Honeoye's Birdhouse Brewing grows, deepens connection with community

What was once Ontario County’s smallest brewery has become so much more

The first time I interviewed Greg Searles and Scott Gillen, we couldn’t even be in the same room. We did one of those wildly impersonal Zoom interviews during the early days of the pandemic pause as they outlined the vision for their soon-to-open brewery in their hometown.

Opening during a pandemic certainly isn’t what you envision when you decide to follow your dreams. And needless to say, that interview sucked. It’s so much better to conduct these face-to-face (to give you a much better idea of the space).

That’s why it was so satisfying to sit recently with Scott and Greg, to see how much has changed at Birdhouse Brewing over the past four years, and hear about the envision to continue to grow. It wouldn’t be hyperbole to call the brewery the hub of the community.

Since March 2020, the little brewery (extra emphasis on LITTLE) on Main Street in the Ontario County hamlet of Honeoye has done the following:

Photo: Greg Searles, left, and Scott Gillen, co-founders of Honeoye’s Birdhouse Brewing.

1. Greatly expanded the kitchen; 2. Added more outdoor seating; 3. Constructed an outdoor stage and connecting with a local promoter, where it frequently hosts concerts that feel like the whole town is showing up (particularly for a recent Claudia Hoyser show); 4. Added a few sheds used for local artisan markets (think European Christmas market here); 5. Purchased the adjoining barber shop building; 6. Installed a new 3.5-barrel brewing system in there; 7. Expanded the parking lot; 8. Hosted an annual race, the Hopson 5K, to benefit C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association; 9. I could keep going.

(This year’s edition of the Hopson is actually tomorrow. I meant to publish this list well before the race, but life happened: new kid (hi, Eliza!), Audie’s new school, appendicitis — it burst the day after this interview and led to a three-day hospital stay. Still amazed my wife Cass, with a huge assist from my mom and sister, took care of a 3-year-old and a newborn for that looooong weekend.);

Of note, we conducted this interview while enjoying pints of the brewery’s flagship Falcon New England-style IPA, which has quietly become one of the best hazies in this area.

The brewery has steadily evolved from a small craft brewery into a beloved community hub and regional destination. The brewery, known for its welcoming atmosphere, eclectic beers, and strong ties to local culture, has become a cherished institution in the Finger Lakes. As Birdhouse Brewing has grown, it has undergone significant changes in its facilities, offerings, and community involvement, further solidifying its place as a cornerstone of the community. And Gillen and Searles are not done. They’re really pushing to connect all of Main Street to the neighboring lakefront.

More than anything, Searles and Gillen, who both work full time at the brewery now, are having fun.

“If we have an argument or disagreement, it’s easy to get over that with a beer at the end of the day,” Gillen said.

Continued growth

Growth has been incremental and deliberate. The kitchen expansion opened a new world of possibilities and allowed the brewery to expand its offerings. Gillen said the original setup was basically a residential kitchen with an electric stove.

Dylan Duffy and Jennifer Voorhees run the kitchen and each has been with the brewery since the start. Need proof that Birdhouse is really like a family? Both Duffy and Voorhees got married at the brewery.

“It’s pretty cool that they love this place that much,” Gillen said.

Another opportunity arose to expand (and really become more like a brewing campus at this point) in 2022. When Ralph Angelo, former Richmond town supervisor (the hamlet of Honeoye is in the town of Richmond), closed his neighboring barbershop in early after 58 years (his dad originally opened the business), Searles and Gillen seized it. Angelo sold the building and parking lot to Searles and Gillen.

“We knew him growing up, so it’s pretty neat to now be part of that history,” Gillen said.

The acquisition allowed Birdhouse to expand the parking lot, add more outdoor seating, and move the original brewhouse across the parking lot into its newly renovated and expanded 2,000-square-foot home. (A microgrant from New York state aided in the expansion.) After producing most bigger batches of beer at Penn Yan’s Abandon Brewing, Searles said the brewery will bring more of its production in-house and kick-start a barrel-aging program.

It’s quite the glow up for a brewery that originally brewed 1-barrel batches in a closet. When it opened, Birdhouse was Ontario County’s smallest brewery. Naples Brewing now holds that distinction.

To dial in all the recipes and learn the intricacies of the new system, Birdhouse welcomed former Other Half FLX head brewer Felipe Higgins as a part-time consultant. (Higgins is currently working to open his own project — more on that very, very soon.)

“He’s so cool, too,” Gillen said. (Can confirm btw.)

“He’s been a huge help for us,” Searles added.

The Birdhouse crew has struck up an unexpected partnership with sculptor Philippe Farault. Farault is a native of France and moved to the Finger Lakes region in 1996. His gallery and studio is three doors down from the brewery. Walk the distance between the two properties and you’ll encounter multiple Farault sculptures, including a striking dog’s head on the exterior of Birdhouse and a majestic cat’s head right above the bar inside. It has basically become its own art walk. A few other Farault sculptures are visible on Main Street. Gillen and Searles gave me a quick tour of Farault’s gallery during my recent visit.

“It’s something unique to Honeoye,” Searles said. “You wouldn’t expect a guy of this caliber to be here.”

“He’s unbelievable,” Gillen added, noting Farault is working on a larger series of “whimsical” sculptures that will soon line Main Street.

In an increasingly tenuous and competitive local beer market, people are looking for a family-friendly atmosphere with quality food and good beer. It’s all about creating an experience and giving people a reason to travel to you.

“Honeoye is a small town, so we’ve got to figure out more ways to draw people down here,” Searles said. Certainly what started as a local spot has developed into a regional draw. Searles said they get a lot of support from Monroe County residents.

As Birdhouse Brewing continues to grow, Searles and Gillen remain deeply rooted in the Honeoye community. They’re heartened with the amount of local support they’ve received, especially with the amount of regulars they now have. One of their most important initiatives has been fostering partnerships with local businesses and artists. By sourcing ingredients locally and collaborating with neighboring vendors, they’ve reinforced their commitment to supporting the local economy.

Birdhouse Brewing’s evolution from a small, passion-driven operation to a community hub and regional favorite is a testament to their dedication to craft, community, and creativity. Their journey reflects the spirit of the Finger Lakes—a place where people come together over shared passions, great beer, and a commitment to supporting local businesses and the arts.

“The amount of support has been awesome,” Searles said. “The amount of people who want to see this town succeed is immense.”

“There are a lot of people working to secure grant money to do things that are going to enhance Main Street,” Gillen added. “A lot of times, I think people forget that we are a Finger Lake. Main Street doesn’t have a connection to the lake. So they are trying to come up with a plan to connect the lake to here.”

A final note: It’s pretty wild to think I’ve been working on this independent publication for over two years now. In that time, I’ve published 200 newsletters, highlighted some of my favorite people in the industry, curated two beers festivals (that featured 150 participants and 4,600 attendees), and continued to break all the biggest news in the region (closures, consolidations, openings, etc.).

The Cleveland Prost remains the preeminent source for regional beer news. If you own a brewery, bar, or beer-adjacent business, this is the best place to reach the nerds you wanna be in front of. So I remain open to sponsorships, advertisements, and sponsored content. Feel free to reach out to me at clevelandprost@gmail.com for more. And more than anything, thanks for all the support. None of this would be possible without the devoted (and thirsty) audience.