USA, NY: Rising Storm Brewing Company to launch its newest location in Penfield next week

Rising Storm Brewing Company next week will open its new location at the historic Daisy Flour Mill in Penfield, the Democrat and Chronicle reported on October 6.

The Livingston County-based brewery is set to officially open at 1880 Blossom Road on Oct. 13 after a yearlong transformation to install a brewhouse and taproom in the historic building.

Bill Blake of Penfield and Jeff Riedl of Webster purchased the historic parcel last summer. The pair opened Rising Storm Brewing Company in 2018 in Livonia, Livingston County, this week celebrating the location's five-year anniversary. Blake and Riedl, both State University College at Geneseo graduates, started homebrewing together about 13 years ago.

"We cannot express how excited we are to finally welcome you all in to this beautiful space," the partners said in a social media post about the brewery's grand opening, posted on October 5.

With the project, Blake said, "our goal was to honor the heritage and tradition of the mill, while bringing the place back to life."

In its heydey, the Daisy Flour Mill was part of a collection of mills that stretched along the banks of Irondequoit Creek to what is now Panorama Plaza. Samuel Rich built the Daisy Flour Mill next to the creek in 1848, where it milled flour products until 1972. Stone mill wheels, once powered by a mill race from the creek, were abandoned for a diesel engine after a flood in 1934.

The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The ballroom was added roughly 50 years ago, and was not listed as part of the historical building. The property served as a restaurant for more than three decades, between the early 1980s until it closed in 2004. Most recently, the mill housed catering and hosted weddings and other special events. It was not in use since 2020, Blake said.

"The building was in pretty bad disrepair and needed a little bit of TLC," Blake said this week, noting that renovations took longer than he expected in part because of the age and condition of the building and property and the scope of the project. The property, adjacent to Ellison Park, includes about 19,000 square feet - though on historic documents, the size of the building is not consistent and ranges up to 24,000 square feet, Blake said.

The pair "fell in love with the property" because while it is so close to Rochester, the parcel is so green and peaceful, Blake said. "We knew it was a place where you could sit and relax creekside and enjoy a beer," he said.

Plus, he said, so many people have memories of the mill - whether they attended a wedding at the mill, celebrated an anniversary or grew up visiting the site.

"We hear stories over and over and I'm so excited to hear more of that," Blake said, adding that he's proud of the transformation, and that Rising Storm was able to "see the space for what it is today while also recognizing its past."

In updating the main portion of the mill, the former restaurant's large, clunky bar was torn out, a move that transformed the space on the mill's first floor, Blake said. Roughly 6,000 square feet of the property was revamped and made into the new taproom with two floors of seating. The once dark and dated space is now open and bright, with new cement floors, fresh paint and new lights, among other updates.

Because of the property's historical status, some vintage items and fixtures in the mill were required to stay in place, including milling equipment located in the new taproom.

A black matte corrugated metal bar is now located on the north side of the taproom. Black and blue metal chairs and tables are positioned throughout the space, next to a small shop selling Rising storm shirts, hats, glassware and cans of beer. The Daisy Flour Mill's old glass sign, once at the bar, was repurposed as a wall decoration.

The taproom will feature a new menu - with vegan and gluten free options - crafted by head chef Dave McDonald, a Penfield resident and chef who previously owned and operated Superfly DMC, which closed in 2020. And yes, McDonald's famous sweet and salty cookies will be sold at the brewery.

The former ballroom was transformed into a state-of-the-art brewhouse with eight fermenters and two brite tanks. The brewery started brewing in the space in mid-August. Blake said the space is larger than the entire Livonia building, and it will allow Rising Storm to serve both taprooms and increase availability in stores throughout western New York.

The mill will also have seating on its deck and patio near the creek.

Additional updates are also planned - including a new coat of paint to freshen the exterior of the mill, work that is now planned for 2024. A room on the second floor will be available for private parties

The taproom will be open daily, starting with the following hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Eventually, Blake said, Rising Storm wants to add weekday lunch service.

He predicted that folks will come for the beer, to see how the historic property looks and for the food.

"It's not your sit-down prime rib place anymore," he said. "It has a new life, and hopefully a long life."

06 October, 2023