Record Archive, Three Heads Brewing team up for cheeky collab
Two Rochester icons will release Archive Session hazy IPA this weekend to celebrate Record Archive's 50th anniversary
In the Rochester region, we’re really blessed with incredible spots to discover and purchase new music.
Of course, the conversation starts with the iconic House of Guitars in Irondequoit. But then it quickly moves onto the equally iconic Record Archive, which is celebrating 50 years this year as the “place to go.”
(And that’s not to overlook niche places like the Bop Shop, Needle Drop Records, and a whole host of others that I’m not nearly cool enough to frequent or know about. But I do know beer!)
And to celebrate that incredible milestone, another Rochester institution, Three Heads Brewing in the city’s Neighborhood of the Arts, is releasing Archive Session hazy IPA in concert with Record Archive. The 4.5-percent session IPA makes it debut Friday at 3HB, 186 Atlantic Ave., with both can and draft available to the discerning public.
The release coincides beautifully with the upcoming Record Store Day on Sat., April 12, where you’ll certainly encounter some nutty, rare releases at places like Record Archive, 33⅓ Rockwood St. in the city of Rochester. As a bonus, Record Archive also has a well-stocked bar and lounge where you can certainly sample and enjoy the beer.
About Record Archive
Richard Storms, by now a Rochester icon (I like how I’ve used the word “icon” numerous times already in this short write-up), started the Record Archive as a flea market booth in 1975. And things sped up and got even weirder and more wonderful. It soon become a full-fledged store with multiple locations (Mt. Hope and East Ave.) before put down roots at its current Rockwood Street spot in 2008. It now spans 13,000 square feet and includes a backroom lounge with a fully stocked bar, stage for performances, and enough retail space to find just about anything and everything. (Seriously, there isn’t anything you can’t find at this kitschy spot.)
That’s Storms pictured on the can behind the now-famous record mascot suit. You know that suit and the jingle that often accompanies it in the slew of Record Archive commercials. The label features a T-Rex skeleton, arguably one of the most recognizable and memorable features of its backroom lounge. Again, can we talk about how artist Al Firlit and graphic designer Dave Moffit absolutely nailed this 3HB/Record Archive beer label??
And if all of this wasn’t a big enough deal, Record Archive is set to be inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame this year.
Pretty cool that after all these years, it remains the place to go.
About 3HB and this tasty, little treat
I met the Three Heads founders, Geoff Dale, Dan Nothnagle, and Todd Dirrigl, more than a decade ago at a local MacGregor’s as they were celebrating the release of their latest seasonal. Back in those days, the 3HB boys were contracting at Custom Brewcrafters in Honeoye Falls. And for five years, they pounded the pavement, hosted events, parties, and samplings, and got the Rochester region to fall in love with The Kind IPA and its family of other cheeky releases. I really appreciate how hard these guys worked to build equity in their brand.
And all that hard work paid off in 2016 with the opening 3HB’s palatial NOTA home in June 2016. (Wild to think 3HB has been at it for nearly 15 years now and the NOTA spot will turn 10 next year.) Over the years, 3HB has become the local kings of collaboration, particularly with well-known and well-established local businesses like the House of Guitars, DiBella’s subs, Seabreeze Amusement Park, Donuts Delite, etc., etc.
So this latest partnership makes a ton of sense, especially when you consider how live music is really at the core of what 3HB stands for. To celebrate Record Archive, 3HB is releasing this new Archive Session hazy IPA. It features all of the notable, sexy new-school hops you’d expect in a beer like this, but it raises the stakes a bit with the introduction of a new Pacific Northwest hop varietal called Anchovy. I’ve only experienced Anchovy a bit in some recent Other Half hazies. I’m excited to learn more about it. Nothnagle says it imparts a ton of orange peel on the nose and then delivers a bit of watermelon hard candy flavor on the finish. Color me intrigued.
I promise this isn’t a press release or paid advertisement. I just love this partnership and love to see two beloved local establishments collaborating on something so fun and unique.
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 nearly 250 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.