Smoldered Society Beer, new imprint from Community Beer Works, takes new approach
Smoldered Society Beer, new imprint from Community Beer Works, takes new approach
New CBW brand family will embrace a punk ethos as it tries to reach new consumers through branding, live music, and collaborations.
A new imprint from one of western New York’s most beloved breweries wants consumers to embrace nostalgia while recalling those halcyon days of the Warped Tour, Vans skate shoes, and the friendly thrash of pop punk from the early 2000s. It also represents a new way to approach a rapidly changing beer market.
(Or in my case, it’s all the third-wave ska I devoured when I thought I knew how to skank. High School Will was never as cool as he thought he was. But let’s be honest, 39-year-old Dad Will is much cooler than High School Will ever was. I’m still not hip.)
Smoldered Society Beer Co. is the new, wildly unexpected project from brand manager Cameron Frank and brewer Ryan Zacarchuk, who met while working together at Thin Man Brewery. It’s a new offshoot under the Community Beer Works umbrella and has been in the works for quite a while, according to CBW co-founder Chris Smith. (In fact, it has been percolating since before Frank and Zacarchuk joined CBW in the past two months.)
The new brewery doesn’t have its own location. It’s not technically a brewery at all. It’s basically a brand family, a new portfolio with a distinct identity. It’ll be produced at CBW. (Typically in 20 barrel batches.) It’s essentially an independent imprint functioning like a contract brewery. Frank and Zacarchuk maintain creative control and can follow whatever whims they or the market might have. In an increasingly turbulent and competitive beer scene, it’s a fun, calculated risk and a new way to reach and engage new consumers. It’s so hard to compete, so why not try something new? And why not empower your best and most creative people to do something different?
“Smoldered Society is in line with our way of selling beer,” Smith said. “Telling stories, it’s about our community. Smoldered Society is doing that from a different perspective. As I’m getting older, I realize how differently I see the world from the kids coming up today and the world that’s being left for them. There’s a jaded hopelessness. It’s important to say we see it, we know it exists. We know this kind of angst and strife is out there and trying to bring people together with a good time and some beer once in a while might not be a bad idea.”
Frank hopes that by creating an event/experience-driven brand, one built on hype-worthy releases and a bit of early 2000s nostalgia, Smoldered Society can do things differently than anyone in Buffalo.
“We wanted to launch a new project out of CBW that would go in a completely different direction from the one most Buffalo breweries have historically gone,” Frank said. “We are creating something that will help us penetrate the hype market, while being heavily focused on branding. We really want to stick out from the crowd here. We’re going to be brewing uncompromised beers with a sustainable release cadence.”
No joke, Frank said the inspiration for the name came from that time he almost burned his mom’s house down. (That’s a story best shared in-person btw.) And it showcases his love of skateboarding and live music. Expect some skateboarding partnerships and events in the future, as well as more live music experiences. According to Smith, CBW has added a bunch of new employees with a change in management structure, including former Foreign Objects sales director James Wheatley as sales and distribution director. Director of operations Tim Czarnetzki has also been instrumental in the new brand launch. The new employees are bringing new insights and ideas to the 12-year-old brewery.
Frank said Smoldered Society has mapped out its 2024 calendar and is excited for the variety of releases, many of which will be collaborations between other buzz-worthy breweries.
Smoldered Society is hosting a kick-off party Saturday night at the new Riff City, 166 Chandler St. in Buffalo, the former taproom home of Thin Man Brewery and Tappo Pizza. Riff City is the new music-driven business from the Jack Rabbit crew. Saturday’s party will feature the release of three Smoldered Society beers — an American lager, hazy IPA, and mango fruited sour. There will also be some draft selections from Unseen Creatures Brewing & Blending, a Miami brewery that opened in late 2019. Smoldered Society teamed up with Unseen Creatures for its Battery in a Sock hazy IPA.
All future releases will happen at Riff City, Frank said. The lager, Better Lagers, is a collaborative effort between Smoldered Society, Thin Man, and Better Lovers, the band born out of the ashes of Buffalo’s legendary Every Time I Die. Members of the band will be at the release party and will be DJing at 10 p.m. Smoldered Society is also running a clothing/goods drive to benefit Friends of Night People, a Buffalo-based nonprofit that helps unhoused folks. Those who donate gloves, socks, men’s underwear, boots, blankets, and other items will be gifted a Smoldered Society shirt.
Beyond the nostalgia created by early 2000s music and trends, the brand takes on a deeper meaning for those involved.
“When I hear the term ‘smoldered society,’ everyone’s focus is too broad, our lens has gotten too big,” Smith said. “Local problems that exist in Portland, Oregon, aren’t my problems. Social media has made everybody’s problem my problem. I can’t live that way. Let’s leave all of that behind. We have very little control over big picture, macroecnomics, societal issues, but what we can do is turn our focus inward, locally, and find ways to make life better where we live.”
It’s a new chapter and a new outlook for CBW, which has made its name through traditional and creative offerings. But the brewery has never competed in the “hype space,” Smith said. “In the early days of CBW, I don’t think we were cheerleaders for this part of the business. It’s about taking a fresh approach, bringing in some fresh brewers, going out and finding some new talent, and some new techniques and a different perspective on how the (beer) world works. A lot of us are in our 40s and Cam comes in with a fresh approach and perspective.
“I am confident we are building special. If we’re going to grow as a brand, we have to embrace new ideas and we have to embrace the changing market.”
Smoldered Society will have distribution across New York state and also in Miami, Fla., Frank said. The brand will be featured at some upcoming festivals and events in South Florida (including the upcoming Maverick Town festival at Unbranded Brewing) and is also looking to collaborate with a lot of breweries that might be new to the WNY market. It’s also partnering with The Beer Keep, 1002 Elmwood Ave. in Buffalo, to serve beer at the shop’s monthly metal nights (usually the first Wednesday of every month).
Smoldered Society will feature its own team of employees within the CBW family, Frank said. And it will release new beers frequently, many of which will fall under the same names (think hazy IPAs with different hop combos or fruited sours with different flavor profiles). There will also be a core lager, probably made at Thin Man, since it has greater capacity and tank flexibility. Smoldered Society will experiment with smaller batch offerings, too.
Frank spent almost eight years at Thin Man, working his way up from bartender to brand manager. He, along with Zacarchuk (though separately), recently made the jump to CBW. The opportunity to guide a brand like this is really more than he ever could’ve imagined.
“All of the foundational beliefs and messaging and branding, it’s emblematic of who we are,” Frank said. “I was looking for something that would not only emblematic of our beliefs, but also emblematic of society as a whole right now — the chaotic nature of today’s world. We’re backing up that identity with a lot of punk and metal influence. Aligning ourselves with the music scene and lifestyles that also have those shared visions and beliefs.
“Unapologetic and relentless branding.”
He concluded, earnestly, “I never thought I would get here. I am very excited and very nervous about having creative control over concept development and the launch of something that is essentially my IP (intellectual property).”
Stay tuned for some wildly exciting Buffalo beer news later this week, too.
Rochester Real Beer Expo returns!
Not that it was ever really in doubt, but I am really proud to announce that I am once again teaming up with the wonderful BASWA crew to throw the best beer-fueled party of the year.
That’s right! The Rochester Real Beer Expo is returning in 2024. And once again, it’ll be held at Innovative Field, home of the Rochester Red Wings. This edition of the festival will take place on Saturday, June 8. So make sure to save the date in your calendar.
Once again, I’m curating. I’ll be picking the breweries (and will probably seek public assistance in selecting the local participants) and hope to welcome a number of new-to-this region spots like we did last year with places like Old Thunder and Cinderlands from Pittsburgh, Kettlehead from New Hampshire, Godspeed from Toronto, and Eredita from Connecticut.
I’ve already got some wild ideas and things I wanna improve (including more water stations, a greater variety of non-alcoholic options, and a smoother entry for VIP attendees.
More to come, including ticket information and other details (probably in early 2024).
CollaBEERation 4 coming at ya!
Tickets are now on sale for one of WNY’s weirdest and most unique beer festivals. The CollaBEERation Fest is the bright idea of Joe Yager and some of the Buffalo Beer Geeks. This festival, which features more than 50 breweries, encourages the public and breweries to team up to craft wild, one-of-a-kind beers. All of the beverages were conceived and created through unique brewery/beer nerd partnerships. That way you’re guaranteed that any beer in your glass is truly unique.
This year’s edition, the fourth one, will be held on Saturday, April 13, at The Powerhouse, 140 Lee St. in Buffalo. More information is available here: https://www.tixr.com/groups/powerhousebcp/events/collabeeration-4-0-82257.