Pulling the Naked Dove taps as he’s done so, so many times before over the last 15 ½ years, Dave Schlosser filled growler after growler after growler, mixing and matching for a flight here and drawing a pint or two there.
Like bills in the mail, they just kept coming and coming.
That’s what happened after word got out that it was closing time for his Naked Dove Brewing Co. — described by Todd Reardon, owner of the nearby Peacemaker Brewing Co. in Canandaigua, as the OG of the Ontario County craft beer scene. Its last official day was June 14.
“It’s tough,” Schlosser said between pours on the Friday he announced the news. “We had a lot of good times. We had a good run, a lot of great stories, and a lot of great people.”
Naked Dove will be missed
One customer, who left his camp site early to stock up on Naked Dove’s Scotch ale and other favorites, likened it to a wake for a close friend. Devastating, added Steve Morrell.
When he and his wife married, Morrell said they had a Naked Dove beer tasting at the reception, with the craft brewery’s popular T-shirts given away as wedding souvenirs.
The closing leaves a “big, big hole,” Morrell said.
“This is entrenched in our minds,” Morrell said. “We’re going to miss it.”
Naked Dove and its award-winning beer
Schlosser, a veteran brewer in the area before co-founding Naked Dove, focused on quality beer.
Behind the bar, medals hung below bottles and cans of Naked Dove’s award-winning beers, including but not limited to its Russian Imperial Stout, Whatsis IPA, The Goat bock and 45 Fathoms Porter.
Seasonal beers were among the customers’ favorites over the years, especially the Nice and Naughty Christmas Ale, which was among those on tap during the final days.
Over the years, Naked Dove also participated in special projects, such as hosting brew events by women in the local craft beer industry in celebration of International Women’s Day proceeds of which went to charities. Its Left Right Left DIPA was brewed to raise funds for the Veterans Outreach Center. Naked Dove also was good for contributing stouts as part of Canandaigua’s Stout Month inititiative.
Many retailers and bars and restaurants carried their products as well. Adding it all up, Naked Dove had one of the best selections around, Reardon said.
“It’s sad,” Reardon said.
Naked Dove taken for granted?
Other craft breweries offered food, and the tasting room on busy state Routes 5 and 20 paled in size in comparison to others in the area, although it offered a certain coziness. Outside, if you picked the right seat, you had a view of the Finger Lakes countryside.
Ted Manske, who came in that last Friday wearing a red Naked Dove shirt, said he is a longtime fan, and he knows good beer when he tastes it. Now 60, he said he’s been brewing his own beer since he was 22.
“I’ve always said for years that people take this place for granted because they could get the beer anywhere in Canandaigua,” Manske said. “It’s not flashy on the inside. It’s just really good, consistent beer.”
Naked Dove’s legacy in the Finger Lakes
The market has changed drastically since Naked Dove opened in 2010. Schlosser said it was first in the county and 44th in New York; now, it was one of more than 500.
Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association, said the Finger Lakes region has more than 60 breweries today, and Naked Dove deserves a lot of credit for that growth.
“In a region full of wineries, Naked Dove stood out not only for the award-winning beer they were making from the start, but they were bold in the styles they were making at that time, which really served as a foundation for all the new breweries that popped up after them,” Leone said. “It is truly sad to see them close their doors, but their influence will certainly live on.”
Schlosser said seeing all these familiar faces come in was tough for him, because they’ve had so many good times together in the past. They’re all part of the Naked Dove family.
“It would be nice to keep going,” Schlosser said, “but it just doesn’t make any sense for us.”
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. He can be reached at mmurphy@messengerpostmedia.com. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: ‘OG’ craft brewery Naked Dove closes in Hopewell
Reporting by Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
