This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with two young entrepreneurs from my hometown, Rochester, NY. Chris Spinelli and Jonathan Mervine are both proud RIT graduates who studied Economics. Coincidentally enough, they both really love making beer.

With their good business sense, supportive families and a couple years of successful stovetop homebrewing under their belts, they knew they had everything they needed to embark on a journey that many people have only dreamed of. They’re in the process of launching Roc Brewing Co., their very own microbrewery.

Although they’re still in the early stages, they’ve already secured what I believe to be the ultimate location. The brewery will be situated in a striking, up to date space on South Union Street in the popular East End area of downtown Rochester. If all goes according to plan with their permit application and the City Planning Commission next week, Spinelli and Mervine will be serving beer to thirsty Rochesterians at their very own tasting bar by early spring.

While the guys were busy brewing, they took the time to fill me in on what they’re all about and they even let me try some of the beers. They hope to initially serve six different brews at their tasting bar and they’re also planning on giving guided tours of the brewery. If the samples that I enjoyed are any indication of what’s to come, Rochester is in luck.

My favorite was their Nut Brown, which really surprised me because Nut Browns aren’t usually my thing. This one was made with vanilla beans that were rehydrated in bourbon, so it had a distinctive taste that was deliciously smooth and enchantingly complex all at the same time.

Roc Brewing Co. is going beyond the beer to set their company apart. Most environmentally conscious brewers use their spent grain as garden mulch but Chris and Jon have come up with an awesome recipe for specialty dog treats. They throw a little peanut butter in and let me tell you, my English Bulldog, Tank, was a big fan.

I’m excited to watch things unfold for these college friends turned business partners. If you spent a few hours talking beer with them, you would be too.

If you’re local (in the Western NY area), you can check out their next tasting event on September 25th. From 2 until 5pm they’ll be at MagPie Irish Pub on Park Avenue with their American IPA, Pale Ale, Porter and more! Stop by, meet the guys and sample some of Rochester’s upcoming microbrews before everyone else catches on.

I firmly believe that with their unbridled passion, serious smarts and so many people who believe in them, they can’t go wrong. We wish Chris and Jon well as they turn their dream into a reality and we’ll be sure to keep all of you posted on their progress.

TAGS [ ROC BREWING CO. | ROC BREWERY | MICROBREWERIES | CRAFT BEER | CRAFT BREWERY ]

Since I’ve lived in Buffalo, I’ve been a big fan of going to football games – especially the home openers. Not only does the first home game signify a fresh start, Western NY is still warm enough to accommodate outside parties, without parkas, scarves, hats and hot beverages.

Tailgating has always been fun but since I’ve worked at KegWorks, it’s gotten increasingly better. This year, I purchased a Hops Holster Ammo Pack and the 2 Liter Oktoberfest Boot to bring with me.

Who would have thought a twenty-something year old girl with 12 beers strapped to her chest and a couple of cute friends by her side would be so attention-grabbing? I couldn’t walk five feet without someone stopping to ask me where I got my Ammo Pack. I even had a few people ask if they could take my photo. Good thing I brought a whole bunch of cards to hand out.

The best part is, I bought a sampler pack from Butternuts Brewery (they make Pork Slap) – not only did I have 12 beers in my Ammo Pack, they were good beers (until of course, people started asking if they could try one if they replaced it with a Bud Light).

The Boot also proved to be a good time, although we couldn’t quite bring ourselves to fill the full 2 liters. It was pretty intense filled half way.

If you want to be the star of your next tailgating party, I’d suggest picking up these items. Also, organize an egg toss game. Until Sunday, I hadn’t participated in one since my dad’s company picnic in 1995 but it was definitely more fun as an adult.

I had nothing to do with this innovative contraption – but I just had to share.

Despite an embarrassing performance and devastating loss, I still had a great time at the game. Go Bills?

TAGS [ NFL | BUFFALO BILLS | TAILGATING | OKTOBERFEST | BEER AMMO PACK ]

Luke Livingston has only been able to legally enjoy beer for the past five years but he’s already built his life around the stuff. Normally, a young adult’s life being consumed by alcoholic beverages is a bad thing – not this time.

Luke’s passion for good craft brews inspired him to blog about beer for a couple of years and now, at age 25, he is the President and CEO of his very own brewery. Some might say he’s living the dream. I would agree.

Luke’s brand new microbrewery, Baxter Brewing Co. is in its earliest stages, located in the Lewiston/Auburn area of Maine. Soon, they’ll begin to distribute their craft beers statewide and shortly after you’ll be able to find their stuff across Northern New England. The brews aren’t yet available to the public, so for now my favorite thing about Baxter is their tagline; "We do what we Can. We Can what we do." Seeing as they’re the first (and only) brewery in Maine to can (or keg) all of their beer, it’s quite fitting and very clever.

I tried to dig up facts on how many breweries exclusively can their beer but I didn’t have much luck. Luckily, I was able to chat with Luke about what he’s up to and he informed me that there are more than 80 craft breweries across the U.S. and Canada that canning at least some of their beers. His brewery is the first in the New England region to go 100% aluminum.

When I think of canned craft beer, Oskar Blues Brewery in Colorado comes to mind. I’m a big fan of their Gubna Imperial IPA and Mama’s Little Yella Pils – and if you read our blog at all, you know we all love the Old Chub – Hannah first wrote about it here, mentioned it again in her post about Ten Fidy and then again in a post that details the benefits of canning over bottling.

I asked Luke about his favorite canned beers (aside from his own of course) and the two he mentioned were Maui Brewing’s CoCoNut Porter and Caldera Brewing Company’s IPA – both of which I’ve added to my list of things to try.

So why did Luke choose to go with canning? There are three big reasons:

1. Cans are better for the environment – they’re made of recycled aluminum, they’re infinitely recyclable and they’re more likely to be recycled. Apparently Americans are twice as likely to recycle aluminum, as they are glass. Who knew? Also, less energy is used to produce cans and because they weigh significantly less than bottles, less fuel is needed to ship them to the brewery and eventually the end-user.

2. Cans are good for the beer. The beer inside won’t see any UV light (until you open it), the dissolved oxygen levels are much lower and the packaging will cool down much quicker – all resulting in fresher, better tasting beer.

3. No one ever got into a bar fight with a broken can. Actually, we’re just assuming there but in all seriousness, cans are better-accepted and less dangerous than glass bottles. Cans can go where glass cannot – the park, the pool, the beach, and the golf course – pretty much anywhere!

With these ideas and an entrepreneurial spirit, Luke began his business plan in June of 2009 and he hasn’t stopped since. When I asked him what his toughest challenge has been so far he was quick to respond that the restoration and rehab of a 150+-year-old mill building has not been the easiest of tasks. You can check out some of the construction photos to see what he was working with. It’s hard to believe that by November, they’ll be brewing beer here.

Although Luke has a few years of homebrewing experience (stovetop only), he would by no means call himself a brewer. He has helped with some of the test batches but almost all of the brewing is done/will be done by the Director of Brewing Operations/Head Brewer Michael LaCharite.

I think I speak for all of us when I say that I’m beyond excited to see (and taste) what these folks come up with. The more eco-friendly, quality craft beer in the world, the better! Bring it on Baxter Brewing Co., bring it on.

Note: As much as we’d like to tell you that the brewery is named after Ron Burgundy’s beloved dog in the movie Anchorman, that’s probably not the case.

TAGS [ BAXTER BREWING | CRAFT BEER | MICROBREWERIES | CRAFT BREWERY ]