Artvoice, which bills itself as Buffalo, New York’s “#1 Alternative Newsweekly”, recently published an interesting article about Buffalo’s brewing history and the fate of the many breweries that used to call the “Queen City” home. It is inspired by a book entitled Rushing the Growler: The History of Brewing in Buffalo by Stephen R. Powell.

You’ve probably seen one of the Buffalo’s former breweries before, but you might not have known it. They’re all over the city, but their outer appearances can be deceiving; there is little left to identify these portals into Buffalo’s brewing past. Many have also been knocked down and turned into residential areas, commercial developments and parking lots. Others remain empty and abandoned, while others have been gutted and renovated into offices and concert venues.

The article goes on to discuss the fate of some of these breweries and the circumstances which ultimately caused them to fail. Prohibition was a big factor, of course, but also lack of pasteurization and the efficient distribution network of Anheuser-Busch and Miller in the forties and fifties. There was also the anti-German sentiments of both World Wars which caused a backlash against anything German, contributing to the demise of the German-American Brewing Company, among others.

“The world wars pretty much ruined the German-American community,” said Powell. “Our German culture has pretty much been destroyed after two world wars.”

Even recent brewers have had trouble re-establishing Buffalo’s beer heritage. The Buffalo Brewing Co. opened in 1991, but closed in the mid-nineties.

“Buffalo would be a good place for more breweries to grow. It is a good owner-operated business,” said [Kevin] Townsell. “That is the neat part about this town. This town still sells a lot of draft beer and a lot of good, loyal bar owners a willing to take on the local products. It is a good town for specialty beer.”

The Ghosts of Brewing Past by Brian W. Wright

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