Lucky Hare showcases Schuyler County facility

SCHUYLER COUNTY--Lucky Hare hosted a behind-the-scenes tour Saturday, Feb. 19 at their Watkins Glen production facility to show off not only their equipment and brewing processes but also their wide assortment of beers. Located off of Route 414, guests took about an hour to get more knowledge about beer and beer brewing from Lucky Hare Brewery President Richard Thiel and Assistant Brewer Dustin Paulin.
"We started with two people and we now have 12 employees... and we diversified our program from traditional craft beer," said Thiel.
While the facility was not actively brewing beer during the tour, every opportunity was taken to point out that just because beer isn't being brewed doesn't mean beer isn't being made. Casks stacked to the ceiling were aging different batches of beer and one entire barrel dedicated for the past two years to make one batch of beer.
"You have to be OK with not making any money any time soon," said Paulin.
Despite a large initial investment, Paulin said the company had to be comfortable with nothing being produced for years.
"And maybe make only a penny out of it, who knows. But it's reusable at least," said Thiel.
As a brewery co-owner, you have to become comfortable with not thinking in days, weeks or months, but in years Thiel added.
At the heart of the process is the genuine attempt to try to make a beer that can be quintessentially identified as being from the Finger Lakes region.
"We use a lot of local ingredients, all the peaches and cherries came from Hector and the Glen Ale beer we are proud to say is 100 percent New York state ingredients with all ingredients sourced from within 50 miles of here... part of our goal with Glen Ale is that when you think of that area you go, oh that beer," said Thiel.
For most of the tour, Paulin led the way while highlighting there are not only different styles of beer to brew but different styles of brewing.
"Part of the facility can be partially run, almost completely automated, but not the entire facility," said Paulin.
Beyond the ins and outs of brewing beer, Paulin also gave a brewer's perspective on beer itself.
"Don't get me wrong, we all appreciate a good IPA. IPA's pay the bills, but for brewers, we often like to make lower-alcohol beer like creusets because we tend to drink beer as part of our job a lot," Paulin said.
A current beer offered by Lucky Hare was initially developed by female coal miners to drink once they got off their shift.
"You see the water wasn't particularly safe to drink so they would brew beer because that was the healthier alternative," Paulin said.
Thiel said the impetus of the facility came when Judy McKinney Cherry, executive director of the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development, let them know about the facility being built and Lucky Hare promptly agreed to move in once finished.
"That took three years from start to finish," said Thiel.
A large open room packed with industrial-grade brewing equipment, the floor itself was even slanted inward so that any loose liquid goes to the middle of the floor and drains away.
"Do not touch any of the valves," Paulin warned guests.
Guests were still encouraged to inspect as much of the equipment as possible and continually refill their cups throughout the tour.