Mountain Roads Brewing started selling cans from its space in the Genesee Valley Regional Market in March 2025 and may have an occasional presence at Swiftwater Brewing Co. in Rochester moving forward.
But owner Jacob Parlett and wife Rachael announced April 21 in an email to customers and a post on social media that he’s closing the “cans-to-go” brewery sometime in May.
This chapter of the business is not something Parlett characterized as “tried and failed,” but rather as “tried, learned a ton, succeeded, and chose not to go further.”
The decision to close the brewing space was not easy to make, Parlett said in the post, because not only did he call this first phase a success, “but we have genuinely enjoyed it.”
This phase was an experiment and a passion project, Parlett noted, and the beer — Parlett is a fan of IPAs —he made on Mountain Road’s equipment sold.
“The challenge is that we are now at a point where we need to either scale up significantly or move on,” wrote Parlett, who left a job as software developer to brew his own beer commercially. “We see it as a major uphill battle to grow our current model (direct sales of cans-to-go) enough to make it sustainable for us.”
The plan from the beginning was to start slowly on a one-barrel system and grow slowly at a manageable pace. Mountain Roads did not have a taproom by choice and having one may ultimately have proved successful.
“But what that would require isn’t compatible with our current personal priorities, especially raising our young family,” Parlett wrote. “Because of that, we’re left with the clarity that moving on is the best decision for us.”
The Parletts thanked everyone who came out to support Mountain Roads Brewing, as well as the friends and family who have helped along the way. They also thanked all the kind people in the industry who welcomed them and have been open to collaboration.
“It is truly a great community,” Parlett wrote. “It has been an awesome experience, and we are very grateful for the opportunity we’ve had.”
What’s next for Mountain Roads Brewing?
Parlett said Swiftwater Brewing Co. had allowed Mountain Roads to rent tank space and brew a batch of its signature Green Ambition IPA there, which is currently on tap and available in cans as well. While details need to be worked out, Swiftwater has invited Mountain Roads to continue doing this on an occasional basis, Parlett said.
The beer would be sold on tap and in cans directly from Swiftwater, and potentially at a few other select locations, Parlett said.
Mountain Roads, which will release new beer from 1 to 5 p.m. May 2 at its location at 900 Jefferson Road, Suite 1603, will continue to be open Thursdays through the middle of May or until the beer runs out.
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: Another Rochester-area brewery plans to shut down in May
Reporting by Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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