5/2/05: According a very reliable source I talked to at TAP NY, Big House is no longer focused on craft beer, and no longer brewing significantly at Brown's. A definite disappointment for the Capital District.

According to a press release dated July 13, Big House and Brown's Brewing (formerly Troy Pub) are merging brewing operations at Brown's developing Hoosick Falls facility. Drew Schmidt and Peter Martin will both be brewing. An interesting move, if they can pull it off. Big House and Troy have always gotten along, a damn near unique relationship in the Capital District.
10/04 update: Apparently there is no longer brewing going on at Big House; all beer is being brewed at Brown's.

Joe Schineller has left.

1/7/05 update: Ommegang has established Witte as their first steady draft beer, and Hennepin should join it in late spring. There's also a one-shot Ommegeddon planned for release at the Extreme Beer Festival at the end of January in Boston.

The Moortgat brewery of Belgium, a partner in Ommegang, bought the brewery outright in early 2003. The new owners have decided to make the exceptional Three Philosophers a regular beer, and have renamed the witbier Witte.  F.X. Matt Cup, 2003

5/02/05 update: Problems with cashflow (due to the unexpected drop in Big House brewing) have put back the Hoosick Falls facility schedule. The pub's still doing well, Revolution Hall's doing well, the beer's still good...but expansion is on slow for now.

Was the Troy Pub, now named Brown's Brewing. This is actually the place's third name, it was originally Brown & Moran. The name's not the only thing changing: brewing operations are moving to a production facility in Hoosick Falls, expected to open in Spring of 2005. And there's more: Garrett Brown said they will be packaging beer in "draft and pint cans." But wait, there's more! Look up at Big House.

10/4/05 UPDATE: It was announced today that Brü will cease brewing, and undergo a complete makeover and name change, to become a "beer bar" with an emphasis on live bands. May God have mercy on their souls.

Brü opened Jan. 27, 2004 in the former Empire Rochester space (300 State St., 585-546-3664), under the direction of Jonathan Wehle, of the Genesee Brewery Wehles. (See my interview with Wehle here.)  First brewer was Dean Jones, now at Wagner Valley. New brewer Eric Watson (out of Main Street Brewing in Evansville, IN) started early in 2005. 
5/5/05: I heard from Eric Watson today. The sports bar look is gone, the neons are largely gone, the games are gone except for a dartboard and one pool table. The big plasma screen is moving to the lounge, replaced behind the bar by a tap-board. "We purged the old waitstaff and management to eliminate the problems with service," says Eric, who was hired as much to make the place a brewpub as he was to brew beer. He's doing that, too: beer sales are up, and "I have yet to get to brewing the Belgian and Czech styles I am known for...but soon!" 

1/6/06 update: Got an e-mail from Scott today: brewing has commenced, and there are about 120 bbls. in the fermenters, bubbling away. Pale Ale should be out in local accounts next week, followed by a golden ale and a smoked porter, "some of which will be aging in oak." I hope to visit soon; more when I do.
7/19/05: When I was at the Craft Brewers Conference here in Philly, I just happened to sit at the same table with Scott Vaccaro. We exchanged cards, and just yesterday I get an e-mail from him: he's signed a lease, and bought a 20 bbl. brewhouse. Captain Lawrence BC will be opening in early winter of '05. 99 Castleton St., Pleasantville, NY (just a short run up the Sprain Brook Parkway from NYC), 914-741-2337. 

5/28/05: I went, I saw, I tasted: Pale Ale was a bit green, but good, Brown Ale was pretty damned good. If Thayer can do this on a stovetop with $400 worth of equipment, imagine what he can do with real steel.
5/4/05:  The 10 bbl. system has arrived, and just fit through the front windows with eight guys carrying it. Doug's cutting holes in the wooden floor to pour concrete piers to set it in right now. The Specific Mechanical brewhouse came out of Coach's in Norman, Oklahoma (which I visited last October). Doug hopes to be up and running by the end of May. He also corrected me: he has not had beer brewed at Ithaca; it's all been brewed on-site.  

2/3/05 -- I dropped the ball on this one: Doug Thayer's been brewing up half-barrel batches of beer in the kitchen (using a big stockpot) of the Crooked Rooster (which is in the book as a beer joint) for almost a year now, and it's so popular he's bought a 10 bbl. system. He's brewing as Roosterfish Brewing. Stop by and check out the brewhouse progress: 303 N. Franklin St., Watkins Glen, 607/535-9797

4/26/07: Rumors of Empire's re-opening are very strong now, and center on Tim Butler, former ass't brewer at Middle Ages, coming to the site, with former Empire owner Dave Katleski as the future owner. Cross your fingers.

11/22/05: Rumors continue and strengthen about a re-opening of Empire Syracuse, in the same space, with the same feel, and with Andy Gersten returning to brew here. We'll see.

9/23/04: The final Empire brewpub closes, owners cite "the bad economy." A real loss, Empire ran places that mainstream restaurant-goers and beer-drinkers could relate to. UPDATE! 1/12/05: Rumors are circulating about a possible buy of the brewpub by a group of former employees.

3/17/05: Before I even got a chance to visit, Flour City has closed. Bugger.

Up and running, with Greg Smith, formerly the brewer at Empire Rochester. Good reports so far, no visit yet. 869 E. Henrietta Rd., Rochester, (585) 424-4677

4/9/07: As some of you may know...the ICBS deal has fallen through. But in FDR style, a New Deal is in the offing (which also keeps the brewpub separate, by the way), one that is quite pleasing to me, personally...not that anyone involved would give a damn about that! More very soon, says my source.

9/12/06: Just heard from Chris at Lake Placid. The salient points. The brewpub in Lake Placid is a separate company and is unaffected by the ICBS deal. The deal with ICBS is not done yet. If done, it will mean an expansion of the Plattsburgh facility to an annual cap of "25-40,000 barrels a year." There will be no change in personnel at the brewery. Such an expansion will allow them to fill orders they already have and expand territory. They are currently only filling 40% of orders. Sounds like a good move for beer lovers.

8/30/06: Lake Placid has signed a letter of intent with Canadian (Montreal) business development firm, ICBS Limited (the same outfit that just bought Ramapo Valley) to sell full ownership to ICBS. I don't know if this includes the brewpub in Lake Placid or not. The Quebeçois are making their move.

Seasonal Hefeweizen a huge seller and great critical success; here's hoping it gets a permanent place in the lineup! (Latest from the Matt people: Hefeweizen is the new Summer seasonal, permanent-like. Good call!)

Tripel Crown is selling well and is one hell of a great beer.  New beer: Wailing Wench Imperial IPA. Viciously hoppy.

9/15: CLOSED. In what was apparently a planned move, the restaurant has closed, is removing the brewery, and will re-open with a new "theme." That'll teach 'em to win the Vassar Cup, I guess.
Saratoga Springs kicked butt at this year's (2004) TAP NY, wins the Vassar Cup: congratulations!

9/6/05: A note on BeerAdvocate today says the Watertown Daily Times reports that Red Lion will be opening in the fall with new owners as Black Water Brewing Co. More info when I get it!
3/26/04: Red Lion has closed as of March 15. Newspaper reports say Mike Martini blamed the long deployment of the 10th Mountain Division out of Ft. Drum; beer geeks noted the long decline of the beer quality. Unfortunately, with Red Lion and Empire both defaulting on gov't-backed loans, it's going to be tougher for other brewpubs in upstate to get similar loans.

CLOSED as of...a while ago. Sorry, guys, I dropped the ball on this one. Times Square closed some months ago, and I missed adding that info.
Times Square Brewery has re-opened...kind of. New management, new location, new brewer...same name. Different! Brewer is Tim Yarrington, formerly at Long Valley, in NJ: good brewer.  210 W. 42nd St., NY, 212/398-1234 (Interesting side note: folks at the earlier incarnation of Times Square, er, attempted to destroy the brewing equipment. They did mainly cosmetic damage, and the brewhouse soldiers on at Clay Pipe, in Maryland. You can see the drill holes.) 

6/22/05: I am very happy to make this update: the Van Dyck jazz club has returned its brewery to service. Details on the News page. 237 Union St., Schenectady, 518/381-1111