Buffalo Beer Buzz: Simon Pure Beer, Rationales Bourbon Dinner, Clarksburg Cider Closes, Windy Brew Batavia to Close, Homebrew Event, Hurricane Helene Relief, 42 North Beyond Boundaries

Buffalo Brewing to Release New Batch of Simon Pure Beer

Buffalo Brewing Company will hold the third release of their resurrected Simon Pure Beer at the William Simon Brewery, located at the corner of Clinton and Emslie, on Oct. 19 (11am-3pm). The brewery says that they plan to have approximately 160 cases. Buffalo Brewing’s take on Simon Pure is light and easy drinking with notes of sweet malt and toasted bread. The beer will be available in 12oz. 6-pack cans, cases and on draft for the release. William Simon Brewery originally produced Simon Pure and Old Abbey Ale until the brewery closed in 1972.

Clarksburg Cider Closes Their Lancaster Taproom

After more than three years of slinging hard cider out of their Lancaster taproom, Clarksburg Cider has closed their doors. Clarksburg opened the space at 4493 Walden Avenue in Lancaster in August 2021. Owner and CEO Michael Robb released a statement citing “economic fluctuations and an unstable workforce” as some of the contributing factors for the closure. Despite their taproom space being closed, you will still be able to find Clarksburg Cider on draft and in bottles and cans at select retailers around Western New York. And after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Direct-to-Consumer Shipment Bill for Cider and Spirits into law, which takes effect next month, Clarksburg’s cider will also be available for purchase and direct shipping online.

Windy Brew’s Batavia Taproom to Close Oct. 13

Windy Brew’s Batavia taproom, which opened in the Harvester Building in Aug, 2023, will close their doors on Oct. 13. “While feedback and reviews from the community were strong from the start, it was a challenge to gain a foothold and draw in the volume of patronage that is necessary to sustain a business,” the brewery said on social media. “To the Batavia community, thank you for your support and kind words.” Now and until they close, the brewery will offer $5 pints and $10 (all 6% ABV beers and under) and $12 (all 6% ABV beers and over) crowler fills. Windy Brew’s main location in Strykersville will remain open as normal.

Local Breweries Aiding in Hurricane Helene Relief

A number of local breweries, including Big Ditch Brewing, New York Beer Project and Southern Tier Brewing, are aiding in relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Helene. Throughout October, Big Ditch Brewing donate $2 from every pint of Squeezer Dry-Hopped Kettle Sour and all 3 New York Beer Project locations (Lockport, Orchard Park, Victor) will donate $1 from each pint of Destination IPA sold as part of the “Pouring for Neighbors” initiative. Additionally, Southern Tier has donated $44,366 to the Red Cross of Western North Carolina, Samaritan’s Purse, and World Central Kitchen.

Hartman’s Bourbon Dinner with Ellicottville Brewing at Rationales

Williamsville’s Rationales is hosting a special bourbon pairing dinner with Ellicottville Brewing and Hartman’s Distilling on Oct. 24. The 4 course dinner, which will feature a new collaborative bourbon from Hartman’s Distillery and Ellicottville Brewing, a Barrel Select Bourbon aged in EBC Chocolate Cherry Bomb Imperial Stout barrels, includes 2 bourbon and 2 beer pairings. Limited tickets are available for the event and one attendee will win a bottle of the limited edition bourbon. Tickets can be purchased online.

Niagara Association of Homebrewers Parking Lot Brew at BriarBrothers

On Oct. 12 (9am), the Niagara Association of Homebrewers homebrew club is holding an outdoor brewing event in the parking lot at BriarBrothers Brewing. The event will feature homebrewers going through various homebrewing techniques, from all grain with traditional (slow) sparging to quick brew-in-a-bag, all the way to simple extract brewing. If you enjoy beer and want to learn more about how it’s made, feel free to stop by. Homebrewing will start around 9am and the brewery will open at noon. The event is free to attend.

42 North, 43North Collaborate on New Beer, Beyond Boundaries

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Buffalo’s business start up incubator, 43North, 42 North Brewing is brewing a special beer. Beyond Boundaries is a West Coast pilsner that infuses a traditional pilsner with West Coast hop varietals, including Simcoe, Chinook and Tonatiuh. Beyond Boundaries will be available at both 42 North’s East Aurora and downtown Buffalo taprooms, as well as venues in and around Buffalo’s Theatre District, including Electric City, Shea’s, Ballyhoo, Hartman’s Distilling, Ballyhoo, and Frankie Primo’s.

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 Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).