VICTOR, NY — The idea of opening a craft brewery had been kicking around in Justin DeWolf’s head for at least 10 years, maybe more. When it came time for him to get past the talking about it stage and say now is the time, well, that was during the pandemic era, so a bit more time passed.
And roughly four years since he first met with consultants about converting a vacant structure near the railroad tracks on Maple Avenue in the village of Victor to a craft brewery and eatery, DeWolf Brewing Co. officially opened Dec. 11.
Although visitors got a sneak peek of the place at a soft opening during Victor’s popular Jingle Mingle celebration, the food part of the business is about a month away, and other opening kinks and issues are being ironed out. But overall: Phew!
“It’s been quite an endeavor,” said DeWolf, who grew up in Phelps and went to Midlakes High School. “It’s been a long time coming for sure. It’s good to see people in here finally.”
Reshaping Victor history at DeWolf Brewing Co.
To say the building, which DeWolf said had been vacant since before the pandemic, was a fixer-upper is an understatement, especially now that its spacious, open-air setting with a nod to Spanish architecture astounds those who were familiar with what this space used to look like.
The building, which dates back to the late 1800s, was mostly used over the years for agricultural purposes that included a feed store operation; DeWolf found all sorts of telltale clues to its past during the extensive renovation, including old feedbags with labels still visible.
The intent was to incorporate as much of the old building with the new; in some cases, that proved impossible as the original building, in DeWolf’s words, “was a mess.”
That said, the bar is made of repurposed wooden beams that held up the second floor of the old structure. If you look closely at the ceiling, you’ll also see remnants of its past.
“All said and done, it probably would have been way cheaper and faster to knock this whole site down and start with a brand-new building,” DeWolf said. “But we felt it was important to keep this.”
While there were surprises along the way, DeWolf’s wife, Mari, said they stuck to their plan and in some ways, it turned out better than they expected.
“I always had a faith – it’s going to go well even if there are ups and downs,” Mari DeWolf said. “We were thinking, it’s going to work out, no matter what.”
It works for new customers Matt Schlicht and Andy Means, who met to sample the beer and check out the new place on its official opening night.
The atmosphere is great, Schlicht said, and so is the beer, Means added.
“It’s a cool place,” Means said.
What’s on tap at DeWolf Brewing Co. in Victor?
Speaking of beer, visitors can see the impressive 10-barrel system from the taproom.
Both DeWolf and head brewer Zack Haggerty are like-minded when it comes to brewing and drinking lagers, so the six horizontal lagering tanks will give their favorites the time necessary to produce while still being able to release other, less time-intensive styles.
Right now, their Monarch, a Mexican lager, is an early favorite — with them and customers.
“We let them have the time they need,” DeWolf said. “We really want to have a nice lagering program. Easy drinkable beer is what we’re going for.”
Eventually, 15 or so of the 20 taps will be their own beer; now, they have six, which includes lagers, hazy IPAs and 1812, their version of a Kentucky common style.
An American light lager and dunkel, or dark, lager are coming soon.
“We’re excited to get these taps filled up,” DeWolf said.
If you need a break from beer, wine, hard cider and cocktails are also available.
What’s on the menu at DeWolf Brewing Co.?
As for food, stay tuned. He’s hoping for January; “What’s another four weeks on top of four years?” DeWolf said.
The small plate program will consist of tapas and other shareables, a nod to the five years he lived in Barcelona, Spain, which is where craft brewing took hold for him and also where he met his wife.
The time spent abroad also informs not only the overall building’s open-atmosphere style but also the large, communal dining area, which boasts big tables and lots of room for parties or events.
“We want to make this a nice, cool comfortable place to come,” DeWolf said. “It’s important for us to not only have good food and good beer but a good space.”
More about DeWolf Brewing Co.
DeWolf Brewing Co. is at 60 Maple Ave., Victor. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 3 to 9 p.m. Fridays, noon to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
A grand opening ceremony is planned in January once the restaurant portion of the business is up and running.
To their credit, a series of social media content helped build anticipation for the opening. To check on the progress, visit https://www.facebook.com/DeWolfBrewing/ or https://www.instagram.com/dewolfbrewing/?hl=en on Instagram.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: New craft brewery opens in Victor
Reporting by Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
