While the beer hasn’t officially started flowing from Community Beer Works nanobrewery just yet, Buffalonians who are looking to get a taste of what they will be offering are in for some good news.
On Monday, April 18, the crew from CBW will be hosting a fundraiser at the Blue Monk, where they will be giving away some free samples of two different prototypes. Rudy Watkins, head brewer at CBW, is working on preparing home-brewed batches of their American Pale Ale and Saison for tasting.
The sampling will start at 6 p.m. with the APA. According to Ethan Cox, president of CBW, this will be the brewery’s flagship beer and will likely comprise 80% of their production once they are off and running. “It’s a style that’s pretty approachable to somebody who is new to craft beer,” Cox said. “It’s also a style that our local breweries don’t really make.” Thus, CBW will be picking it up full force.
About halfway through, the spotlight will turn onto the second prototype, the Saison. This French style beer will be hand-bottled and hand-corked, offering a presentation appropriate for a more upscale beer. “It’s a more complex, more different style,” said Cox. “We want that in our portfolio to show the direction we’re going in and to show where our interests and capabilities are.”
According to Cox, the Blue Monk’s owner, Mike Shatzel, is “without question, one of our biggest supporters.” Not only is Shatzel hosting the fundraiser at his bar, but he will also be donating one dollar of every beer sale to CBW during the time that the sample session is taking place (6-7:30 p.m.). Given that the brewery is reaching “the financial squeeze point” with the completion of their build-out and obtaining their license on the horizon, there couldn’t be a better time to start raising funds for the final push.
“We have a lot of things in place that need to be in place,” said Cox. “Now seems like a good time to be upping the ante and making our presence known.” CBW has submitted their application for brewers notice to the TTB and it is currently under consideration. They have also sent a permit request to the city of Buffalo and a separate application to the state liquor authority. While they wait for the logistics to pan out, they’ll be continuing to work at fundraising and connecting with the local community.
“We’re really looking forward to actually meeting some of our fans,” Cox said. While their Facebook page has gathered a great deal of support, CBW has yet to meet many of these people who are looking forward to buying their beer. “We’re pretty humbled by the fact that we have 1,000 fans and we’re not even open yet,” Cox added.
This fundraiser will be the next step in fulfilling their mission to “EmBeer Buffalo.” This slogan, inspired by Cox’s 4 year-old son, conveys how CBW would like to contribute to a revival of Buffalo’s beer culture. “There is a disconnect that we have between beer and everyday culture in life,” Cox said, noting how our perceptions toward beer have been negatively influenced over the years. “I would like to see it return to the original beer culture before Prohibition. I would like us to be part of the force that changes that.”
In addition to their Facebook fans and any interested community members, CBW is also welcoming other prospective brewers who have an interest in opening their own brewery to stop in and meet them, ask questions, and, of course, have a beer. While the focus of the fundraiser is to help make things happen at 15 Lafayette Avenue, CBW also wants to help the next generation of breweries in Buffalo and keep the beer culture thriving.
The Blue Monk is located at 727 Elmwood Avenue. The fundraiser will run from 6-7:30 p.m. CBW will also be selling t-shirts at the event with their “EmBeer Buffalo” slogan printed on the back. For more information about the event, visit the Facebook page. To learn more about CBW, check out their website.