Born out of a chance meeting at a beer festival in Buffalo, BriarBrothers Brewing are crossing the border, both literally and figuratively, for a new collaboration with Canadian nomadic brewers, Nomxd Beer Co. The two brewing entities crossed paths at the Tap & Craft Festival last October, laying the foundation and setting the stage for new beer. Which, let’s face it, is why we are all here.
BriarBrothers and Nomxd plan to release a trio of collaborative brews, details of which are being kept under lock and key so to speak. Meaning, I asked what to expect and was told I have to wait and see. So wait I shall do.
“What started as a great conversation turned into something more,” Joel Betti from Briarbrothers said. “Earlier this year at a Buffalo beer festival, we met Nomxd Brew, a startup brewery based out of Niagara, Canada and currently brewing in Hamilton, Ontario while they search for their future taproom. We quickly became big fans of both their product and their brand.”
“We first met Dylan and Joel while attending the Tap & Craft beer festival at Buffalo Riverworks,” Erick Patrician from Nomxd Beer added. “Our brewery booths were positioned adjacent to one another, so naturally during the course of the event we got the chance to speak with them and try their beers. Given Nomxd Brew Co. is operated through only myself and my fiancé Jess, we really resonated with the BriarBrothers story and their resolve to tackle the craft beer industry as a pair, since we’re trying to do something very similar in the north.”
“After the event, they invited us back to their brewery for a visit, so we got the chance to hang out with them more and get a tour of their facility. Overall, we were really impressed with what they had created as a team, so when the topic of a potential collab arose, we were more than excited to make it happen.”
Betti explains that this June, there will be a release party at BriarBrothers. All three beers were brewed in Buffalo down at 50 Elk St.
“Rather than a one-off collab, we wanted to build something bigger – three unique beers that highlight the strengths and creativity of both breweries,” Betti says. “Collaborations are one of the best parts of craft beer, and this one came together naturally. We’re excited to team up with a brewery that’s building something special from the ground up.”
More details are expected soon.
“Jess and I drove down stateside for the first brewday,” Patrician explained. “The plan is for three beers; however you’ll have to wait a bit before we release our plans for the specific styles. When it comes to the labels for the three beers, I really wanted to deliver an aesthetic that represented our branding style. Fortunately, Dylan and Joel were both on board, so we worked together to make something that represented where both our brands come from.”
As someone who doesn’t have much experience drinking Nomxd beers (I’ve only had the two beers they poured at Tap & Craft – Dusk Till Dawn Dark Lager and Days End American Light Lager), I am looking forward to drinking and experiencing what Briar and Nomxd put in my glass.
Looking forward, Patrician tells me that Nomxd would welcome future collaborations with other Western New York breweries, adding that they have another one with a “prominent” local brewery in the works currently.
Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on X (@buffbeerleague), Instagram, Threads and Untappd (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).
