There's a good article Custom BrewCrafters of Honeoye Falls, New York in Rochester's Democrat and Chronical today describing their unique path to business stability:
Custom BrewCrafters produces less than 3,000 barrels a year — placing the Honeoye Falls beer maker well under the 15,000-barrel ceiling of a microbrewery. But an unusual business plan requires head brewer Jason Fox to cook up scores of unique recipes for bars and restaurants across western and central New York. There's probably not a brewery in the nation that makes 60 flavors of beer on a regular basis, said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association in Boulder, Colo. "It's a pretty rare model," Gatza said. "I don't know of anybody brewing that many different beers.""Flavors"!?! Oh dear, author Patrick Flanigan and associated editors. I once had a bartender ask me what flavour of beer I wanted. Well, I suppose people can learn at their own pace that each good beer has a zillion flavours.
Anyway, on my recent first trip into the wilds of that bit of New York between Syracuse and Buffalo (nice cabbage fields, by the way) we did not check out Custom BrewCrafters but I think it was because we would not be passing by in the evening, the only time when the retail store is open during the week. [Click on the map. We were close when we were at Letchworth and it's not that far from Beers of the World.] Despite this, I was struck by the prudence of that business call as well. Take-away craft beer need not bow to the 24/7 world. Next time.
Comments
Buttle - September 17, 2007 12:09 AM
They also sell their growlers at the Wegmans Pittsford store that is pretty close to BotW, plus really is open 24/7. Not the same as visiting the brewery, but more convenient.
Andy Dremeaux - September 17, 2007 11:55 AM
CB was always a frustrating brewery to have around when I was at school. They are kind of like Saranac. They make tons of different styles, and come out with new stuff all the time, but the sad truth is that it all tastes very similar. They use the right ingredients, but there is just never any punch, any distinctiveness, like they are afraid to go all out and make the style as it should be because they are afraid of alienating their customers with more "different" beer tastes. The end result is that they all end up tasting like slight variations on your basic ale, and usually not very good at that.
Much like Saranac. Saranac makes a rauchbier that is only slightly smoky, an IPA that is only slightly hoppy, a belgian ale that is only slightly yeasty, and a chocolate stout that is only slightly cocoa-y.
Travis1 - September 17, 2007 12:15 PM
Andy- Could not disagree with you more. First off, I don't think that you can lump Saranac in with the rest of the "craft brew" market. like Magic Hat, they distribute in far too large of a region to be a true craft brewery. Because of this, they will always have beers that are a little more "drinkable" to the general population.
Second, it's not "Saranac Brewery" it's Matt's Brewery. They also brew most of the Brooklyn lineup there as well.
The reality is that though Saranac has some attempts at the "craft brewing" (high peaks for example) in the end they are producing the Pale Ale/Black Forest/Lager more than anything because that is their business. (by the way, have you tried the High Peaks? Took gold in the Australian comp a few months back in the IPA category)
I know this is your opinion about the beer and I don't mean to get my panties into a bunch about it, I just wish people would take into consideration the breweries and what they are like as a business before they start throwing them in categories with some of the fine craft brews out there. It would be like saying "Budweiser sells more than Dog Fish Head so they are obviously better".
MLD - September 17, 2007 10:17 PM
They serve this at the BBQ Joint in Rochester -- I think it is called Dinosaur. Their cream porter is mighty tasty, perfect to drink all night on a cold, upstate NY day.
Alan - September 18, 2007 9:57 AM
That is interesting. I had thought Dino BBQ in Syracuse was supplied by Middle Ages? Does CBC supply both?
tagz - September 18, 2007 4:23 PM
CB has a cool buisiness model, but I have to agree with the first poster that their beers run thin. I like the fact that they provide small bars with specialty beers they can call their own. Unfortunately, I really haven't been impressed with the hand full I've sampled thus far.
Andy Dremeaux - September 20, 2007 8:07 PM
Travis, not to pick hairs but that seems to be what you are doing:
> Second, it's not "Saranac Brewery" it's Matt's Brewery.
So?
> They also brew most of the Brooklyn lineup there as well.
That is completely irrelevant. They brew the beer, but they are not Saranac's recipes (excuse me, Matt's), and they are not products they put the Saranac name on them. Sly Fox contract brews and bottles a lot of Southampton stuff... but you'd never say Sly Fox was Southampton.
More importantly, you seemed to have missed the point of my comment. The point was not comparing business models, names, capacity, whatever. The point was merely comparing line-up and taste of beers. I can't see how anyone could not see how both Saranac and CB produce a very large line-up of very tasteless beers. There will always be exceptions, but for 90%+ it is completely true. Look at average scores for both brands on RB or BA if you need further proof. The standard deviation for both brewers is TINY -- and the average score is rather low.
By the way, looking back at my post, I never even said "Saranac Brewery." Why are you misquoting me?