Manhattan Brewing Company of New York

Founded by British entrepreneurial visionary Richard Wrigley and successful Brooklyn businessman Robert D'Addona, the Manhattan Brewing Company pioneered the brewpub concept in New York City. The first working brewery in the city for many decades, operations started as a large on-premise multi tap brew-pub in 1984. located in a former Consolidated Edison substation on the corner of Thompson Street and Broome/Watts in SoHo. The international style ales and beers combined with beer cellar style tables and ornamental copper kettles were a big hit with New Yorkers; distribution was then expanded, via draft horses and antique dray, into the New York marketplace with medal winning brands Manhattan Amber and Manhattan Gold Lager. The business struggled however, with a large overhead, the raising of the NY drinking age and the Black Monday crash of October 19, 1987. The doors finally closed in 1991.