Aurora Brewing hopes to open Perinton taproom next month

Cayuga County brewery will open its first satellite taproom in the former home of Seven Story Brewing

Aurora Brewing Co., the much lauded brewery from Cayuga County, plans to open its first Rochester-area taproom next month.

Aurora hopes to open at 604 Pittsford-Victor Road (State Route 96) in the coming weeks alongside the Erie Canal. It is certainly one of the best places in Monroe County to enjoy a pint. Aurora will occupy the space that was formerly home to Seven Story Brewing. Seven Story closed in June after five years at the property due to a dispute with its landlord. The same property owners, Paul and Karen Zachman, still own the historic Bushnell’s Basin property.

Joe Shelton and Mark Grimaldi opened Aurora in 2016. They’ve been scouring the Syracuse and Rochester areas for a second location for three years. After reading about Aurora’s search in an earlier edition of the Cleveland Prost, the Zachmans reached out. (The Zachmans were also minority partners in Seven Story.) Those conversations started after Seven Story announced its intention to close, all involved parties noted.

Grimaldi said they are ecstatic to be moving into this area.

“We’ve got our ducks in a row kinda early with some of the licensing stuff, to get it locked down,” Grimaldi said. (The new Aurora location will be dual licensed like the original location, meaning it counts as both a branch officer under the state’s farm brewery law and holds a tavern license to serve wine and cocktails.) “Sometimes it feels like we’ve moved so fast that it amazes me we’re this far along.

“We’re really, really excited. We’re also overwhelmed because we’ve got so much going on. Just to be able to get a larger audience in a more populated and dense area, it’s gonna be really exciting for us. We can’t wait to bring our beer to Rochester. We know there are a lot of people who still don’t know who we are.”

File photo: The exterior of 604 Pittsford-Victor Road in Perinton.

Initially, Aurora will only offer seating inside the structure, as well as on its deck. Grimaldi said. (Update: There will be limited outdoor seating with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs in the wooded areas to the left and right of the building. There will also be some seating below the deck and around the fire pit, just not the whole canal-side area that Seven Story enjoyed once it gained state approval.)

The property owners are currently working with the New York State Canal Corporation, a branch of government tasked with overseeing the state’s canal system, to re-gain access to the 210 feet of canal frontage where patrons have enjoyed beers in the past. The state owns the frontage and decides how and when it cane be utilized. Grimaldi said that probably won’t be a quick process, however, and might even extend into next year.

Grimaldi added the Zachmans and Perinton town officials are working diligently to iron out parking issues that plagued Seven Story and led to some issues with neighboring property owners. More to come there. Until some of those issues are sorted out, Grimaldi said Aurora won’t be able to open the canal-side seating and the tap shack (the external bar). Grimaldi is confident they’ll be able to fit more people inside the space by utilizing a different interior layout.

Because Seven Story owners Casey Dunlavey and Seth Clark left much of the equipment and other vital pieces, Grimaldi said the transition into the new space is going incredibly well. (Dunlavey and Clark, who also own Lock 32 Brewing in Pittsford, are currently working to open Preservation Beer Co. in Fairport’s Cannery complex.) Grimaldi added they plan to re-arrange the bar to create a slightly different layout and will add more seating options while they’re unable to access the outside. The floors are also being refinished.

Once those changes are complete, the Aurora crew will focus on other infrastructure issues, including furniture, installing its point of sale system, glassware, and refrigeration for to-go sales of its canned offerings. The brewery already has limited distribution throughout the Rochester area, but this new taproom will make it even easier to scoop up its latest releases. Aurora produces some of the best India pale ales in this region. It also releases a wide range of wonderful lagers, imaginative fruited sours, and one-of-a-kind labels from local designer Tony Walker.

Aurora is also working to hire staff right now. Grimaldi said they’ve already hired some full- and part-time staff but are still looking for a taproom manager. This comes at the same time the brewery is looking to bring on a new head brewer at its Cayuga County production space.

“We’re pumped,” Grimaldi said. “We’ve got a lot to work through. But we’re gonna open the doors and we’re gonna pour pints and we’re going to just keep getting better and better, in terms of what we’re offering. We have plans for food. We have lots of plans for the space. But initially, we just want to get in there and welcome folks in. We don’t have these grand grand opening plans.”

Grimaldi said Aurora will continue Seven Story’s policy of encouraging patrons to bring outside food into the space, or at least order from a neighboring restaurant. It’ll open with a limited menu of prepared snacks. Ultimately, he envisions installing a kitchen or partnering with a permanent food truck to provide heartier fare. Aurora recently expanded its kitchen in Cayuga County, where it offers a range of pizzas, wings, burgers, and other seasonal favorites. They’ll have 10 beers on draft and specially installed Czech-produced Lukr faucets to properly pour lagers.

“Our goal is to come in there and carry on the legacy of Seven Story,” Grimaldi said. “That place really created a great community. We want to be welcoming like them. I want to do everybody right that loved that place.”

Watershed Brewing on Seneca Lake celebrates grand opening

Watershed Brewing, the former Bottomless Brewing at the northeastern edge of Seneca Lake, will celebrate its grand opening on Sat., July 22.

Ken and Lisa Grossman took over the 17-acre property with the refurbished 11,000-square-foot dairy barn back in March. They renamed the brewery and are in the process of making other changes to better take advantage of the stunning lake views.

But until those changes are finalized, patrons can still experience fresh beer in one of the most memorable spaces in the Finger Lakes region. The brewery is located at 3543 East Lake Road, just off Route 96-A in northern Seneca County.

The Watershed team has been brewing for the past few months and has a full tap list available right now.

“We are excited to be part of the Geneva and Seneca Lake communities and to bring our passions for sustainability and for delivering a high-quality craft beer experience in the region,” Lisa said in a statement. “We look forward to sharing our unique flavors and experience with the local community, the Finger Lakes region, and visitors to the area.”

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