USA, NY: Garrett's Brewing Co. to open soon in Trumansburg

A few weeks ago, Greg and Crystal Garrett took down the brown paper that hid the renovations at the former Rongovian Embassy on main street in Trumansburg, NewYorkUpstate.com reported on December 21.

They found that a small tear in the paper had, for months, served as a peep hole for those curious about the future of a space that for decades had hosted beloved and nationally-known musical acts.

"There were so many smudges," Crystal Garrett said, laughing.

By mid-December, the paper was off and the Garretts were awaiting final state approvals before opening Garrett's Brewing Co. Once they get going, they plan on making as many as 500 barrels of beer each year.

"We'll have a little bit of everything," Greg Barrett said. "We're not focused on one style."

Greg, a builder and playground installer, is the brewer in the family. It started as a hobby in 2012 with a home-brewing kit. Barrett quickly grew bored with the kits and moved onto selecting his own grains and mashes.

"It quickly became an obsession," his wife added.

That's now turned into a business. Garrett says he plans on serving as many as eight beers at the brewery at 1 W. Main St.

So far, those plans include three Northeast-style IPAs, ranging from Hazy Sunday with 8 percent alcohol to 31 Bravo, a hazy IPA at 5.5 percent. (Greg Garrett was a military police officer in the U.S. Army; 31 Bravo is the occupational code for MPs.)

The Deuce IPA is a West Coast double, at 8.9 percent. The Out of the Blue stout (6 percent) is named after one of Garretts' friends who also supplies some of the brewery's hops. The Garretts also grown their own hops for the beer-making.

Other beers include an English-style bitter (5.5 percent), a smoked chocolate chipotle porter (6.5 percent) and a pilsner (4.9 percent). The strawberries and rhubarb gose -- a malted wheat beer that is made with salt -- is at 5.2 percent.

The Garretts, who live in Enfield, lightened and brightened the space that most people called the Rongo from 1973 to 2016. They kept a couple of small stages, which they plan to use for small acts and acoustic sets.

Now the space has a long bar, a lounge area and plenty of tables. Greg Garrett said he hopes the brewery is more like a tasting room where people come to visit than a bar. The brewery has no televisions.

The Garretts plan to sell crowlers -- cans that hold the brewed beers -- rather than growlers. They'll also sell four-packs.

It does have a kitchen; they plan to work with another business to add some barbecue offerings in coming months.

The brewery will be open from Wednesdays to Sundays, as soon as that state approval comes in.

25 December, 2018