If you’re a fan of Flying Bison Brewery, your heart might have skipped a beat when you heard recent rumors of corporate restructuring… a buy-out… a take-over… Martians had landed and had taken over the brewery? Actually, there were so many rumors flying around that it was hard to do anything but sit back and wait to see what was actually going on with our beloved brewery. A few days ago I received a note from Todd Salansky, president of Online Thymes,LLC who manages media relations for Flying Bison Brewing Company (though Todd is sometimes referred as Tim’s ‘stunt double’ he ensured me
that Tim Herzog will remain the company’s official spokesman). Todd offered to relay the most accurate news to BRO viewers in order to quell the rumors that have been circulating around the city. From Todd:
What a better day than St. Patrick’s Day for me to be able to send you
this update that I am also posting on the Flying Bison website. I’m sure that all of you fans of Rusty Chain will enjoy
finding out that Flying Bison is staying in Buffalo and expanding their
presence. Tim and I wanted to share this info with Buffalo Rising readers partially due to the support that you have all given to the brewery over the years. Slainte! So here goes:
There is some very good news coming out of 491 Ontario Street in the city’s Black Rock /Riverside Neighborhood. Flying Bison Brewing Company will continue to produce “Real Beer Brewed in Buffalo” and expand their presence locally. An expansion of the Ontario street location will allow Flying Bison to brew, bottle, keg, promote and distribute more beer out of the facility than they have in the past.
The Shareholders of Flying Bison recently voted on a deal that would mesh Flying Bison with the Matt Brewing Company of Utica, NY. The Shareholders approved the deal, and Flying Bison is moving to sign the first of several legal documents with Matt Brewing Company to keep the operations local and expand the facility. The agreement allows Flying Bison President Tim Herzog and his staff to do what they do best- brew beer, talk beer and support the community. “The only difference the community will see is that our beers will more readily available,” says Tim Herzog. “Everyone on staff is still with us and there will be a few changes, for the better.”
Beer in bottles
Immediately upon opening, Flying Bison will begin stocking local store shelves with favorites Buffalo Lager and Aviator Red, with help from their friends at Try-It Distributing. The deal with Matt Brewing Company will allow Flying Bison to receive packaging materials at far lower pricing than they were able to obtain on their own. Tim expects to be able to do a far better job keeping store shelves stocked making for happier customers. “Not everyone can get down to see us at the brewery, so our retail store partners are very important to helping us get fresh Flying Bison to our customers,” he said. “We are also working toward new bottle releases, so stay tuned.”
Fresh Draft
Flying Bison will be working hard to win back taps at your favorite bars, restaurants and pubs. “We have such a great variety of places to go for a beer. Over our ten years, Flying Bison has developed fun working relationships with many of Buffalo’s finest restaurants, bars, and pubs,” Tim told me.
Community involvement
Flying Bison will continue to do everything they can to help the community. In addition to special events to support Rusty Chain (Green Options Buffalo), they will continue to play an active role in Buffalo Brewfest- a fundraiser for Buffalo Hearing and Speech and many others.
What’s next?
Everyone wants to know what’s next. When is the retail store reopening? When can I get a nice cold pint at my local watering hole? What beers will be available first? There is no exact date for the questions above. What they have told us is that malt, hops and yeast are about to be ordered. It may take a few days to a week for that to arrive. Once these supplies arrive at the Ontario Street facility, Flying Bison will begin brewing Aviator Red, Buffalo Lager and Rusty Chain. The brewing process takes a while, but the brewery has pledged to update everyone on the status through their website at http://www.flyingbisonbrewing.com, Facebook and Twitter. Once they are caught up with those three, they will begin producing the Seasonal Beers, such as Blackbird Stout and Dawn Patrol Gold. Surf, fan or follow the brewery to be among the first to have the freshest beer around.
Cheers! -Todd Salansky