Berlin Brewer To Open Tap Room In Stephentown

Bly Hollow Brewery, dba The Beer Diviner, is opening up a Tap Room and Market at the junction of Route 22 and 43 in Stephentown. Under a farm brewery law just passed by New York State, a brewery able to use 20% New York State hops and 20% barley and all other ingredients in the first five years (the percentages go up after that) has certain licensing fees exempted or reduced and can open up to five branch offices all under the same license. At any of these locations a farm brewery can make and sell hard cider, sell New York State wine and liquor and also sell local food such as cheeses and meats.
Jonathan Post, brewer and owner of The Beer Diviner, said that he is one of only three farm breweries now in New York State. “The problem for larger breweries is the small amount of barley and hops grown in New York. They can’t be certain of a regular supply and because what is available comes from different small growers, they can’t be certain of consistency. However, consistency does not mean quality,” Post said. “In my opinion the New York State malt grown by small farmers is far superior to the malt grown by the giant companies out in North Dakota and Minnesota. And though there are variations in different batches because the malt comes from different farmers, it’s not enough to make a big difference and just enough to make the variation interesting in the beer.”
Post is currently running a Kickstarter campaign which you can look up on line under The Beer Diviner to help raise money for the new Tap Room and Market. “I’m taking a chance,” he said, “because after a year in business I’m still doing it all on my own – brewing, marketing, distributing, etc. – and still not making any money. I want to be able to hire people, to buy and sell local food as well as wine and distilled spirits, for example, from the new Albany Distillery. People can come and fill growlers, drink pints, get wifi and one whole side of the building is going to be a game room with ping pong, foosball and darts. I see a bigger economic potential of this for our area. I just know that people driving to Jiminy Peak and to Vermont will make this a stop on their way, and people over in Massachusetts will want to come and visit.”
Grand Opening Is June 22
The Grand Opening of the Tap Room and Market will be on Saturday, June 22, from 1 to 4 pm. There will be barbecued hamburgers and sausages from local farms and tastings of The Beer Diviner beers, three different New York State wineries, a meadery and a distillery. Local musicians will be playing Bluegrass and kids can come too for a reduced price.
Bronze Medal Winner
Post recently won the Bronze Medal for Best Beer in the Hudson Valley for his Got Your Back Coffee Oatmeal Stout at TAP New York, the longest running beer festival in the State. “There were a lot of big breweries competing,” said Post. “The organizers of the event told me that for a one man operation in business only for a year, it was quite an achievement.”