USA, NY: Rebel Sailor Brewing Co. and Kitchen already open in Shortsville

A funny thing happened as Robert Payne and a Norwegian fellow named Ellgin got to chatting online, the Democrat and Chronicle reported on April 4.

Eventually, the conversation turned to Kveik, a yeast from Norway, but that isn’t the funny part. Yeast is no laughing matter for a homebrewer like Payne, who years after brewing on his own was about to open a brewery.

The funny part is the two started joking back and forth about Vikings, which got Payne to take the subject seriously, leading to the name of the new place, Rebel Sailor Brewing Co. and Kitchen – rebel sailor can be another name for a Viking – and, as of the first month of operation, its most popular beer, the Kveik Red Ale. Yes, it’s made with the Norwegian yeast.

Visitors to Rebel Sailor, which opened earlier in the month in the former Mark’s Pizzeria building on Route 21, are taking to it, so much so that “we’re hoping to make that our calling card,” Payne said.

“If everybody is the same, then there’s no differentiation and life is boring,” Payne said. “We have our own story on how we discovered things and how we do them and this beer is a big part of it.”

Payne, who is logistics coordinator for Progressive Machine & Design in Victor by day, his brother-in-law, Richard Rennie, and business partners Tim Sauerbier and Steve Crowley opened Rebel Sailor on March 1. Payne is the brewer, with the help of Crowley, who also handles social media. Rennie, who used to do barbecue competitions and operated a food truck with a friend, runs the kitchen.

Sometimes, when you’re trying to get something up and running, you don’t see what’s happening over the top of your beer. But on a recent night, Payne emerged from the kitchen to find nearly a full house, “literally packed,” he said.

“We fought so hard to make this happen,” Payne said. “It’s almost emotional. It’s kind of cool – we did this!”

Not that anyone is resting on their laurels at Rebel Sailor. Even just six or so months ago, all they had was an empty, basic, plain pizzeria, nothing to look at, and a vague idea of selling Payne’s craft beer and Rennie’s food – and even he had to be convinced.

None of them had done something like this before, and they thought they were doing the right thing, but they weren’t sure.

“We had to walk in here and find a vision,” Payne said. “When you’re a brewery, you want people to relax and have fun, and have some fun and not get bored.”

It’s small, but by design. They tried and succeeded in building an ambiance, with a wall of fence boards torched with a hand blowtorch, which were then stained. You can’t miss the American flag.

The bar – made by Manchester local Dan Johnstone of Grains of Steel from Payne’s specs, as were the signs out front and over the entranceway – is a work of art, especially with a pint sitting on top of it.

In fact, make that pint a Kveik, which is a very different take on a standard style of beer, Payne said. Think a traditional Irish red ale, but with a different flavor profile on the back end.

“It’s a nice cross between an easy-drinking beer and one with some craft concepts to it,” Payne said.

The Norwegian yeast also is an ingredient of a pineapple sour currently on tap and will be part of the recipes of other styles moving forward, Payne said. They also have been pushing out West Coast IPAs, over the hazy and New England IPAs more familiar in the area and helping other small breweries with guest taps of products from Brewery of Broken Dreams in Hammondsport, for example.

"The passion for it also comes from other people’s successes,” Payne said. “It’s fun to try new things that maybe I hadn’t necessarily thought of myself or been able to do myself.”

A craft beer lover can find good beer in lots of great, great places in the area, Payne said, brewed by great, great people at Naked Dove Brewing, Frequentem Brewing, Peacemaker Brewing and just down Route 21 into the village of Manchester, ReInvention Brewing, to name a few.

All have helped Rebel Sailor get going, Payne said, and he repays the favor, particularly by steering folks their way and doing their part to make this area even more relevant as a beer scene.

“They’ve all been great,” said Payne, but something needed to be different.

They needed a kitchen to stand out, as Payne noted: "I’m a terrible cook. Thank God for my brother-in-law, we’d be lost without him.”

At first, Rennie was hesitant, but then dove in.

Here’s just a taste of what’s offered; his version of a Cuban sandwich, except for barbecue.

Don’t read this if you’re hungry: smoked pork, Genoa salami, ham, and Swiss cheese topped with Carolina gold barbecue sauce – and all between two slices of bread.

People also enjoy the loaded tots, which comes with melted cheese, bacon, crispy fried onions and a choice of smoked pork or chicken.

Customers have already asked about catering for events, Payne said, but it’s early to think about that. And what beer goes with what food? Don't ask quite yet.

“We’re too busy trying to survive to think about pairing items,” Rennie joked.

When the weather turns for good, they plan to make use of the back deck and large lawn for live music, games and just sitting outside with a beer and talking and laughing with friends.

As a kid, Payne thought Vikings and pirates were cool. And what could be cooler than hoisting a Kveik, pondering the Vikings of yore and the meaning of Odin's horns of mead (the Rebel Sailor logo)?

“Just because I’m 47 years old doesn’t mean I can’t think they’re not cool anymore,” Payne said. “If you can be anything, be a Viking.”

For now, Rebel Sailor Brewing Co. and Kitchen, 1715 state Route 21, Shortsville, is open 3 to 9 p.m. Fridays, noon to 9 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. Hours are expected to expand as the weather warms.

04 April, 2023