History of brewing in Rochester, New York

The city of Rochester, New York—before being known as the birthplace of Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch & Lomb—was internationally known for its robust brewing industry.

The corn, rye, barley, wheat, and other grains grown in the Genesee River Valley were shipped down river to be milled in such quantity that by 1838 Rochester was world's largest flour producer, earning it the nickname the Flour City.

[1] The emergence of the canal also allowed for the easy delivery of hops, grown to such an extent in area the between Albany and Syracuse that by 1849 the region produced more than anywhere else in the country, eventually selling more than three million pounds annually by 1855.

[2][3] A large influx of German immigrants escaping famine and war in the late 1840s also contributed to the industry's growth.

While the breweries themselves were large employers, they also supported a number of other industries including bottlers; salesmen; teamsters; ice cutters; farmers growing wheat, barley, and hops; tavern keepers; lithographers (for labels); wagon makers and horsemen.