Buffalo is home to a new seltzery, opened by Katrina “Kat” Piechowicz and her husband Andrew ‘AP’ Piechowicz (who opened Hatchets & Hops). When I asked Kat, “Why a seltzery,” she responded that there wasn’t one in the area. She explained that as more and more people are drinking seltzers, it only made sense to go in that direction. There were already a number of breweries, distilleries, wineries, cideries, etc., which meant that the door was wide open to start making seltzers, in a brewery-esque atmosphere.
She’s right too. Have you been to a supermarket recently and walked down the beer aisle? There are boatloads of different hard seltzers being offered by numerous well-known beer companies. It’s the hottest trend, mainly because they’re tasty, refreshing, and relatively low in carbs and calories.
As for the trend? It might be trendy to drink hard seltzers at the moment, but there’s no sign that the trend is going to slow down any time soon. If anything, it continues to pick up speed, which is a good thing for Kat and Andrew’s seltzery, called Twin Petrels.
“For the most part, seltzers have been treated as an afterthought,” Kat told me. “We wanted to bring the craft beer concept to seltzers. There are only a handful of seltzeries in the US – we believe that we are on the forefront of that wave.”
Not only does Twin Petrels offer an abundance of house-made seltzers, there’s also a full bar. The seltzery is located in the former Resurgence Brewing Company space on Niagara Street, which is super stylish.
During a recent visit, I encountered a floral arrangement event pop-up that was being conducted by neighboring business Wildroot Flora. The place was packed with people who were learning the ins and outs of assembling cut flowers into beautiful bouquets. As I sat at the bar with a few friends, I was able to chat with Kat, who was thrilled with the turnout. After she gave us the lay of the land, and steered us in the direction of some of the go-to seltzer drinks, we got to talking about the interior decor.
Not only are there vaulting ceilings with daylight factory style windows, there’s also an impressively long bar, as well as virtually limitless seating options, with more to come. Plus, come summer, there’s going to be a swanky Seltzer Garden to add to the robust atmosphere.
“We took aspects from some breweries and wineries that we visited, as well as some entertainment venues, and added our own design concepts,” Kat told me.
As for the name Twin Petrels, Kat said that it was a nod to her own twins. She added that ‘the petrel’ is a seabird that is able to easily recover when it is knocked off its flight course due to a storm. The bird readily adapts to unfamiliar territories and adjusts accordingly to get back on track. She felt that the seltzery would have that same sort of resilience and fortitude, in order to adjust to changing conditions in the market.
Even if Twin Petrels does get knocked off course a little bit, there are plenty of friends to help guide it back on track.
“We’re lucky to be surrounded by incredible business neighbors over here on Niagara Street,” said Kat. “Everyone helps each other and supports each other.”
When I asked Kat what she was looking forward to most, she responded that she was stoked for patio season, and numerous classes and events that were coming up, including movie nights shown on the projector.
It all sounds really good to me, as I’ve been a big fan of this section of Niagara Street for quite some time. I love seeing the evolution of the street underway. I’m also happy to have so many drink options under one glorious roof, including mixed drinks, beer and wine, and, of course, a wellspring of delicious seltzers (and seltzer cocktails) to choose from. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah, a patio!
Twin Petrels | Address: 1250 Niagara St Suite 400, Buffalo, NY 14213 | (716) 322-1033
Menu ranges from: Tilapia nachos, hummus plate, beet carpaccio salad, chicken sliders, veggie street tacos, fish tacos, and seasonal pizzas.