The 1st brewery was built in a log cabin as part of several structures in a fort erected by Dutch colonists Adrian Block and Hans Christiansen around 1612 on the southern tip of the Island now known as Manhattan. In 1626 Dutchman Peter Minuit purchased the island from Native Americans and named it New Amsterdam where about 350 people set up a settlement. In 1632 the West India Company saw fit to build the first commercial brewery not far from the fort there on a street later known as “Brouwers” street (brewers). The first beers in the colonies were British-style ales: stouts, bitters, and pale ales. The water for the brewery came from Heere Gracht, a stream flowing from natural springs through Beaver path (beaver street). Today in Manhattan the old Brouwers street is named Stone street and one of the oldest streets in the city and is now a pedestrian-only street with many restaurants and taverns of course with outdoor dining.In the 1770s, British brewers began brewing a new style of ale called a porter. This is significant in American brewing history as our first president was a very big fan, insisting that there be porter regularly stocked at Mount Vernon. George Washington also brewed his own beer at Mount Vernon. The New York Public Library discovered and published a recipe for homemade beer from Washington`s “Notebook as a Virginia Colonel.” The recipe is: “To Make Small Beer Take a large Siffer [Sifter] full of Bran Hops to your Taste. Boil these 3 hours then strain out 30 Gall[ons] into a cooler put in 3 Gall[ons] Molasses while the Beer is Scalding hot or rather draw the Melasses (sic) into the cooler & St[r]ain the Beer on it while boiling Hot. let this stand till it is little more than Blood warm then put in a quart of Yea[s]t if the Weather is very Cold cover it over with a Blank[et] & let it Work in the Cooler 24 hours then put it into the Cask–leave the bung open till it is almost don[e] Working–Bottle it that day Week it was Brewed.”
