Ithaca

Beer Co.

Co. was launched in earnest in 1998. Three

years ago, they moved into larger facilities just
outside ofIthaca city limits. Since then, their
number of employees has expanded from 17
to 60, and at press time, they were in the process ofhiring five new full-time positions. In

WRITER

October, Tompkins County gave the okay

IERIN SCHERER

for Ithaca Beer to undergo another expan-

PHOTOGRAPHER

sion that will double the size of the current

ANDREW NOYES

facilities. With this expansion, Ithaca Beer

hopes to increase their production and add

N THE LAST FEW YEARS, THANKS IN

even more jobs. "I really think that we're an

part to the passing of the Farm Brewery

economic boost for the area. Ifwe're produc-

Act in 2012, the number ofcraft breweries

ing more, we're further saturating the areas

in New York State has exploded. According to

that we sell products in. And with expanding

the Finger Lakes Beer Trail's website, there are

territOry, we're getting more people exposed

now more than 75 breweries within the Finger

to Ithaca and Ithaca Beer. There's that much

Lakes alone. The new legislation has reduced

more potential with people coming to visit,"

the amount ofpaperwork to establish a brew-

Mitchell explains.

ery, allOWing would-be craft brewers to set up

And Mitchell has embraced the new

their enterprises with ease. Despite all the new

competition. "Having all these people pop

competition, Ithaca Beer Co. remains at the

up, brewing local beer and making local dis-

forefront ofthe Finger Lakes craft beer world.

tilled products, has gotten the community

"I believe that we're a huge draw to the area.

to focus on their own area, rather than what

I know that in our taproom, we get people

we used to do in New York State, which was

coming in who live outside of the region and

look at what Canadians and Vermont were

outside of the state all the time," Ithaca Beer

doing." Ithaca Beer is even collaborating

owner Dan Mitchell says.

with the new farm breweries, creating Col-

In recent years, Ithaca Beer's pres-

laboratus, a dark, hop-rich saison with Penn

ence has moved beyond the Finger Lakes,

Yan's Abandon Brewing Company, as well

beyond the craft beer world, and into

as Wort Is Bond, another saison with Good

American pop culture at large, finding

Nature Brewing in Hamilton. Other col-

its way into national publications like

laborations with the likes of Finger Lakes

People and Sports Illustrated. Their Apricot

Distilling have produced beer fermented in

\Vheat has been name-dropped on ESPN

Bourbon and Chardonnay barrels.

and the Fox TV series Amer'ican Dad!

"I think we represent the craft element

This newfound national attention, how-

pretty well," Mitchell says. "We've been

ever, doesn't faze Mitchell in the slightest.

working very hard at it for years. We work

"It doesn't necessarily stop or change the

really hard to make consistent, great-tast-

direction ofwhere things are going."

They've come a long way. First conceived
in 1995, they initially used a contractOr to
brew their beer. When their contractor went

ing craft beer. It's something that you can

keep coming back to."
122 Ithaca Beer Drive, Ithaca, 607. 273. 0766,
ithacabeer.cam

out of business, Mitchell opted to brew their

beer on-site instead. Following the purchase
of equipment from an Austin, Texas, brewpub that had gone out ofbusiness, Ithaca Beer

Erin Scherer wrote about Lake Drum Brewing in Edible

Finger Lakes' May/June 2014 Wine Issue. In warmer
months. she occasionally enjoys aglass of Ithaca
Beer's Flower Paweron draft.

ediblefingerlakes.com

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