Nestled in Buffalo’s Larkinville neighborhood, Hydraulic Hearth has carved out a special spot in the city’s dining and cultural scene over the past decade. More than just a restaurant, Hydraulic Hearth blends exceptional food and drink with art, history, and community spirit. As one of the first establishments to set up in Larkin, Hydraulic Hearth helped spark a neighborhood revival that has since attracted art installations, food trucks, concerts, and other attractions, including bottle shops, other breweries and more.

If you didn’t know, Hydraulic Hearth is known for their brick oven pizzas created with inventive toppings that range from classic Margherita to seasonal specialties, and creative cocktails that incorporate fresh herbs, syrups, and inventive twists, along with house brewed craft beer from Community Beer Works like Dreizehn German Pilsner, Ein Bier Bitte Hefeweizen, Sloth IPA, Alpaca Porter and Bindlestiff Barleywine. With a rotating selection, there’s always something new to try.

The brewing side of Hydraulic Hearth has long been led by head brewer Vandra Ruppel, who started with Woodcock Brothers Brewing, went to brewing school, took a job at Hydraulic Hearth and CBW and never looked back.

“I started at Woodcock Brothers in Wilson,” she says. “Like a lot of people I know in the brewing industry, I started as a sort of ‘beer intern.’ I just loved brewing and learning more about it. Eventually though, I began getting a paycheck for my work on the brew floor, and that was when I realized that doing this thing that I love so much could also be my career, which is also when I decided to pursue brew school. I graduated from the Brewmaster & Brewery Operations Management program at Niagara College in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada. I took the job at Hydraulic Hearth and could not be happier. It’s really an awesome place, the pizza is fantastic, the beers are on point, the cocktails are incredibly creative, and the beer garden is beautiful AND has outdoor shuffleboard!  How could I not be in love?”

“When I first tried beer, it was definitely a macrobrew, and I was pretty unimpressed,” she continues. “Then I tried a friend’s homebrew and it made me curious. I couldn’t wrap my head around how the same ingredients created such different products. I started trying more and more different craft beers. I can’t really explain it, but it became a huge passion. I did one “bucket brew,” but other than that, my first actual brewing experience was on a 10 BBL professional system, which was pretty wild. At that point there was no going back, I was 100% in.”

From the art on the walls to the flames in the wood-fired oven, Hydraulic Hearth embodies the essence of Buffalo – hardworking, welcoming, and full of character. Its unique blend of history, community, and culinary creativity makes it a cornerstone of Larkinville and a reflection of Buffalo’s vibrant spirit.

“I love beer, I love brewing, and I love the Buffalo brewing industry. As long as I can be a part of that, and continue making ‘damn good beer,’ I’m happy,” Ruppel says.

Hydraulic Hearth is located at 716 Swan Street and more information can be found at hydraulichearth.com.

Congratulations to Hydraulic Hearth on a decade of excellence! Here’s to celebrating your past success and looking forward to many more years of growth and achievement. Happy 10th anniversary!

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, Threads and Untappd (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).