Piels Beer: Where To Buy And Enjoy This Classic Brew

Piels Beer is a regional lager beer, originally brewed in Brooklyn, New York, by the Piel brothers: Gottfried, Michael and Wilhelm Piel. The beer is available for purchase on e-commerce websites such as eBay and Etsy. These websites offer a variety of Piels Beer products, including vintage beer cans, bottles, coasters, stickers, and glassware. BeerMenus, a website that helps users find specific beers, currently does not list any locations where Piels Beer is available.

Piels beer on Etsy

Piels Beer, originally brewed in Brooklyn, New York, is available on Etsy in a variety of forms. The online marketplace offers a range of vintage Piels Beer merchandise, including bottle openers, coasters, glassware, trays, and even a 1950s die-cast metal bar caddy featuring the iconic Piel's Beer Gnomes.

For those looking to add to their Piels Beer memorabilia collection, Etsy has a variety of options. Vintage bottle openers and coasters from the 1950s and 1960s are available, with prices ranging from $13.50 to $18. A vintage 1960s round metal serving tray is also available for $24, a unique piece of barware history.

In addition to the vintage items, Etsy also offers modern Piels Beer merchandise. A set of four 12 oz glass tumblers featuring the famous Bert & Harry characters is available for Piels Beer enthusiasts. These glasses are perfect for those who want to enjoy their beer in style. For those who want to take their Piels Beer on the go, a 1972 barrel beer bottle is available for purchase, a unique way to enjoy your favourite brew.

Etsy also offers a unique opportunity to own a piece of Piels Beer history with the vintage die-cast metal bar caddy. This 1950s piece features the Piel's Beer Gnomes and is a rare find for any collector. The caddy is approximately 8" long, 5" wide, and 6" tall, making it a perfect addition to any bar or man cave.

Whether you're a collector of vintage beer memorabilia or simply a fan of Piels Beer, Etsy has something for everyone. With a range of options, from glassware to promotional items, you can find the perfect piece to add to your collection or showcase your love of this regional lager.

Piels beer in New York

Piels Beer, also called Piel Bros. Beer and Piel's Beer, is a lager beer that was originally brewed in the East New York section of Brooklyn, New York City, at 315 Liberty Avenue. The beer was founded in 1883 by the Piel brothers: Gottfried, Michael and Wilhelm Piel. Michael was the brewer in the family, and he had come up with an excellent pilsner beer. Like lagers, pilsners were bottom-fermenting beers, a German innovation that needed to be stored in dark, cold caves to reach their peak flavour and alcohol content.

The brewery grew and spread to include the entire block, with several new factory buildings constructed in the 1890s and beyond. The firm of Weber & Drosser designed the new main brewery building in 1892, and Theobald Engelhardt, the German-American dean of brewery architects, was on hand to build other parts of the factory and to retrofit and redesign some of the older buildings. In the 1950s, Piel's expanded to buy another surviving brewery, Trommer's, in Bushwick, as well as a Staten Island brewery. But they expanded too much, and people began to find their beer too weak as Budweiser and other popular brands took over the market.

In 1973, the East New York plant closed, and in subsequent years, Piel's was acquired by Schaefer, which was in turn bought by Stroh's, which was itself purchased by Pabst, which ended the Piel's label in 2015. A new Piel's was founded in 2018, and it is still possible to find Piels beer in New York.

Piels beer in Pennsylvania

Piels Beer is a regional lager beer, originally brewed in Brooklyn, New York, in 1883. The brewery was founded by the Piel brothers: Gottfried, Michael, and Wilhelm Piel. The soft water from Long Island was preferred by German brewers, and breweries in Brooklyn proliferated at this time.

In the 1950s, Piels expanded significantly. In 1951, they bought Trommer's beer in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and in 1953 they purchased the plant of Rubsam and Hormann in Stapleton, Staten Island, along with the R&H label. However, as sales slowed, the Trommer plant was closed in 1955. Piels, like many other regional breweries, faced increasing competition from national brands such as Schlitz, Pabst, and Budweiser, which slowly overtook the market. This, coupled with a disastrous 81-day brewery strike in 1949, allowed out-of-town brewers to gain a foothold in New York City and contributed to the decline of the Piels dynasty.

The Piels brewing legacy lasted for ninety years until it closed its doors in September 1973. Much of the complex was demolished, but one structure remains at the original site, serving as a reminder of the once-thriving local business and East New York's German heritage.

Today, Piels Beer is distributed by LT Verrastro, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based distributor. The company's address is listed as 700 Moosic Rd, Old Forge, PA 18518. While it's not clear where exactly their distribution reaches, this suggests that Piels Beer may be available at various locations throughout Pennsylvania.

Piels Beer products, including vintage cans, coasters, and bottle openers, are also available for purchase online through eBay. Some of these products specifically mention Pennsylvania in their descriptions, such as "Piels Beer Steel Rocket Bottom 12 oz Upc Can Allentown Pennsylvania Only L96 H/G" and "PIELS REAL DRAFT 16 OZ. BEER CAN~PIEL BROTHERS, ALLENTOWN, PA & BAALTIMORE,MD".

Piels beer cans for sale

If you're looking to buy Piels beer cans, you're in luck! There are several options available to you, especially if you're interested in vintage or empty cans.

One popular option is to check eBay, which has a wide variety of Piels beer cans and related products for sale. These include empty vintage cans from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, featuring different designs and locations, such as Brooklyn, New York, and Pennsylvania. Some cans are described as "flat top," "fan-tab," or "pull-tab" and range in size from 12 to 16 ounces. Many of these cans are listed as empty, but some are described as "new" or "full", so be sure to read the listings carefully.

In addition to individual cans, eBay also offers lot options, where you can purchase multiple Piels beer cans in a single transaction. These lots typically include a variety of cans from different years and with different designs, making them a great option for collectors or those looking to display Piels memorabilia.

Aside from the cans themselves, eBay also has a range of Piels beer-related products, such as vintage advertising trays, bottle openers, and coasters. These items can be great complementary pieces to your Piels beer can collection or even stand-alone decorative items for your home bar or man cave.

While this answer focuses on Piels beer cans for sale, it's worth noting that Piels beer may also be available from local retailers or other online stores. However, given the brand's history and the collectibility of its memorabilia, eBay seems to be a particularly good source for Piels beer cans and related products.

Piels beer history

Piels Beer, also known as Piel Bros. Beer and Piel's Beer, is a regional lager beer originally brewed in Brooklyn, New York. The Piels Brewing Company was founded in 1883 by the Piel brothers: Gottfried, Michael and Wilhelm Piel. Michael, the brewer, was born in Germany in 1849 and served in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. After the war, he worked with his brother for several years before moving away from farming, the family's traditional occupation. Michael found success in rose breeding and beekeeping before turning his attention to brewing. He began his apprenticeship as a brewer in Dortmund, Westphalia, in the old-style subterranean cellars of the city's breweries.

In 1883, Michael joined his brother Gottfried, an export merchant, in New York City. Together, they founded a brewery in East New York, using modern scientific principles while retaining a traditional German feel. The soft water from Long Island was particularly well-suited to brewing, and breweries in Brooklyn were proliferating at this time. The brothers' brewery was a success, and by 1898, the partnership had become a corporation with a national reputation. The plant was expanded twice during Michael's lifetime, and its reputation spread abroad, with brewing experts from Europe and South America visiting to study his work.

In the 1950s, Piels expanded significantly. In 1951, the company bought Trommer's beer in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and in 1953, they acquired the plant of Rubsam and Hormann in Stapleton, Staten Island, along with the R&H label. However, in 1955, the Trommer plant was closed due to slowing sales. Piels and other regional breweries faced increasing competition from national brands such as Schlitz, Pabst and Budweiser, which slowly overtook the market. This, coupled with a lengthy 81-day brewery strike in 1949, allowed out-of-town brewers to gain a foothold in New York City and contributed to the decline of the Piels dynasty. In 1963, the R&H plant was closed, and the company was sold to the Associated Brewing Company of Detroit, Michigan.

In 1973, the Piel Bros. plant in East New York was closed after 90 years of operation, and the brand changed hands several times in the following decades. In 2018, the Piels brand was relaunched in the New York region by the Piels Brewing Company, owned by the direct descendants of the former Piel Bros.

Frequently asked questions