a national consumer base. For his part, Ehret steadfastly refused to ever install a bottling department in his brewery. Good brewer, bad forecaster.
By the end of the 19th century Ehret’s annual production of 600,000 barrels made him the second largest brewer in America, behind only Busch’s one million. However closing fast on Ehret was his fellow New Yorker, Jacob Ruppert. (Not yet called "senior.")
Jake Ruppert was born in New York in 1842, son of immigrants from Bavaria. His father, Franz, owned the small Turtle Bay Brewery on the west side of Manhattan. Jake began working there when he was only ten, and he began absorbing everything he could about business and brewing. By the age of twenty, he was confident enough in his knowledge to ask his father’s permission to start his own brewery. The answer of course was yes, and brewing history was to be made.
Jake bought a piece of wooded property on Manhattan's forest Upper East side, ironically within blocks of Ehret’s. There Ruppert built a tiny fifty square foot building and made his first batch of beer. He aptly christened the structure The Jacob Ruppert Brewery. In his first year he sold just over 5,000 barrels, making his fledgling business a success. Always proud of that first year’s production, Jake later was to often brag to his own son, “Jacob, my ambition was to sell 5,000 barrels of beer in a year and I did it!”
Jake’s sales rose steadily every year due not only to his beer’s high quality but also to his unparalleled salesmanship. He saw the value of social contracts and joined every German organization he could find. He was especially fond of joining singing societies. He didn’t have much of a voice but he had great pitch, sales pitch that is. Besides, he concluded, singing always brought on large thirst.
Making a sale was always the key for Jake. He was one of the first in the beer business to thoroughly train his salesmen, including lining their pockets with expense money to lavish on potential customers. He also supplied them with an assortment of stories and jokes to enhance their sales spiel. Jake was creating his own course in Beer Marketing 101.
In addition to his business acumen, Jake prided himself on being a responsible father. He sent his son, young Jake, to grammar school, from which he proudly graduated. Immediately after, however, young Jake was allowed to work full time at the brewery. Young Jake climbed through the ranks and emerged in 1890 as the brewery’s general manager. He was now in control of a vast plant that produced well over a half a million barrels a year. He took particular interest in the refinement of the brewery’s flagship brands, Knickerbocker and Ruppert’s Extra Pale, tweaking their recipe to ever increasing popularity.
Jacob Ruppert, Jr., followed in his father’s footsteps by joining every ethnic and civic organization he could find. His efforts were rewarded not only with record sales but with political clout. His elite social status was assured when he was personally made a New York State Colonel (rarer by far than the Kentucky version) by then Governor David Hill.
By the turn of the century the Rupperts were reaping huge profits. In an era before income tax they had become truly wealthy. Young Jake, now often just called The Colonel, became the toast of New York. He dressed in the latest and most expensive fashions; he developed a
fondness for valuable antiques; he had a stable of fine (looking, not running) thoroughbred race horses.
Making a sale was always the key for Jake. He was one of the first in the beer business to thoroughly train his salesmen, including lining their pockets with expense money to lavish on potential customers. He also supplied them with an assortment of stories and jokes to enhance their sales spiel. Jake was creating his own course in Beer Marketing 101.
In addition to his business acumen, Jake prided himself on being a responsible father. He sent his son, young Jake, to grammar school, from which he proudly graduated. Immediately after, however, young Jake was allowed to work full time at the brewery. Young Jake climbed through the ranks and emerged in 1890 as the brewery’s general manager. He was now in control of a vast plant that produced well over a half a million barrels a year. He took particular interest in the refinement of the brewery’s flagship brands, Knickerbocker and Ruppert’s Extra Pale, tweaking their recipe to ever increasing popularity.
Jacob Ruppert, Jr., followed in his father’s footsteps by joining every ethnic and civic organization he could find. His efforts were rewarded not only with record sales but with political clout. His elite social status was assured when he was personally made a New York State Colonel (rarer by far than the Kentucky version) by then Governor David Hill.
By the turn of the century the Rupperts were reaping huge profits. In an era before income tax they had become truly wealthy. Young Jake, now often just called The Colonel, became the toast of New York. He dressed in the latest and most expensive fashions; he developed a
fondness for valuable antiques; he had a stable of fine (looking, not running) thoroughbred race horses.
In 1913 the Rupperts made their final great expansion. On the same site that three decades earlier old Jake had constructed his first brewery, Colonel Jake built an enormous, modern plant of 2 million barrels capacity. Speakers at the dedication called it the finest brewery in world. It was valued at over $30 million and employed more than 1,000 men. The Colonel’s brewery was now an integral component of the entire New York economy.
The brewery’s workers were sometimes put on double shifts as 1914 saw America drink more beer than ever before. As the profits rolled in Colonel Jake took a small part of the money and bought the New York American League baseball team, the Yankees. Yes, those Yankees. Years later, as the fans came in droves to watch the Colonel’s recently purchased player from Boston named George Herman Ruth, the ballpark became the single largest seller of Ruppert beer in the nation. The Colonel understood the synergy of sports and beer long before modern advertising agencies.
Sadly, with Prohibition on the horizon things would soon forever change for both Ehret and Ruppert. The passage of the 18th Amendment would definitively end these golden days of New York beer. Days that, sadly, have never returned. Need proof? Just try to get a free lunch with your beer today.
The brewery’s workers were sometimes put on double shifts as 1914 saw America drink more beer than ever before. As the profits rolled in Colonel Jake took a small part of the money and bought the New York American League baseball team, the Yankees. Yes, those Yankees. Years later, as the fans came in droves to watch the Colonel’s recently purchased player from Boston named George Herman Ruth, the ballpark became the single largest seller of Ruppert beer in the nation. The Colonel understood the synergy of sports and beer long before modern advertising agencies.
Sadly, with Prohibition on the horizon things would soon forever change for both Ehret and Ruppert. The passage of the 18th Amendment would definitively end these golden days of New York beer. Days that, sadly, have never returned. Need proof? Just try to get a free lunch with your beer today.
As for old Jake, he became the late Jacob Ruppert, Sr., on this date in 1915. He passed away from cirrhosis of the liver, a disease brought on by his many years of testing his own product.
So, today's a good day to drink a Knickerbocker beer, if you can find one. Otherwise, the sun is out, and that's good enough reason to drink the first beer that falls into your hands. And the second one, too.
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