USA, NY: Victor's VB Brewery gets new name: Twin Elder Brewery

Victor's first brewery got new owners earlier this year, and now it has a new name: Twin Elder Brewery, the Democrat & Chronicle reported on August 22.

After buying Victor's VB Brewery in February, Chris Thomas and Chase Lowrey worked to update and upgrade the nearly 5-year-old brewery.

"The new name is more marketable, but it’s also more of a reflection of us," Thomas said. "We wanted to personalize it. We wanted something with meaning behind it. It stands for who we are and what the old place was. We’re just trying to take the old place and make it a little bit better."

Thomas and Lowrey bought the nano-brewery from brewery founders Tom and Cath Bullinger. (Tom Bullinger was a co-founder of Fairport Brewing.)

The farm brewery opened in early 2014 in a space on Route 96 just outside of the village of Victor and moved to its current village location at 160 School St. in June 2015. It features a 1.5-barrel brewing system and 18 rotating taps. The brewery is just a few blocks from Stumblin' Monkey Brewing, 61 School St.

For such a small place and with such a small brewing system, brewer Keith Sillman produces a ton of different beers across a wide range of styles. Sillman was the brewer before the brewery was sold and has remained the brewer since the sale was finalized.

Twin Elder is known by beers like its Illuminati IPA, a gluten-reduced ale; Always Smile, a New England-style IPA; Angry Cow Stout, a milk stout; and Hot Flash Porter, a sweet potato and jalapeño porter.

The new owners have also upgraded the interior and exterior looks of Twin Elder. (New signage is on the way.) Walls were torn down and a new bar and stage were installed. The bathrooms were renovated. They also added an outdoor area with two fire pits.

The brewery also added a private lounge area, a space that accommodate private gatherings of around 10 people. Twin Elder expanded its offerings from local distilleries and wineries.

Next, Thomas said they hope to upgrade the brewhouse. He said they've had numerous conversations with local brewers about the smartest ways to grow.

Thomas and Lowrey, who are neighbors on the same Farmington street, play in two bands together — 5 Hole and Panda Handstand — so giving musicians more space was a no-brainer. The brewery hosts live music every weekend.

And as a veteran musician, Thomas will tell you how difficult it is to come up with a brewery name. It goes back to an old adage, all the best band — or in this case, brewery — names are taken.

But Twin Elder felt natural. Twin is a surname of Thomas. And elder ties into the history of beer and a monk, Martin Luther, who launched the Protestant Reformation more than 500 years ago and also called for the use of hops in beer (since the Catholic Church didn't control hops and openly decried them).

"It was a tedious process of finding a name that fits, finding a name that someone else doesn't already have, and finding something you could trademark," Thomas said. "We came up with that combination and it just seemed to fit."

The logo is the upper section of an elder tree and it is depicted with twin trunks. "It's pretty heartfelt," Thomas said. "We didn't just want to put something out there. We wanted it to have substance and meaning."

The brewery hosted an unveiling party last week. It was attended by friends, family, and the customers who have become friends, Thomas said.

"This place is all about passion," Thomas said. "We don't have a big system. We have fantastic beer, fantastic people, and it all starts with passion. The passion comes from making the beer and then serving the beer. There is passion behind the conversation that happens at the bar. Customers become friends, because of our passion. That's what we're extending."

22 August, 2018