Nine Spot Brewing opens on Monroe Ave. ... finally

Rochester's latest brewery, its 14th, features both cuisine and beer highlighting regional New York flavors and traditions

There might have been moments when it felt like Nine Spot Brewing wasn’t going to open. But during a brief conversation with brewery co-founders Marina and Chris Nothnagle, you never get that sense.

Now 95 percent complete (basically just waiting for finishing touches and to hang assorted knickknacks on the walls), Rochester’s 14th brewery, located at 190 Monroe Ave., officially opens its doors Wednesday.

And while it took more than five years, the Nothnagles, who got married in May 2019, the journey was both rewarding and arduous. They made lifelong friends along the way, hired a superstar staff, and teamed up with an experienced and talented brewer. It might’ve taken longer than expected, but it was also worth it.

When asked to describe all their emotions during a recent super soft opening event, Marina put it succinctly, “No, I can’t. It’s been a long road. But the last couple of weeks, we’ve had a really amazing group of people come together and we got our brewhouse in and we’re gradually getting the furniture in. Pretty much, every day we’re just jumping forward, when before it seemed like we were crawling.”

“I still remember brewing beer in a buddy’s basement and how far that whole journey has come, Chris added. “Just to have someone on the opposite side of the bar, it’s just weird. It’s gonna take some getting used to.”

Photo: Nine Spot Brewing co-founders Marina and Chris Nothnagle.

“I still remember brewing beer in a buddy’s basement and how far that whole journey has come, Chris added. “Just to have someone on the opposite side of the bar, it’s just weird. It’s gonna take some getting used to.”

Nine Spot maintains a uniquely New York outlook. Under the state’s farm brewery license, brewer Mike Beebe and his team will produce beers that showcase a wide range of styles and features a huge percentage of ingredients produced in the state. With an ESB, a weizenbock, a Kentucky common ale, a smoked dunkel lager, a winter warmer, and more, the opening tap list features the type of variety you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere. And soon enough, Nine Spot’s kitchen, also designed to feature seasonal and regional favorites, will be up and running. It’s one of the last pieces of the puzzle.

And before Nine Spot has even christened its 5-barrel brewhouse, the tap list is full, because the brewery wisely rented tank space at other breweries and collaborated with a number of different spots like Batavia’s Eli Fish Brewing, Greece’s Wood Kettle Brewing, and a host of others. That way, the options are plentiful right away. And Beebe, who has more than a decade of professional brewing experience from places around the country, is adept at crafting flavorful, thoughtful, and exceedingly drinkable beers.

As Beebe told me in an earlier interview, “I know what I’m good at and that’s clean, accessible beers without a lot of added frou-frou ingredients. Those are fun and I can make those. But at the end of the day, given our menu and given our overall concept, it’s about good, easy-to-drink beers.”

Advertisement: For exemplary takes on traditional styles and the best pretzel in town, make sure to visit Sager Beer Works in Rochester.

Previous coverage

August 2022: Nine Spot Brewing on Monroe Ave. showcases best of New York state.

April 2021: Nine Spot Brewing readies open despite tragedies.

Nine Spot occupies 5,000 square feet on the first floor of a building that was originally constructed to house an automobile dealership in 1940. You can still see some of the building’s original touches, including the lift from a freight elevator that now serves as a partition/gate between the brewery and the tasting room. Most recently, the building was home to Towners Bicycle Shop. One of the coolest features is the private lounge-like event space in the front corner with a half-garage door that opens onto Monroe Avenue.

When I first visited Nine Spot in April 2021, the space was dingy, dirty, dusty, and cluttered. It really is remarkable to see how much it has transformed and taken shape. The taproom is very, very inviting and will offer a great spot for families to congregate. We enjoyed our recent visit as much as our 15-month-old son did. It’s refreshing to see a place a few hundred feet away from the Strong Museum of Play that carries that same family-first atmosphere.

Nine Spot is right across the street from Marshall Street Bar and Grill and then within blocks of Roc Brewing, Strangebird, and Fattey Beer Co. It’s on the outskirts of the brand new Neighborhood of Play, made possible by the city’s decision to fill in this one section of the former Inner Loop. So instead of cutting off neighbors from each other, all these new developments encourage people to live and play in this glistening new area. It will be even more compelling once the Strong Museum’s completes its massive renovation and expansion next year.

“Someone asked me recently, ‘Is this everything you imagined?’ I said, ‘No, this looks nothing like what I originally imagined,’” Chris offered.

“I don’t even know what I imagined at this point,” Marina added.

“But it is amazing, because it has just kept coming together and become its own thing,” Chris concluded. “And yes, that might be miles away from what we originally thought, but we love it.”

The Nothnagles praised their neighbors for help along the way. Whether providing storage or technical advice, places like Roc Brewing, Strangebird, and Marshall Street Bar and Grill were instrumental. They can’t wait till they are in the same position and able to offer similar support to other fledgling businesses. (There might’ve been an incident where the Roc Brewing forklift was driven down South Union Street to help Nine Spot unload its brewhouse inside its new home, Marina shared with a hearty laugh.)

“Marina and I could not have done this by ourselves,” Chris said.

“The neighborhood, the brewing community, everybody has been so supportive and so helpful,” Marina added.

Pittsford celebrity bartending event raises $$ for charities

Drink a delicious beer poured by a community celebrity or leader Saturday afternoon at a Pittsford brewery. Sounds like a win-win.

Starting at 1 p.m. Saturday at Copper Leaf Brewing, 50 State St. Building G, a portion of every beer sold and all tips will be donated to a number of deserving organizations, including Pittsford Youth Services, Willow Domestic Violence Center, Pittsford Food Cupboard, and Lollypop Farm.

Here’s the schedule of participants:

• 1 to 2 p.m.: Kendra Evans, a Pittsford community organizer and member of many local organizations;

• 2 to 3 p.m.: Dr. Michael Mendoza, board chair at Willow and Monroe County commissioner of public health; and Meaghan de Chateauvieux, Willow president and CEO;

• 3 to 4 p.m.: Pittsford village mayor Alysa Plummer;

• 4 to 5 p.m.: Paul Guglielmo, former radio personality and founder of Guglielmo Sauce and the Craft Cannery;

• 5 to 6 p.m.: John Halldow, Pittsford Chamber of Commerce president and owner of RocLand Transportation;

• 6 to 7 p.m.: Greg Messner, Pittsford Chamber of Commerce vice president and Messner Flooring vice president.

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