The long, long wait for the opening of Drumlins Brewing Co. is nearing an end, and well, Sarah Wimer describes the new beginning best: “Oh my gosh, we are so excited to finally be opening.”
Wimer and husband Peter, who is the brewer, own Wayne County’s newest craft brewery, which will celebrate a grand opening June 27 in the village of Palmyra.
The Wimers have been renovating an 1840s building on East Main Street that over the decades served as a home for a lawyer’s office and paint and shoe stores to make it suitable for their small craft brewery, which is named for Palmyra’s teardrop-shaped hills formed by glaciers. Their project was fueled with $20,000 after the Wimers won the KickStart Business Pitch Competition through Wayne County Economic Development Corp. in 2024, but the dream of opening their own place and the planning for it goes farther back in time.
And the renovations and the painting and all those other things that crop up when getting ready to open seemingly lasted as long as Prohibition did for craft beer enthusiasts back in the day. But when Palmyra has such a rich, brewing heritage pre-Prohibition era, you do what it takes when “we want to bring that back,” Wimer said.
“It’s a bit scary that a project we have been working on for so long is finally coming to fruition,” Wimer said.
What to expect at Drumlins Brewing Co. on opening day
A ribbon cutting gets the beer flowing at 1 p.m., with Oliver Koeberle performing live from 5 to 8 p.m.
And then there’s beer.
No special releases are planned for the grand opening, Wimer said, although check back next year around this time for the first anniversary. But the Wimers will have plenty.
“We will have a few beers of our own,” Wimer said, as well as guest taps from Solitude Brewing Co. and Mortalis Brewing Co. in Lakeville and Avon, respectively.
Drumlins will also offer cider from B&E Ciderworks in Palmyra, and wines from Billsboro Winery in Geneva.
What about the Drumlins Alternative Grain Series?
A delay caused by supply chain and freight issues means a few of the Drumlins’ Alternative Grain Series of beers should be on tap by the end of July.
As the name of the program suggests, these beers are made with grains such as sorghum, corn, millet or rice rather than wheat, rye and barley. That means, people with celiac disease, which is a condition where the body’s immune system reacts to gluten found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley, or who have gluten sensitivities will be able to enjoy these styles of beer.
In the meantime, here’s an interesting collaboration that Wimer, who has celiac disease, believes most people will be able to try and enjoy.
The Stumblin Drumlins is a West Coast pilsner brewed in collaboration with Stumblin’ Monkey Brewing Co. in Victor.
In order for a product to be considered gluten free, its gluten must be measured at less than 20 parts per million, and the Stumblin Drumlins tested at 5 ppm, Wimer said. Removing the gluten by using clarifiers does not impact the flavor of the beer in any way, she added.
“So, I have also been able to enjoy it along with everyone else,” Wimer said.
For more information about Drumlins Brewing Co.
The grand opening ribbon cutting at Drumlins Brewing Co., 235 E. Main St., Palmyra, starts at 1 p.m. June 27. For more details, visit https://www.drumlinsbrewingcompany.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/p/Drumlins-Brewing-Company-100091333204033/.
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: New craft brewery prepares to open in Wayne County
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
