by Mark
by mark E. Lasbury for Indiana on Tap
Beer trips are always fun, and can be educational at the same time – both in and out of the breweries. Walter and I just returned from a short trip through Ohio, Pennsylvania, and western New York, going as far as Keuka and Seneca in the Finger Lakes. The weather was perfect, and we got to visit 17 breweries, 2 distilleries, and several amazing museums and sites.
While enjoying many pints and even more flights, we learned about beers, noticed trends, and picked up some new knowledge that might inform some decision makers in Indiana. The biggest thing we noted was that the breweries are doing pretty well for those we visited in the strip across Ohio just north of Columbus, the NW corner and Allegheny National Forest regions of Pennsylvania, and the western Finger Lakes region of New York. We traveled from a Friday to the next Thursday, and no matter what day or time of day we visited – they had drinkers when they opened, when they closed, and all times in between.
To go along with being fairly busy (which may or may not translate into dollars) we did see that people were ordering beers, not just sitting around with a computer and a diet coke. We also noticed that they all tended to have big boards, consisting of core beers as well as several one offs or seasonals. The smallest board we came across was at Nostrovia Brewing in Hammondsport, NY, with nine beers on tap, while most others had 12-16 or even more offerings. I think this had something to do with the general business – there seems to be something new on the boards all the time, so people were more likely to find one or more things they wanted to try.
We also remarked on a couple of things that seemed incongruous considering current national trends. Younger people are drinking less, and at least two of the breweries we visited expressly told us that they are making more low alcohol beers, with several more breweries following that lead. The brewers told us that they will make a big beer (8.0% of more) every once in a while, but the vast majority of the board will be in the 4.0-5.5% ABV range. At one brewery, no beer being poured was over 5.8%. It makes sense, but it was harder to explain when we noted that the crowds we saw at all times of the day were older. I’m not great at guessing ages, but I’d bet that most of the people we saw were over 50, maybe over 55. That doesn’t track completely with the lower ABV trend and less alcohol for young people, but everyone seemed to be having a great time.
Another thing we learned is that politics, motives, and personalities play a role in brewing everywhere you go. Walter is a huge fan of Fat Head’s Brewing, and on this trip we visited all three breweries, in North Olmsted, Middleburg Heights (the production brewery), and Canton. The first two visits were great (as was the third in Canton), but it wasn’t until Canton we learned that there was a rift between the locations. The Middleburg Heights location signed a contract with Cavalier that limited what the other two locations could brew (all three locations have systems), sell, and package. A couple of beers were hoarded for distribution, and when the price was raised on them and they didn’t sell, that lack of sales was used to drive a decision to discontinue those beers. The Canton brewpub can’t even sell cans of their house made beer in their own location – they have to send people to the grocery or beer store for them! They can do growlers or howlers, but that’s all. The whole thing just seems odd.
Most of the places we visited had food partners or their own restaurants. In Indiana, we see that the people doing well almost always have food, and it seems that that trend is region wide, not just here. What’s more, it’s apparent that the breweries we visited have embraced the “whole experience.” There were events galore, in the late afternoons and into the evenings, and different draws were apparent – like the duck pin bowling at Old Route 69 Brewing in Ada, OH, vintage décor at Wicked Warren’s in Jamestown, NY, the great beer garden and stage at Black Monk in Erie, PA, or the 150+ year old stone winery building at Brewery of Broken Dreams in Hammondsport, NY.
Walter and I saw that some of the breweries in New York made a point of advertising that they use all New York malts and hops. We appreciate that effort, and asked about it. Remarkably, they told us that the state offers perks for small breweries that commit to using at least 60% NY hops and malts, like being able to sell products from other breweries and wineries without a separate permit, no permit filing fee after year one, and up to five locations with no extra fees. Something like this should be emulated – would Crazy Horse Hops and the Indiana Hop Growers still be around if something similar were offered here? – I think there would be a good chance of it.
Finally, we did visit a couple of artisan distilleries on our trip. They were both great and we noticed that many breweries with three ways used local spirits – Trails to Ales in Franklin, PA made it a point to ONLY use Pennsylvania produced spirits, from white spirits to brown water to liqueurs. We visited Altered States in Erie, PA, which had a novel cocktails, and a fantastic Mexican food partner. They had live blues the night we were there (Saturday), and the place was full to overflowing – the music was inside, but they had people taking tables on the patio just to be able to sit down.
We also visited Birds Eye Hollow Farm and Distillery in the hills above Hammondsport, NY. It is a gorgeous site, and they have their full slate of spirits, their own farm made maple syrups, and local beers, ciders, and wines. I think if they added a restaurant it would be a license to print money. While at Birds Eye Hollow, we met Anne and Frank, a couple from Lawrenceburg, IN (she grew up in Anderson), as well as another lady originally from Fort Wayne. Anne and Frank were on an RV camping trip, and they recognized my Sinister Goat Brewing T-shirt when Walter and I walked in. It turns out that they have attended Hops & Coaster Drops several times, missing only this year’s version on;y because of their current camping trip. Anne and Frank do a lot of traveling and beer/spirits tasting, and we had a great time talking. If you want to follow their travels, you can find them at @wandering.af on Facebook.
Overall, it was a great trip, with flights and pints of 143 different beers. We learned a lot, and I hope craft breweries and the craft beverage industry at large in Indiana can ponder some of the things we learned and saw. We encourage craft fans to try as many places as possible, and if you’re planning a trip east and wish any information about the places we visited, just let me know and I can give you the low down.
Old Route 69 Brewery, Ada, OH
Rivals Brew Pub, Middleburg Heights, OH
Fat Heads Saloon, North Olmsted, OH
Fat Heads Beer Hall, Middleburg Heights, OH
Twisted Elk Brewing, Lake City, PA
Nostrovia Brewing, Erie, PA
Black Monk Brewing, Erie, PA
Altered States Distillery, Erie, PA
Brewery of Broken Dreams, Hammondsport, NY
Finger Lakes Beer Co., Hammondsport, NY
Wicked Warren’s Brewing, Jamestown, NY
Southern Tier Brewing, Lakewood, NY
Tub Town Brewing in Bath, NY
Birds Eye Hollow Farm and Distillery, Hammondsport, NY
The Brew Bank Brewing Co., Ridgway, PA
Trails to Ales Brewing, Franklin, PA
Fat Heads Brewpub, Canton, OH
JAFB Brewing, Wooster, OH
The Phoenix Brewing, Mansfield, OH
