When James Englerth learned that Tree House Brewing Co. was coming to CityGate for a two-day pop-up sale, he made sure to set his alarm so that he didn’t forget to order online.
And so as motorists lined their cars up in a sectioned-off portion of the parking lot near Costco at roughly happy hour time on May 5 for this Tree House on the Fly event, Englerth waited for his order. And he expected to be happy with what he got from the Massachusetts-based brewery, which is known for hazies and other IPA styles and which he and his friends have made several trips to over the years.
“I don’t know what their secret is,” Englerth said. “It just feels special. It drinks really well. I really enjoy it. Any chance I get to drink it, I love it.”
Will Tree House open a location in the Finger Lakes?
Tree House has seven locations, most in New England but one opened fairly recently in Saratoga Springs.
That, and a highly successful pop-up sale last October, has the rumor mill going full tilt about opening a Rochester or Finger Lakes location.
The line of traffic on Friday, with another full day of sales planned for May 9, certainly makes it seem like the Rochester beer community would support it, said David Urbanski of Webster.
“I feel like they’re trying to scout out this area to see if it’s a good location,” said Urbanski, who planned his Friday around this dad’s important errand.
Will Tree House open here or not?
Sarah Maggi Morin, chief growth officer for Tree House, isn’t telling.
But she did say Tree House has a lot of fans in Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse, and the only place you can buy Tree House is at Tree House.
“Seeing that we do not have a western New York location, and we have so many fans out here, we wanted to give a little treat and bring the beer to the people of Rochester,” Maggi Morin said.
Craft beer crowd comes out for Tree House
None of the customers seemed surprised by the crowd, nor were they particularly bothered by the short wait. Tree House crews were working hard and fast, loading car trunks with colorfully decorated cans of beer and seltzers.
“Everything they make is going to be good,” Chad Shanahan of Rochester said. “It’s a great beer.”
The response is always gratifying, Maggi Morin said.
“We never take any customers for granted,” Maggi Morin said. “We’re really, really happy with the showing and just appreciate all the fans out in Rochester.”
So once again, how about opening here? Urbanski would love to see a local Tree House.
“On a scale of 1 to 10?” Urbanski said. “15.”
Tree House on the Fly on May 9
The pop-up sale continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 9, or until the beer sells out. Important: Order online at 9 a.m. before you go. Look for the colorful trailer in the CityGate complex, 422 E. Henrietta Road, Rochester.
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: Tree House Brewing comes to town for a pop-up. Will it come for good?
Reporting by Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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