Big Buffalo beer news: Community Beer Works buying Thin Man Brewery

CBW, one of the innovators in Buffalo's second wave of craft beer, plans to purchase its rival and greatly expand its brewing capacity and distribution footprint.

Whelp, the beer world is increasingly silly, weird, and tenuous right now.

In the Finger Lakes region, we just saw that with the recent news of Other Half’s takeover of Young Lion Brewing in Canandaigua. And now we’re getting more evidence of this new reality with the latest regional seismic shift, this one coming from the city of Buffalo.

Community Beer Works, founded in 2012, is taking over its rival Thin Man Brewery, the brewery announced exclusively to me Monday. This comes after CBW launched a new offshoot brand called Smoldered Society. (It’s headed by some Thin Man alums.)

CBW will acquire the brand rights, recipes, distribution rights, and capital and brewery assets of Thin Man Brewery, specifically the location at 166 Chandler St., pending regulatory approval. Following the undisclosed investment, CBW will continue brewing, marketing, and distributing CBW, Smoldered Society, and Thin Man beers.

This latest development comes only months after Thin Man closed its original brewpub location on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo and a few weeks after CBW announced it was closing its Seventh Street taproom (open for only private events and special occasions) as it focuses on opening a new taproom at Elmwood Avenue and Bidwell Parkway. (Opening TBD.)

Photo: The exterior of CBW’s taproom and production space on Seventh Street in Buffalo.

Thin Man was originally the brainchild/marriage of Buffalo beer patriarch Mike Shatzel (arguably the most influential person in western New York beer — just look at how Shatzel lured the prestigious Shelton Brothers Festival to Buffalo in 2019), Suzanne Scarcello Shatzel (through the Shatzel Group) and developers Rocco and Bridget Termini. It opened its original Elmwood location in June 2016 and followed with a larger production facility and tasting room on Chandler Street in 2019.

The Terminis are looking forward to retirement, stating they were looking for a new partner or sale for more than a year. According to a release, they feel CBW is an ideal match.

CBW co-founder Chris Smith said CBW will split its production between its existing facility at 520 Seventh Street and the former Thin Man spot on Chandler Street. Thin Man’s original Elmwood Avenue location will remain closed and wasn’t part of this deal.

This move allows CBW to gain access to Thin Man’s 16-state distribution footprint and then provides the potential to expand its brewing capacity by as much as six times its current capability.

Smith said he is also excited about the chance to partner with new contract brewing partners and “establishing a community brewing center.” (More on that exciting new incubator piece in the near future, kids.)

“It’s a step forward in our commitment to delivering world-class beer experiences to the people of Buffalo and beyond,” Smith said in a release. “Thin Man has gained international recognition and respect for their beer, and we are honored to carry their legacy forward.”

Smith said another big part of this acquisition is the “resources and expertise to scale operations,” leading to “more innovation, variety, and a better beer-drinking experience for our friends and neighbors.”

During its run, Thin Man has garnered a loyal following for its wide range of styles, vibrant labels, and huge (and I mean HUGE) number of collaborative beers. Thin Man’s flagship beers, including its Pils Mafia Pilsner, Minkey Boodle raspberry sour, and Bliss double IPA, are among the best offerings in this region.

Chandler Street, originally a partnership between Thin Man and Tappo Pizzeria, never reopened to the public since a September announcement revealed the owners Jack Rabbit, another well-known Buffalo hospitality destination, would take over the space and complete renovations to turn it into a music venue. It has since reopened as Riff City.

Photo: The interior of CBW’s taproom on Seventh Street in Buffalo.

When CBW opened its original spot on Lafayette Street in Buffalo in 2012, it really kicked off a new wave of craft beer growth and excitement in Erie County. Like Rochester with Rohrbach’s and Custom Brewcrafters, Buffalo only had two breweries in the early 2010s (Pearl Street and Flying Bison). Now, the City of Good Neighbors is buzzing with craft breweries of all sizes, outlooks, and missions. (And that’s not even considering the three Rochester-area breweries with Buffalo taprooms now — Frequentem, Mortalis, and K2 Brothers.)

CBW moved away from its nano roots when it opened its Seventh Street production facility and taproom in late 2018. Since growing up (at least a little bit), CBW has garnered recognition through medals at the Great American Beer Fest and the New York State Craft Beer Competition. The glow-up has allowed CBW to expand its offerings and distribution footprint. CBW has long been known for its flagships, including The Whale brown ale, Frank pale ale, Single Order IPA, and Let’s Go Pils light lager.

Former Thin Man employees, head brewer Ryan Zacarchuk and brand manager Cameron Frank, lead the Smoldered Society brand for CBW. I really love the late 90s/early 2000s aesthetics and ethos of the brand (because I’ll admit that it reminds me of my high school days and obsession with third-wave ska and emo). And the first few beers I’ve tried have been excellent.

If nothing else, this won’t be the last closure or consolidation we’ll see in the near future. It’s an increasingly goofy and uncertain time in beer — consumption habits are changing rapidly, especially among younger consumers, growth has stalled completely, and competition has never been fiercer.

More to come on this developing story. Make sure to visit clevelandprost.substack.com throughout the day for more updates to this breaking news story.