Lion Brewery New York
A major Manhattan lager brewery established in 1857 and closed during the consolidation of New York's brewing industry in the early 1940s.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Lion Brewery was a nineteenth- and early twentieth-century lager brewery in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1857 by Emanuel Bernheimer and James Speyers in Manhattan Valley, following the earlier Costanz Brewery ventures associated with Swiss-German immigrant August Schmid and Bernheimer. The business served a city in which German immigrant communities had created strong demand for lager beer, a style that was becoming increasingly important in the American brewing market. The brewery developed on a large site in what later became the Upper West Side. At its height, its buildings and associated facilities occupied roughly six city blocks, extending from Central Park West to Amsterdam Avenue and from 107th to 109th Street. When the plant was established, the surrounding area was still relatively open and inexpensive, with shanty settlements, public institutions, and an asylum nearby. The brewery therefore became a substantial industrial presence in a part of Manhattan that would later be transformed by residential and commercial development. Lion's main product was lager beer. Around 1860, the brewery published a pamphlet discussing brewing methods and presenting analysis intended to demonstrate the purity of its lager. The publication combined a short account of beer varieties with scientific testimony and illustrations of the brewery complex, showing that the company used product quality and technical credibility as part of its public presentation. The brewery also operated or was associated with saloons. As anti-saloon activism grew in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Lion reportedly sought to improve the conduct and appearance of its own establishments. The business survived pressures that affected smaller brewers, including an 1862 tax of one dollar per barrel. Its scale helped it withstand that burden better than many small competitors. By 1895, Lion was described as the sixth-largest brewery in the United States, indicating that its importance extended well beyond the neighborhood around its Manhattan plant. Ownership later became closely connected with the Schmid family. August Schmid, who had been associated with the earlier Costanz operations and became Lion's principal owner by 1889, died that year. His widow, Josephine Kleiner Schmid, held a life interest in one-third of his estate and by 1909 had become the brewery's sole owner. The brewery was then valued at approximately five million dollars, while Schmid's broader wealth also reflected substantial real-estate investments. Lion eventually succumbed to the consolidation and contraction of New York's brewing industry. The business closed in the early 1940s, with the source material placing the closure in 1941 or the wider period through 1944. Its brewery and canning facilities were auctioned on August 26, 1943. The plant was demolished in 1944, and more than 3,000 tons of structural steel were recovered and recycled for wartime use. The former site was later paved with cinders and used informally for softball by returning World War II veterans. It is now occupied by apartment buildings, small businesses, and a junior high school.
History
Lion Brewery emerged from the German-American brewing network that developed in New York during the middle of the nineteenth century. Before the Lion name appeared, August Schmid and Emanuel Bernheimer had established the Costanz Brewery on East Fourth Street near Avenue B in 1850. The operation produced lager beer, which was particularly attractive to German immigrants familiar with the style. In 1852, Schmid and Bernheimer expanded with another Costanz Brewery at Four Corners on Staten Island, an area with a substantial German population. In 1857, Bernheimer joined James Speyers to establish Lion Brewery in Manhattan Valley. The brewery was supported in part by Catholic Bavarians involved in its construction; during its early period, masses were held in the brewery on Sunday mornings. The plant grew into a large industrial complex in the developing Upper West Side. At its maximum extent, it covered about six city blocks between Central Park West and Amsterdam Avenue and between 107th and 109th Streets. The surrounding neighborhood initially had little of the value later associated with the Upper West Side. Central Park's creation in 1859 displaced thousands of people, many of whom lived in shanties in the vicinity. Inexpensive land, public institutions, and an asylum contributed to the area's industrial and marginal character. Lion Brewery became one of the district's dominant physical features while the neighborhood remained relatively underdeveloped. The company operated during a period of changing taxation and regulation. A one-dollar-per-barrel beer tax introduced in 1862 placed pressure on smaller brewers, although Lion's size made it better able to absorb the burden. The brewery promoted its lager through a pamphlet issued around 1860, which described brewing and beer, reviewed different types of beer, and presented analysis intended to establish that Speyers' Lion lager was pure. Illustrated representations of the complex also helped present the operation as modern and substantial. Lion was connected with saloon culture, as were many urban breweries. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, anti-saloon campaigns criticized drinking establishments and their social effects. In response, Lion reportedly worked to clean up its own saloons. This indicates that the brewery's commercial model involved not only production but also relationships with retail drinking venues. August Schmid became Lion's principal owner by 1889. He died on June 4 of that year, leaving his wife, Josephine Kleiner Schmid, a life interest in one-third of his estate. By 1909 she had become the brewery's sole owner. The brewery was valued at five million dollars at that time, while her larger fortune was also supported by real-estate investments. Her later marriage to Prince del Drago led her to use the style Princess Del Drago, although the source notes that she did not actually possess the title. Lion reached its reported national high point in 1895, when it ranked as the sixth-largest brewery in the United States. Its later history followed the broader decline and consolidation of New York's independent and smaller brewing businesses. The brewery closed during the early 1940s, with 1941 identified as the closure point in the historical account and 1944 marking the end of the physical plant. The property and canning facilities were auctioned on August 26, 1943. Demolition followed in 1944, and over 3,000 tons of steel were salvaged for the war effort. After demolition, the site was covered with cinders. In the postwar years, returning World War II veterans used it for a softball league, playing many Sunday afternoons. Home plate was reportedly near 107th Street and Columbus Avenue. The brewery's former land has since been absorbed into the urban fabric, with apartment houses, small businesses, and a junior high school occupying the area.
- 1944
Brewery demolished
[1]The physical brewery was demolished and structural steel was recycled for wartime use.
- 1943
Property auctioned
[1]The brewery and canning facilities were auctioned on August 26.
- 1941
Business closes
[1]The historical account identifies 1941 as the point at which the brewery business closed amid consolidation among New York brewers.
- 1909
Josephine Kleiner Schmid becomes sole owner
[1]Josephine Kleiner Schmid had become the brewery's sole owner by this year.
- 1895
Ranked sixth-largest U.S. brewery
[1]Lion Brewery was described as the sixth-largest brewery in the United States.
- 1889
August Schmid dies
[1]Schmid, identified as Lion's principal owner, died on June 4, beginning the transition of ownership to his widow.
- 1862
Beer barrel tax introduced
[1]A one-dollar tax on each barrel of beer created pressure for smaller brewers, although Lion was better positioned to withstand it.
- 1860
Lager-purity pamphlet published
[1]The brewery issued a publication describing brewing and presenting analytical evidence in support of the purity of its lager.
- 1857
Lion Brewery founded in Manhattan Valley
[1]Emanuel Bernheimer and James Speyers founded Lion Brewery in Manhattan Valley.
- 1852
Second Costanz Brewery opened on Staten Island
[1]Schmid and Bernheimer built a second Costanz brewery at Four Corners on Staten Island to serve a large German community.
Products and positioning
A large urban lager brewery serving New York's German-American beer market, with an emphasis on scale, product purity, and a substantial Manhattan production complex.
Lager beer · 1857
Lion lager beer
Lion's principal product was lager beer, brewed for New York's large German immigrant and German-American market. A pamphlet associated with the brewery described the brewing process and presented analytical testimony intended to demonstrate the beer's purity. The available historical material does not identify distinct named variants, formulas, or later packaged product lines.
Marketing campaigns
- 1860Observations on Brewing and Beer
United States
Lion-associated promotional literature explained beer types and brewing while presenting scientific analysis supporting the purity of the brewery's lager. Illustrations of the premises reinforced the image of a substantial, technically credible producer.
Outcome. The pamphlet documented the brewery's quality and educational messaging, although no measurable commercial outcome is reported.
Brand decisions
1941
Business closed during brewing-industry consolidationOtherBackground
Smaller New York breweries faced a wave of mergers and closures in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Action taken
Lion Brewery ceased business operations.
Aftermath
The plant and canning facilities were auctioned in 1943 and demolished in 1944.
1909
Ownership consolidated under Josephine Kleiner SchmidStrategyBackground
Following August Schmid's death in 1889, his widow retained a life interest in part of his estate and later became the brewery's sole owner.
Action taken
Josephine Kleiner Schmid assumed sole ownership of Lion Brewery by 1909.
Aftermath
The brewery was valued at approximately five million dollars at that time. No further ownership transition is specified in the available material.
Recent events
- 1944
Former Lion Brewery complex demolished[1]
Other
The former Manhattan brewery was demolished, and more than 3,000 tons of steel from the structure were recovered for wartime recycling.
- 1943
Lion Brewery plant and canning facilities auctioned[1]
Other
The brewery property, including its canning facilities, was sold at auction on August 26 as the business disappeared amid industry consolidation.
- 1895
Lion Brewery becomes one of the largest breweries in the United States[1]
Other
Lion Brewery was identified as the sixth-largest brewery in the United States, reflecting the scale it had achieved in the New York market.
Sources1 sources
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