A brewery in Saratoga Springs abruptly shut its doors recently. With no clear answers in sight, what happens next? WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports.
The Saratoga Brewing Company, in operation since 1997, appears to be shut down.
The brewery and its parent company, California-based Medocino Brewing Company, are closed, though there is no mention of the closures on either of the entities’ websites. The Mendocino Brewing Ale House Facebook page was still active this week, posting photos of products and thanking customers for attending a recent customer appreciation day.
Calls to the Saratoga brewery this week and an email to the general manager went unanswered.
Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus said the closure is not the result of any poor business locally.
“This was not a local failure, this is actually part of our global economy. And the fact that an investor, the lead investor out of India, has run into some legal challenges and legal problems there. And as a result, that’s had implications here in Saratoga Springs. So, welcome to the global marketplace,” said Shimkus.
A recent report by the Santa Rosa, California-based Press Democrat newspaper said the parent company “is in discussion with an investor to help rescue the company.”
But there’s uncertainty in Saratoga Springs.
Mayor Meg Kelly says she is still trying to determine the company’s future.
“I’ve tried and nobody is really saying anything, so I really don’t know what’s going on.”
While the Saratoga Brewing Company produced beverages under its own label, the company also served as a contract brewer.
Paul Leone of the New York State Brewers Association said smaller or startup brewers often partner with other companies for production.
“Contract brewing is a great way for breweries to get started as a brand without having to buy the equipment,” said Leone.
Leone said his organization was contacted by Brooklyn-based Braven Brewing for assisting in retrieving equipment from the Saratoga Springs facility over the weekend.
“They were looking for equipment, because they’re out of Brooklyn, to move beer and just to get help get the things that they needed out and possibly store in other places in that area, so we just made connections for them to help make that happen.”
Braven shared a photo of the retrieval on Instagram last weekend.
Leone reports Braven has found a new contract brewer.
Craft beverages have had a growing presence in the local economy.
Shimkus said the chamber has worked to promote the craft beverage industry throughout the region.
“We put together a beverage trail map within Saratoga County to identify all the local distilleries, breweries, wineries that are here. It’s something that visitors, residents are looking for. It’s certainly become way more popular over the last ten years.”
If the Saratoga Brewing Company exits for good, Mayor Kelly predicts the facility on Excelsior Avenue will be eyed by potential buyers.
“I think it’s a very busy corridor now, going out that way, and I do think that we’ve had a lot of building out there. We’re going to be extending the greenbelt trail going out that way. And I do think that building is a very valuable piece of property.”
But Shimkus says the current situation is a lot more complicated than turning over or replacing a company that went out of business.
He said multiple organizations, including the Chamber, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, and the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau are now trying to work together to figure out next steps.”
“That’s really everything from helping the existing employees that are looking for jobs to find new, local opportunities – if that’s what they’re looking for – to what do you do about the property, to how could we help resurrect the brand itself, if that’s what somebody wanted to do.
