Wednesday, April 24, 2013

2013 TAP-NY Preview

It is almost that time again.  TAP-NY is the biggest festival in New York State and has turned into a yearly holiday for us at TheFoamingHead. 

We attended our first TAP-NY in 2007 and have come back for both sessions each year since.  We published our first preview in 2009, and covered the event with a two part live blog covering Saturday and Sunday.  After a break in 2010 we came back with both preview and recaps in 2011 and 2012. (2011 and 2012 previews and 2011 and 2012 recaps).

The 2013 edition of TAP-NY shows continued growth with 93 breweries receiving invitations to pour their beers and compete for the following awards:

The Matthew Vassar Brewers' Cup
The Vassar Cup is awarded to the best brewery in the Hudson Valley.  The top three beers in the Hudson Valley are also awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals under this category.   Chatham Brewing Company took home last year's Vassar Cup with Lake Placid's KB's Wee Heavy Scotch Ale taking home the Gold medal, Captain Lawrence's Imperial IPA taking home the Silver, and High Point's Ramstein Double Platinum Blonde taking home the Bronze.

The F.X. Matt Memorial Cup
The F.X. Matt Cup is awarded to the best brewery in New York State. As with The Vassar Cup, the top three breweries in this category also receive Gold, Silver and Bronze medals under this category.  In a new twist this year, the beer receiving the Gold medal for best beer in New York State will also be awarded The Governor's Cup.  The award was named after Governor Cuomo in recognition of his continued efforts to promote craft beer in New York State.  Spider Bite Brewing was named the best brewery in New York at last year's festival with Bandwagon's High Step Hefeweizen winning the Gold medal, Captain Lawrence's Imperial IPA winning the Silver, and Horseheads' Chocolate Porter winning the Bronze.    

The John Calen Memorial Award
The John Calen award is named after one of the founders of TAP-NY.  Created in 2011 to honor his passing, the event's organizers choose a different style of beer each year and give the award to the best beer in that style.  The inagural award honored English-Style Pale Ales and last year's award recognized Porters. 

*Speaking of medals,  Captain Lawence Captain's Reserve might as well be the official beer of TAP-NY.  We said it last year in our recap and it is worth repeating.  In 2006, the Double IPA won both the Vassar and Matt gold medal. In 2007 it captured the Vassar Silver. In 2009 it won the Vassar gold. In 2010 it took both the Vassar and Matt Silver. This year it again took both the Vassar and Matt Silver medals. Seven years, eight medals for the beer that we scored 96 points and have ranked as the best beer in New York State (out of over 400 we have tasted.)

*There has also been a recent trend of new breweries winning one of the cups.  We caught onto this trend last year and predicted that Newburgh Brewing would win one of the titles.  As with most of our predicitons we were wrong and it was Spider Bite who ended up being the new brewery who impressed.   

*Who are the first time invitees this year?  Andean Brewing Co.mpany, The Beer Diviner, Birdland Brewing, Blind Bat Brewing, Bridge & Tunnel Brewery, Community Beer Works, Council Rock Brewery, Druthers Brewing Company, Brewery at Dutch Ale House, Eataly, 508 Gastrobrewery, Good Nature Brewing Company, Gordon Biersch, Honey Hollow Brewery, Naked Dove Brewing, Naked Flock Hard Cider, Rushing Duck Brewing, Single Cut Beersmiths, Sloop Brewing Company, and Yonkers Brewing Company.  We have not received the final list of which breweries have committed to attending so it makes our prediciton even harder.  If the trend of new kids on the block taking home a trophy continues, mark us down for Rushing Duck (Sorry for the jinx).

*The Bronx Brewery has been in the news a lot lately with their plans to open their own facility as well as the recent release of their flagship pale ale in cans.  Their subsequent releases have been different versions of their classic pale, with rye, Belgian, and black versions.  Let's hope they bring all four.

*We just reviewed Captain Lawrence's Sun Block wheat beer.  One of the best seasonal beers we have had in a long time, we will have more than a few pours of this beer if the temperature heats up this weekend. 

*Cave Mountain may be small but they are constantly keeping things interesting.  Past TAP-NY pours have included a Hemp Seed Ale, and an IPA that checked in at 400 IBU's. What do they have in store for this year?

*After winning last year's Vassar Cup, the boys from Chatham Brewing reveled in their glory.  They also gave me quite a bit of grief for not even mentioning them in our annual preview.  I was able to take a trip up the Interstate to visit them and check out the space for their new brewery.  Head brewer Matt Perry does a phenominal job with the limited space he is currently brewing in and I can't wait to see what he produces once he gets into the new space.

*Not sure if they are coming (Buffalo is a long ways away), but I have heard nothing but good things from people I trust about Community Beer Works.  Let's hope the small brewery brings some of their beer for the Hudson Valley to taste.

*Druthers Brewing will impress at their first TAP-NY.  Head brewer George DePiro is the former brewer of the Albany Pump Station/C.H. Evans Ale where he was responsible for brewing the multiple time GABF winner Kick Ass Brown Ale.

*Eataly and 508 Gastrobrewery have been receiving a lot of press lately.  The two New York Ciity brewpubs have been invited but I have not confirmed their attendance.  Eataly is the joint venture that counts Dogfish Head's Sam Caligione as one of its co-founders.  My collegue and I finally got down to taste some of their beers and they were well brewed and unique at the same time.  508 Gastrobrewery has gaining notorioty after longtime New York beer guru Chris Cuzme took over the reins as head brewer.

*F.X. Matt Brewing has always suffered an undeserved stigma among craft beer "nerds/geeks/snobs" as a "gateway" brewery.  Cliche terms aside I have been very impressed with Saranac's recent expansion of their High Peaks Series.  Hopefully they will be pouring any one or multiple offerings from this series. 
 
*Just got a chance to taste our first Long Ireland beer.  Their Pale Ale scored an impressive 93 points.  That is all. 

*Peekskill is all moved into their new facility and head brewer Jeff O'Neill has been cranking out impressive beer after impressive beer.  I was able to taste his Simple Sour and it was another incredible sour ale (remember Jeff was the one who brewed Brute during his time at Ithaca).  I have heard that his Amazeballs beer is even better and has now created a Triple IPA to follow in the footsteps of his Eastern Standard and Double Standard.

*We named Rushing Duck as our pick to take home an award and for good reason.  The new Orange County brewery is just a few miles down the road from TheFoamingHead headquarters and we couldn't be happier.  We haven't tasted a bad beer from them and most have them have been very good.  Consider this RD's coming out party. 

*Sloop Brewing is the new local nanobrewery in the Hudson Valley.  We were able to taste their Red C on cask at the Aroma Thyme/Keegan Ales Hudson Valley Beer & Cheese Festival and loved it. 

*Applewood Winery has created their own line of apple ciders and has named it Naked Flock Hard Cider.  They just brewed a cider with hops which I have not had the chance to taste but their pumpkin apple cider was really enjoyable.  I am looking forward to tasting a few more of Naked Flock's varities of cider. 

Below is a complete list of the breweries invited.   
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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Brewers Association Releases Top 50 Breweries of 2012 - The New York Spin

Earlier today, the Brewers Association released their annual list of the Top 50 Breweries of 2012.  The list is based solely on the production statistics, i.e. who produces the most beer. 

The full list is broken into two categories; the list of Top 50 U.S. Craft Brewing Companies and the list of the Top 50 Overall U.S. Brewing Companies.  F.X. Matt Brewing, Brooklyn Brewery, Blue Point Brewing Company, and Southern Tier Brewing Company were the four representatives from New York State on both lists.  North American Breweries made an appearance on the overall list but was excluded from the craft brewing list.  Below are our thoughts on each list.



Craft Brewing Companies List
F.X. Matt Brewing was the highest at #8 followed by Brooklyn Brewery at #11, Blue Point Brewing Company at #36, and Southern Tier Brewing Company at #37.

*F.X. Matt is not only the oldest brewery in NY but also the biggest.  In addition to their wildly popular Saranac line, they also produce the historic Utica Club line as well as contract brew for Flying Bison (Buffalo).  Saranac has become almost as easy to find across the country as Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada. 

*Brooklyn Brewery's new expansion has allowed them to climb the ladder.  In addition to producing award winning beers, head brewer Garret Oliver has become the country's foremost expert on craft beer.  Brooklyn brews great beer and has a great distribution network set up, but you would have to imagine that Oliver helps as well. 

*Southern Tier has also been continuously expanding their brewing capacity.  Everyone has always enjoyed their 22 ounce bottle line, but they have made a move in recent years to put great beers in 12 ounce bottles.  It is rare that I have a bad beer from Southern Tier so it makes sense that the rest of the country feels the same way.  I have a feeling they will continue to climb this list each year.  

Overall List
The addition of the big boys bumped each of the four New York craft breweries down but also brought about the inclusion of a fifth NY member.  North American Breweries was listed at #6, Matt Brewing Company is next at #15, followed by Brooklyn Brewery at #18, Blue Point Brewing Company at #47, and Southern Tier Brewing Company at #48.

*North American Breweries is the parent company the brews for several beer brands/lines.  This list included the production numbers for the Dundee, Genesee, Labatt Lime, Magic Hat and Pyramid brands.  The whole portfolio and infrastructure has been sold multiple times over the last few years and is currently up for sale again.  None of the other big brewers are allowed to purchase it because of anti-trust laws, but current owner KPS Capital seems to have reached a $388 million deal with Cerveceria Costa Rica.

*It really does not matter to me who owns the Dundee and Genesee lines as long as the owner gives them the time, money and respect they deserve.  KPS did a flat out wonderful job with the Genesee brand.  They revived the historic sign, built a museum and brewpub and made numerous other countless moves to help revive the brand.  Let's hope that Cerveceria continues the momentum that KPS built.

*Blue Point has always been one of the biggest craft brewers in New York but I was surprised to see it on the Top 50 overall list.  Their beer is everywhere in New York but it just did not seem to be as widely as distributed as other breweries on the same list.  You learn something new everyday.  Congrats to Blue Point as well as the other breweries representing New York on the lists.    
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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Bronx Brewery Releases 16 Ounce Cans

Cans of Bronx Pale Ale Now Available in New York State

 Bronx, NY, April 9, 2013 – The Bronx Brewery is excited to announce the release of 16-ounce cans of its flagship beer, the Bronx Pale Ale, throughout Eastern New York State. In addition to the current draft offering, the beer is now available in packs of four cans for an MSRP of $9.99.

The Bronx Pale Ale, first released in September 2011, is a deep amber, American pale ale brewed with five different barley malts, generous additions of Cascade and Centennial hops, and a unique strain of yeast. The British, German and American malts used provide a complex blend of caramel, biscuit, and nutty malt flavors. The kettle and dry hops provide a gentle, pleasant bitterness with an intense floral and citrus aroma.

The four-packs are available at grocery stores, convenience stores, and local distributors, such as Whole Foods Market, Fairway, Best Yet Market, Gourmet Garage, DeCicco's, Trader Joes, and New Beer.

The company also recently announced the location of its new brewery (856 E 136th Street, Bronx). Planning and construction is underway in Port Morris, and the team hopes to be brewing and conducting tours and tastings in the new facility by the end of 2013.

About The Bronx Brewery
The Bronx Brewery is a small, craft brewery in the Port Morris neighborhood of the South Bronx. It was launched in 2011 by a small team with two things in common: a maniacal focus on creating high-quality beer and a passion for the Bronx and New York City. Its traditionally-crafted pales ales use only premium and minimally-processed materials to create fresh, bold beer from a borough known for its own uniquely bold character. The team is enthused to bring a rich brewing tradition back to the Bronx and craft a beer that the people of the Bronx and New York City can be proud to call their own. You can find their beers throughout New York State.
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Saturday, March 23, 2013

Shmaltz Brewing Company Gets Their Own Brewery





CELEBRATED CONTRACT BREWING ADVOCATE BECOMES OFFICIAL BREWERY OWNER 


Shmaltz Brewing Company Opens 50-Barrel Brewery,
with 20,000 Barrels of Capacity in Upstate New York 

Brewing Production to Begin in April/May 2013; 
Grand Opening on Sunday, July 7, 2013

Clifton Park, NY – Friday, March 22, 2013 – After 16 years as one of contract brewing's loudest cheerleader's, Shmaltz Brewing Company, handcrafters of HE'BREW–The Chosen Beer® and Coney Island Craft Lagers®, is breaking with tradition and opening its own New York State production brewery. Located in Clifton Park, NY, 10 minutes north of Albany’s capital district, Shmaltz's new home boasts a 50-barrel brewhouse with 20,000 barrels annual capacity. With a $3.25 million dollar budget and countless hours of planning and preparation, what began as an improbable fantasy only one year ago, has blossomed into a nearly 20,000 square foot brewing reality.

The first stainless kettles were delivered this week and the inaugural brew date is targeted for late-April. Packaging should commence in May and June, and Shmaltz projects bringing 100% of its production in-house by mid-to-late summer.

The heart of Shmaltz's new operation features a custom-made, 5-vessel manual workhorse brewhouse as well as 8 fermentation and 2 bright beer tanks manufactured in the US from Oregon’s JV Northwest. The 120-bottle-per-minute packaging line comes from the well respected Italian experts at SBC /BC International. The new Shmaltz brewery will package 12 and 22 ounce bottles and kegs of their diverse core and seasonal favorites. Several new releases and collaborations are on tap for 2013, and Shmaltz will continue their acclaimed exploration of barrel-aging with a current inventory of more than 300 bourbon , rye whiskey, and tequila barrels.

The brewery projects hiring upwards of 10 full time staff for the new operation in addition to the dozen staffers currently handling sales, marketing and contract brewing operations. The space also touts a 1,700 square foot tasting room, and roughly 800 square feet of office space.

Even with this new beginning, Shmaltz will be piloted under the watchful and experienced eye s of the same dynamic team that's brought the craft beer world many years of delicious beer and delicious shtick, including Jeremy Cowan (Proprietor), Bob Craven (General Manager), Matt Polacheck (Art Director), Zak Davis (National Sales Manager), Jesse P. Cutler (PR Director), and Paul McErlean (Consulting Brewmaster who created every recipe in Shmaltz’s award winning family of beers).

Financing is coming from the judicious funding of loans from community-based Ballston Spa National Bank , the New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC) using the SBA 504 program, and additional assistance from San Francisco-based Wells Fargo Bank. A limited amount of additional equity was raised from personal friends and family, many longtime supporters of Cowan and Shmaltz Brewing.

A press event and ribbon cutting ceremony will be announced shortly for late April or early May. The official, public grand opening bash will take place on Sunday, July 7, 2013. Specific details will be announced soon. Following the opening, craft beer enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the nectar of the new brewery gods at Shmaltz 's tasting room throughout the year. Brewery tours will be available to the public - times will be announced this summer.

What began in 1996 as a sincere experiment o f 100 cases of beer delivered out of the back of f o under Jeremy Cowan's grandmother' s Volvo, has grown into a 20 0,000 case per year operation (over 12,000 barrels) , grossing $3.9 million in sales in 2012, a 42% increase over 2011. The Shmaltz Tribe honors these contract brewing roots while embracing the miracle o f new life in Clifton Park, NY, envisioning its expansion as a 50 - barrel playground for brewing exceptional specialty beers and hosting a growing family o f enthusiastic consumers at its new home . L’Chaim!

About Shmaltz Brewing Company 
Ranked in 201 3 as one of the "Top 10 0 Brewers in the World" by RateBeer.com, Shmaltz won 9 Gold and 5 Silver Medals in the Word Beer Championships in 2012. A recipient of the "Distinguished Business Award" by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Shmaltz was also included in the "Top 50 Fastest Growing Bay Area Companies" by San Francisco Business Times.

Established in San Francisco in 1996 with the first batch of 100 cases of HE 'BREW Beer® bottled, labeled, and delivered by hand, Shmaltz has sold more than ten million bottles of beer to date. Along with their acclaimed line of HE'BREW Beers®, Shmaltz introduced its sideshow - inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers® which celebrate the spirit of “America’s Playground”. Shmaltz offerings are available in more than 30 states through 35 wholesalers at more than 3,500 retail s pecialty shops across the U.S.

In 2010/11, Shmaltz proprietor Jeremy Cowan published his small business memoir, Craf t Beer Bar Mitzvah : How It Took 13 Years, Extreme Jewish Brewing, and Circus Sideshow Freaks to Make Shmaltz Brewing Company an International Success . A free sampling of Chapter One and suggest ed beer pairings, can be viewed at www.craftbeerbarmitzvah.com .

With the opening of the “World’s Smallest Brewery” in Coney Island, NY (1 - gallon at a time, since 2011), Cowan spearheaded the creation of the non - profit New York City Brewers Guild in 2012 and serves as its President .

Cowan will appear at the 2013 Craft Brewers Conference speaking about the transition from contract brewing to in house production as well as small batch brand strategies. He has also presented at the Great American Beer Festival, BevNet’s Brewbou nd conference, Beer Advocate’s Extreme Beer Festival, the Atlanta and the St. Louis Jewish Book Fair s, and the San Francisco and New York Jewish Museums.

Shmaltz Brewing beers have appeared in such distinguished media outlets as The New York Times, CNN He adline News, The Onion, Fox Business News, Beer Advocate Magazine, Celebrator Beer News, Ale Street News, NPR's "Weeke nd Edition," New York Magazine , Men's Health, Playboy, Associated Press, Reuters, MSNBC, San Francisco Magazine, The Jerusalem Report, New York Jewish Week, Washington Post, MAXIM, Forbes.com, Smartmoney.com, Entrepreneur.com , Epicurious.com and BrewBound.com . For more information, please visit: www.shmaltzbrewing.com

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Brewery Ommegang Releases Dates For 2013 Edition of Belgium Comes To Cooperstown

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) Belgium is coming to Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY on August 2 and 3 with tickets sales beginning April 1. “Belgium Comes to Cooperstown,” Ommegang’s exclusive Belgian beer tasting festival, offers beer enthusiasts the opportunity to taste hard-to-find Belgian ales from the Motherland and Belgian-style ales from all over North America. Seventy-five breweries will be on hand pouring more than 300 unique beers for 3,000 very lucky attendees.

In addition to great beer, there are gourmet food vendors, brewing demonstrations, cheese tastings, live music, on-site camping and much more. Winning chefs from Ommegang’s national Hop Chef competition will go head to head on Saturday vying for top honors in food and beer pairing. This year, BCTC will feature a Ferris wheel so guests can get a bird’s eye view of the excitement of the largest and best Belgian beer festival in the country.

Festivities begin on Friday at 6 pm with five-course beer-pairing dinner for VIP ticket holders. The festival grounds open at noon on Saturday for patrons holding camping tickets. Tastings begin at 2:30 pm for VIP ticket holders and 3 pm for general admission. Tastings end at 7 pm. There will be live music from 3 pm until midnight.

VIP tickets cost $250 and include the five-course beer pairing dinner, two nights of camping on the brewery grounds, a complimentary bottle of Iron Throne Blonde Ale, and additional access to the beer tasting on Saturday afternoon. General admission tickets for Saturday’s event cost $90 and general admission with camping on Saturday night costs $110. Tickets go on sale April 1 at noon at Etix.com and Ommegang.com and are available until they sell out. Please note that VIP tickets have sold out in under a minute for the last three years and all tickets sell out within a day of the event going on sale. For more information, email events@ommegang.com or call (607) 544-1800 ext 813.

About Brewery Ommegang
Brewery Ommegang opened in 1997 to craft-brew fine Belgian-style ales. The brewery creates six ales year-round, as well as an extensive and imaginative range of seasonal and specialty ales. The beers have won a national following by connoisseurs of fine beer and are distributed in 45 states and internationally. Ommegang is located on a 136-acre farmstead in Cooperstown, New York, USA and offers free daily tours and inexpensive tastings as well as a 100-seat café, a well-stocked brewery store, and an annual calendar of public events. Ommegang is open every day of the year except for Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, and New Year’s Day. For more information, please contact info@ommegang.com, call 1-800-544-1809, or visit www.ommegang.com. Ommegang is a member of the Duvel family of fine beers. Follow Ommegang on Twitter: @BreweryOmmegang , Facebook.com/Ommegang, Instagram: @BreweryOmmegang # # #
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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Get Real Presents Firing Up 2nd Annual "Beer Balls" Festival

Fest Will Showcase Chef Preparations of wild game, organic farm fed beef, pork and more from celebrated local chefs and more than 30 Craft Beers.

Get Real Presents announces the 2nd annual “Beer Balls’” Meatballs and Craft Beer festival taking place on Saturday, May 11th, 2013 at the Alewife NYC event space (5/14 51st Ave). Beer Balls will pair some of New York City's most-celebrated, meat/Beer centric chefs together with farm raised game animals from Fossil Farms, NJ. Each chef will prepare their Meatballs with a choice of wild game from Fossil Farms, creating an array of tasty pleasures for attendees to try. Vegetarian dishes will also be available. In addition to tasting different and unique Meatballs, meat-loving attendees will also indulge in Craft Beers from more than 30 craft breweries including BedStuy Brewing, Barrier, Hill Farmstead, Captain Lawrence, Dogfish Head, Sixpoint, Stillwater, Lagunitas, Smuttynose, Ommegang, Wandering Star, Ithaca, Empire, The Bronx Brewery and more plus 15+ cask ales and local homebrews.

“Its year 2 for Beer Balls and what an exciting event we have lined up for you all on May 11th. Alewife will be our host this year and no better place than New York's Beer mecca,” proclaims founder of Get Real Presents, Patrick Donagher. “Beer Balls is truly a magnificent exhibition of Craft Beer and handmade Meatballs catered by Beer & meat centric Chefs.”

Tickets to this event are available exclusively on Eventbrite here and are extremely limited.

The Beer Balls festival is taking place over 2 sessions: 12-3pm and 4-7 pm. Each $40 ticket includes 10 tastings of Cask Ale/Draft Beer & 10 Tastings of Meatballs!

CHEFS, DISHES & BREWERIES TO BE ANNOUNCED

Get Real Presents does not oversell its festivals! As such, tickets are extremely limited and both sessions will SELL OUT.

This is a 21+ only event.

Companies interested in exhibiting or sponsoring, please email Rev Ciancio. at therev@getrealpresents.com.

Breweries interested in participating, please email Patrick Donagher at Patrick@getrealpresents.com

About Get Real Presents
Get Real Presents is a Craft Beer-focused company made up of Craft Beer & food advocates that host Beer and food festivals in New York City. We have always supported and used local food purveyors at all of our events and are excited to bring you Beer Balls Meatball & Craft Beer Festival, using local farms and organic fed meat.
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Thursday, March 14, 2013

Davidson Brothers Planning to Build New Brewery

Glens Falls, New York, March 14, 2013 ‐ Brothers Rick & John Davidson, founders and owners of Glens Falls‐based Davidson Brothers Brewing Company, are announcing plans to build a 20,000‐square foot craft brewery in Queensbury, New York. The tentative location of the planned brewery is at 1043 U.S. Route 9, formerly a multi‐screen movie theater and currently home to The Sports Zone and Replay Sports retail stores. Pending approvals, property acquisition could take place as soon as May with initial production commencing by March 2014. The approximately $3.5 million project will include a 50‐barrel brew house with packaging and kegging lines, as well as a visitor tour experience, tasting room and company store, and will initially employ six to twelve people. Accommodation of tour buses is planned. "We are very excited Davidson Brothers has chosen Queensbury as home for their new brewery and company store," says Queensbury Town Supervisor, Ron Montesi. "Their brand is wellknown and their brewery will be a welcome addition to visitor attractions located within the town." Initial production capacity will be approximately 10,000 barrels or 138,000 cases per year.

Davidson Brothers Brewing Company is an independent, family‐owned business which has operated a brewpub in nearby Glens Falls since 1996 and which began distribution of Davidson Brothers beers that same year. "We delivered our first keg to The Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing just two months after we opened," says co‐founder Rick Davidson. "And each year for the past sixteen we've had to brew a lot more beer than the year before." Davidson Brothers initially brewed all their beer on the 7‐ barrel brew system in their Glen Street brewpub, but quickly ran out of capacity. Since 2001, Davidson Brothers beers have also been brewed at Shipyard Brewery in Portland, Maine. Construction of the new Queensbury brewery will enable Davidson Brothers to brew all their beer in Warren County. “Today’s announcement is truly fantastic news for the economic engine of Warren County and the region” said EDC Chairman, Charles R. Barton. “Not only are the Davidson’s bringing current out‐ofstate production into Warren County, but they are adding another exciting dynamic to their business. The positive impact to our tourism product will be heralded.” The brothers and their family will continue to operate their popular restaurant and brewery in Glens Falls.

Davidson Brothers Brewpub is home to the first and only authentic Peter Austin Brick Kettle British brew system installed in any brewpub in New York. John Davidson says, "We chose this rare brew system with its traditional open‐top fermentation because with it we can handcraft truly world‐class beers. We chose Shipyard as our contract partner because they brew on a Peter Austin as well. Our new Queensbury brewery will house the second‐largest Peter Austin system in the United States, the largest being Shipyard's." Design, custom fabrication, installation and commissioning of the Queensbury brewery's system will be overseen by internationally acclaimed Master Brewer, Alan Pugsley, originally of England's famous Ringwood Brewery and co‐founder of Shipyard Brewing. With Peter Austin & Partners and his own Pugsley's Brewing Projects, Pugsley has overseen the design and installation of over 70 Peter Austin brew systems worldwide.

Fort Edward natives Rick & John Davidson conceived the idea of opening a brewpub during a visit to Baltimore, Maryland's Wharf Rat brewpub in 1993. At the time, there were less than 500 breweries in the U.S. Since then, microbreweries have experienced explosive growth. Today there are well over 2,200 breweries operating in the country with more than 1,000 planned. According to the Brewers Association, craft beer volume rose 13% in 2011 and another 12% in the first half of 2012. Davidson Brothers Brewing has experienced double‐digit volume growth each of the past three years with sales volume more than doubling in the past twenty‐four months. Davidson Brothers beers are distributed throughout seventeen counties of upstate New York as well as throughout New York City. The largest distributor of Davidson Brothers beers is Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service of Saratoga Springs covering an area from the Capital District north to Massena.
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