First Irondequoit brewery coming to I-Square

The town of Irondequoit will soon have its first craft brewery.

Mike Nolan, the owner of I-Square, and Nate Kester, owner/brewer, presented their vision to the Irondequoit Planning Board on Monday. The board tabled the project until its March meeting, but Town Supervisor Dave Seeley said the project will be a welcome addition.

Neither side expects any hiccups. And if everything goes smoothly, Irondequoit Beer Co. could open later this year. Nolan will own the building, while Kester will lease it and operate the brewery.

"I want the beer to taste great and everybody should be able to enjoy it to some degree," Kester said.

Nolan said the brewery will be part of the third phase of development for the I-Square project. The brewery will be housed in a barn/stable from the early 1900s on the former Vercruysse farm property, 775 Titus Ave. The building is roughly 600 square feet on the first floor and will be expanded in the back to house a small tasting room.

The second floor of the barn could be used for event space, Nolan said. Nolan and Seeley said the property has already been rezoned to accommodate plans for the brewery and senior housing. He said the goal is to maintain much of the original charm and barn qualities of the building.

The Planning Board is reviewing the entire site plan. The 3-acre property will include 20 patio-style homes to be used for senior living, the brewery, and the former farm stand building that will house another business, potentially a small grocery store.

"The whole redevelopment is exciting, because it fulfills some needs with senior housing," Seeley said. "But when you add a brewery in there, it's a game-changer for Irondequoit. I've lamented that so many great breweries have gone up in Monroe County in the past five years. And Irondequoit, which is the second biggest town, didn't have one."

More: What the heck is 'The Imaginarium' at I-Square?

The third phase of the project is part of the initial PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) reached with the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA), now called Imagine Monroe. There is no direct assistance from local government, but there is a long term tax break plan for the overall project that was initially enacted in 2013.

The pre-existing, adaptable space is the key for this project, Seeley said. Stoneyard, K2 Brothers, Swiftwater are housed in spaces that were primed to be redeveloped, he added.

"Breweries are just generally great places where you see a lot of creativity," Seeley said. "There's just an organic energy that attracts people to them.

"They're just great small businesses, because many utilize local products and there is local ingenuity. The community almost adopts them as their own. They're almost like the modern neighborhood pub."

The original vision for I-Square has evolved. It's less dense than first envisioned, but still fulfills a need as a town-gathering space, both Seeley and Nolan said. "I've always been happy with the revised vision," Seeley said.

Kester, 34, teaches English at Rochester Early College International High School in the Rochester City School District. He moved to Irondequoit about nine years ago with his wife, Kelly. He lives within walking distance of the brewery. His 6-year-old daughter Claire is a willing brewery assistant, Kester added with a huge smile.

The barn, which dates to the early 1900s, was used as a stable to house the horse needed to work the farm, Nolan said. The horse stall is still a prominent part of the barn. You can still see the conveyor where feed was delivered to the barn. For the last few years, the barn has been a “collection spot” for assorted belongings and farming remnants.

Kester is still in the process of securing all his federal and state licenses. But Nolan is helping him work through the process. Kester said he wants to obtain a craft brewery license. The brewery will potentially feature something as big as a five-barrel brewhouse for larger batches and a smaller system for pilot batches.

Kester and Nolan started talking about the project six months ago. Nolan is particularly excited, because this will be the first building in the I-Square project that he and his team will get to renovate and refurbish. They installed a new roof on the building just last year. Nolan worked at the old farm in the early 1980s when he was still a student at Irondequoit High School.

"As soon as we get the go-ahead from the town, this building will be the very first thing we start on," Nolan said. "As much as this is an I-Square amenity, this will be a neighborhood asset."

Nolan was sold on the brewery idea after trying Kester's almond milk stout. Like the name suggests, Kester wants his brewery to be a community asset. And he envisions his beers being a reflection of that.

"I like everything from a Kölsch to an IPA to a stout," he said. "I love trying stuff. For this, I want to do the classic styles, but with some kind of twist to it. I don't want to just be IPAs. This brewery is supposed to be for everyone in the community."

WCLEVELAND@Gannett.com

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