USA, NY: East Bloomfield’s Nedloh Brewing to close at the end of this month

Nedloh Brewing, based in East Bloomfield, Ontario County, announced plans on October 18 to close at the end of the month, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.

"(Owners) Nate and Josie Holden have decided to exit the brewing business following a personal decision to refocus the next chapter of their lives and careers," the brewery announced in a press release.

Nedloh, which is Holden backward, opened in late 2014 at 6621 Routes 5 and 20. It recently gained national attention with a bronze medal for its 5&20 IPA in the American-Belgo (Belgian) Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival, the country's most prestigious beer competition.

Nedloh was the only Rochester-area brewery to medal and just the third from upstate New York.

The Holdens said they are exploring options for the 3,500-square-foot facility. "The owners are considering options for the brewing and tasting facility, which could include a sale to another brewer," they said.

Brewer Bill Ballweber guided Nedloh during its three-year run. He developed thoughtful and interesting beers, ones known for barrel aging and Belgian influences. I was especially fond of his Funky FLX, a wine barrel-aged saison.

Nedloh's two-story brewhouse and tasting room stands as one of the most striking in the Finger Lakes region. The brewhouse occupies much of the first floor, while the tasting room features huge windows that look out into the brewery's hop bines.

The Holdens always trumpeted the importance of local agriculture and wanted to help return this region to the prominence it once held as a hop growing hotbed.

The Holdens thanked the Rochester-area beer community for its support and added that they still believe in the viability of the beer market here.

“We really appreciate all of the support the community has given us, especially the hard work and dedication of our team that has been with us every step of this journey,” Nate Holden said in a release. “It’s just time for us to focus on other things, as a family. We still very much believe in the Finger Lakes Region as an ideal place to brew beer and build a business.”

“Thank you to all of the local beer lovers who are the reason we opened Nedloh and made every effort to produce the best beer we could, every day,” Josie Holden added. “While it’s time for us to leave the brewing business, we will never forget the people who made this wonderful time in our lives possible.”

Irish Mafia Brewing plans to open right near Nedloh in the near future. Calls to the Holdens were not returned.

19 October, 2017