Swiftwater Brewing Company to ease the winter chill

(Editor's note: Swiftwater Brewing Co. will be open from 4 to 11 p.m. on its first day, Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 378 Mt. Hope Ave.)

A BREWERY COMES TO LIFE (STARTING JAN. 14!)

Back when the leaves were just beginning to peak here in Western New York, and the pumpkin beers were beginning their annual assault on available shelf space, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting up with Andy Cook, founder and owner of Rochester's own Swiftwater Brewing Company. Located on the corner of Hickory Street and Mt. Hope Avenue (378 Mt. Hope to be exact), the site about to become Rochester's most recent contribution to the craft brewing industry appeared to be little more than an ambitious young man's woodshop, which just happened to house a shiny new 7-barrel brewing system, complete with auger-fed mash tun, glycol chiller, and two bright tanks. A couple of whitewater kayaks embedded high up on the wall over a large recess that was to eventually become an area for booth seating provided the only real hint of a prospective theme in the works.

What I learned over the next hour was that I was in the midst of an episode of The Property Brothers meets microbrewery, and though I could see very little of what was to be of this space he'd purchased approximately a year prior to my visit, he had a vision that accounted for every minute level of detail right down to how his flights of beer would be served. His hands had crafted practically everything in plain view (and more) to that point, including the bar made from a black walnut tree from his parent's property, and he exuded the same type of eager energy one might observe in the proverbial kid in a candy store, if said kid was building the store that was to later become the residence of his passion.

He enthusiastically showed me the upstairs space as if hiding treasure, which was obviously well-planned and consisted of his future office space, a grain room complete with grain mill which was auger-fed to the aforementioned mash tun below where we stood (he was deservedly quite proud of the work he did in reinforcing the structure to support his pallets of grain), and a space for a future laboratory.

What was also present in Andy was a quiet calm, the kind you might expect from a man content to construct a scratch brewery from the bare bones of a structure that once housed JP Motorcycle Escorting, and someone confident in his quest to quench the insatiable thirst that is the Rochester craft beer scene with a daring not commonly found in an upstart brewing operation. Flagship beers or staple recipes, Andy says, are not something he's interested in. More to come on that shortly…

ABOUT ANDY

Andy graduated from SUNY Geneseo in 2000, and shortly thereafter spent six months in Ireland. It was here that a desire to brew began to bloom concurrently with his love for Guinness. Upon returning home, he immediately took to brewing more than a half-dozen batches in rapid-fire succession and became instantly hooked.

Over the next 12 years, he honed his craft while working some of that time as an adjunct professor at MCC. He also became an avid whitewater kayaker in the early part of the last decade (the inspiration for the name of his brewery), and would eventually go on to teach at Lock 32 in Pittsford. He later attained whitewater rescue certification and taught courses at Letchworth State Park and at Lock 32.

Deciding he needed to look for something more lucrative, Andy and his dad began throwing around ideas. His dad expressed interest in starting a winery, while Andy explored the notion of starting a hop farm. The uncertainty inherent in agriculture, combined with some first-hand insight of the financial hardships of current hop farm owners deterred him from making what he knew to be a sizable investment. According to Andy, "The other part of the decision was that what I really love is making beer, serving it to people, and talking about it. After that it was a pretty easy decision."

A DREAM IN THE MAKING

The next piece to the puzzle was finding a location, something he spent a long while doing. Andy traveled as far away as Geneva in search of the perfect place to call home to his brewing operation before landing right back here in Rochester. Though he did hire an architect to assist with the layout, much of the design work is credited to Andy, himself. Through the experience of gutting and rebuilding homes with his father, Andy was armed with the skills needed to turn 378 Mt. Hope Avenue into a beer lover's paradise, which I'm happy to report he has done.

Since the acquisition of the space now home to Swiftwater Brewing Company, Andy has hired a professional brewer, Patrick Meehan, who formerly worked at Fairport Brewing and who went through the Master Brewers Program at University of California, Davis. Patrick brewed beer for six years prior to working at Fairport Brewing, before parting ways a year ago. He and Andy partner in brewing decisions, with Patrick handling more of the technical aspect of the operation, and Andy contributing to the creative side of things.

THE BEER

For the opening tomorrow night (Wednesday, January 14), Swiftwater Brewing Co. will feature a porter (I had occasion to try the unfinished batch during my visit, and I can attest that it was a solid rendition with rich coffee notes and roasted malt character), a sour, a Saison, an IPA, an English-style bitter, and a Thai PA, brewed with Thai spices, pepper, cilantro and chilies.

Andy's intent is to serve straight from the bar (in flights, pints, and growlers) for a while, and to maybe get kegs to a few local pubs in the near future. Along with his six staple beer styles, he intends to brew some smaller-scale special brews for those with a more adventurous palate. Andy stated that, "We aren't currently set up to brew smaller batches, but we are doing some barrel-aging and will play around with dry-hopping and adding flavors in the keg to add some variety," and that they'll maintain a variety of flavors at all times, but the recipes and styles will evolve to be "seasonally appropriate."

He will have eight lines on at all times, with one or two devoted to guest beers, and though they haven't locked in those exact breweries/beers just yet, they are working on partnering with local farm brewers, wineries and distilleries. That being said, for their opening tomorrow, they will also be featuring (by the glass) two varietals from Long Point Winery, located in Aurora, NY, as well as tastings and bottles of Traditional Irish Whiskey and Poitin (Irish Moonshine) from O'Begley Distillery out of Pittsford.

THE INGREDIENTS

Andy currently uses four different yeast strains in his beers to deliver that variance in flavor he strives for, but he intends to use more as they move forward. To make sure he had the hop supply he would need to satisfy his audience, Andy and company bought out Pumpkin Hill Hop Farm's two-acre crop of hops (they are now looking to expand their crop for good reason), and they will be buying from other local farms in the future. Andy is also in talks with three local malt houses to provide their supply going forward, as he takes great pride in supporting local businesses.

THE FUTURE

Andy is hoping to one day add food to his operation, stating that burgers would be a likely menu option, as his parents own cows and a greenhouse. He made a point to add that everything on that menu would also be sourced locally.

Rest easy my enthusiastic beer lovers, as tomorrow marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the Rochester beer scene. On behalf of all who cherish craft beer as I do, I'd like to extend a warm welcome and a heartfelt thank you to Andy Cook and Patrick Meehan for all of your hard work, fortitude, and entrepreneurial spirit as you bring Swiftwater Brewing Company to all of us.

CHEERS!!!