Here's what is coming next (and also this weekend)
Here's what is coming next (and also this weekend)
I'm trying to expand the scope and variety of the Cleveland Prost and I want to hear from you. Plus, two events I'm excited about...
Note: This newsletter is supported by Rohrbach Brewing Co., a pioneering craft brewery in the city of Rochester.
Things can become stale pretty quickly if you’re not willing to have honest conversations, accept critiques, and ask difficult questions. So as we approach six months of the Cleveland Prost, I want to make sure this space doesn’t become stale.
I’m awed by the amount of support I’ve received and thankful for the sponsors who have stepped up to keep the coverage free. (There might be a time in the future when we move to a subscriber-only model, but we’ll discuss that in the future.)
In order to keep this fresh, I want to hear from you. So here are a few things I’m considering and two events I’m looking forward to:
Photo by Lauren Petracca/laurenpetracca.com
Monthly mailbag
Some of my favorite sportswriters encourage reader participation through regular mailbags. The questions can be serious or goofy. (One of my all-time favorite newsletter questions in a Buffalo Bills mailbag was which member of the team would win in a Royal Rumble-style wrestling match. Maybe we could think about that in terms of local brewers.)
I want to open this newsletter up more and I wanna encourage readers to send in questions. Nothing is off limits, nothing is too goofy. Please be creative. Let’s have some fun. If I get four or five good ones at a time, I can certainly turn that around for a mailbag-driven newsletter. Keep me posted!
People profiles
People make beer fun. During my career as a beer writer, I’ve tried to share the stories of the people behind the breweries (or cideries), the people who make the beers you enjoy. I’ve always wanted to make this beat about more than beer. So I’m hoping to do the same thing with this newsletter. I want to profile the people who make this industry fascinating and fun. I am proposing starting a semi-regular profile series of brewery owners, employees, brewers, front-of-house folks, and so many more. I am thinking of accomplishing this through Q&A features (much like I’ve done with the Genny Made for the Trade series).
What do you think? So where should I start?
Brewery owners, managers, employees: Who would you like to see featured? Drop me a line. What would you like to see featured in this space? Please send me some suggestions. I can be reached at clevelandprost@gmail.com.
Strangebird turns 1
One of Rochester’s new kids on the block, Strangebird Beer, located at 62 Marshall St., celebrates its first birthday Saturday with an event that highlights the diverse brewing backgrounds of its owners and employees. Since head brewer Micah Krichinsky cut his teeth at Dogfish Head Brewing, there will be a guest draft line from the Delaware brewery. And to showcase wood manager Eric Salazar’s legendary tenure at New Belgium, there will be a beer on draft from the Colorado brewery. Strangebird promises other guest drafts, two new beer releases, and food specials from head chef Nate Stahl and his wonderful team.
It has been a monumental first year for Strangebird — from being named Brewery of the Year at the New York State Craft Beer Competition to releasing more beers than I could possibly count. The food specials for this event look better than beers, which is saying quite about the quality of both sides of the operation. More info is on the Strangebird site.
42 North turns 7
One of my regional favorites, East Aurora’s 42 North Brewing, is hosting a full weekend of festivities to celebrate its seventh anniversary. Events kick off Friday night and run through Sunday evening at the Erie County brewery. Each day will feature live music, while Saturday will see the release of a limited anniversary gose where attendees can add different fruits to create a custom blend beer.
“Our theme for our seventh anniversary is built around being lucky,” 42 North founder John Cimperman said in a release. “And, for us, we are lucky to have a loyal customer base, exceptional employees, and a supportive community that allows us to do what we love. Quite frankly, without these, I am not sure we would have made it through the pandemic.”
For more information, check out the event listing on Facebook.
I encourage you to consider the open-ended questions above and would love your help in diversifying, expanding, and improving coverage through the newsletter. Thanks again for all the support. I can be reached at clevelandprost@gmail.com.
Title sponsor: Rohrbach Brewing Co.
This work is made possible through support from Rohrbach Brewing Co. Rohrbach features two locations — its Beer Hall at 97 Railroad St. in the city of Rochester and its brewpub at 3859 Buffalo Road in the town of Ogden. Since 1991, Rohrbach has been producing classics and influencing the Rochester beer scene, including its iconic Scotch Ale.
The brewery’s support allows this work to remain free for this audience. So make sure to get out to Rohrbach and support one of the best establishments in our area.
I remain open to sponsorships, sponsored content, and advertisements, especially if it’ll keep the newsletter free for readers. And if you have information about upcoming releases, events, or happenings, don’t hesitate to reach out. For more information, feel free to drop me a line at clevelandprost@gmail.com.
And if you enjoyed this edition of the Cleveland Prost, please subscribe and share! See you again soon.