Brown’s Brewery Plans Changes And Ramps Up Production
By Doug La Rocque
When COVID-19 occurred in March and New York State closed all but essential businesses, Brown’s Brewing Company was one of those affected, at both its North Hoosick and Troy locations. This meant the restaurants were closed, and the beer production underwent some changes as well. The demand for the draft beers fell off considerably, and by far, most of the beer was now sold in cans. Brown’s stopped bottling beer for the most part in 2017.
It also meant a large number of employees had to be laid off, particularly those associated with the Troy and Walloomsac Taprooms. Fast forward to today, and most of the more than 130 employees are back to work, brewing and serving the fine food Brown’s is know for.
It started in 1993, when Gary and his wife Kelly decided to open up on River Street in Troy, renovating a 19th century warehouse to brew the unique craft beers they enjoyed drinking themselves. It soon became apparent many others enjoyed it as well. So much so, Gary knew they needed another facility if he was to take their dream to a much higher level. The Browns purchased the former Flomatic facility and in 2011 began the installation of the vats and assembly of all the needed brewing equipment.
They recently installed a state of the art canning operation that will produce 300 cans of beer a minute. At the time of this interview, they had just completed canning 30,000 containers of their Pale Ale. This new facility now allows them to distribute their beers throughout New York, Massachusetts and Vermont.
So what is their next steps? Modernization, and perhaps a step back into the past. Brown’s is building a wastewater treatment facility on its land on the opposite side of the Walloomsac River. The treated water will be released into the river, while any leftover treated sewage sludge will be spread out over Brown’s adjoining land, a perfectly legal application. This relocation from inside the building will give them room to expand the restaurant.
The building goes way back to the early 1900s when it was the Stevens and Thompson paper mill, and a dam was constructed on the river to create a fast moving torrent of water, which was directed through flood gates to a turbine, which produced electricity. Flomatic used the turbine when it took the building over, but it was discontinued some years later. Brown’s has recently renovated the portion of the plant that the water flows through and installed new flood gates. Gary hopes to have a new turbine system in place in about two years which should produce about three times what it once generated.
Craft Beer consumption increased by 4% in 2019, this against the backdrop of a 2% decrease in overall beer sales. Most small independent brewers, like Brown’s were in a strong position entering this year, and the COVID-19 pandemic came along. Many of these small brewers faced nearly overwhelming challenges, and indeed some have failed. Brown’s however, is an example of how to adapt to the rapidly changing times and is now doing as well as expected under the COVID-19 restrictions. Their future as a growing part of Hoosick’s economy, seems strong.