In the Mix Brewing and Creamery, a unique brewery/creamery hybrid currently headquartered in Barker, are currently hoping to open their second taproom, located in the former Black Button Distilling space at 149 Swan Street in Buffalo, sometime before the end of the year. But, after initially planning to open in October, COVID-19, along with New York state guidelines, threw a monkey wrench into their plans.
Owner Jared Mesiti says that, while they are hoping to open next month, everything is tentative and set to change at a moments notice. He adds that they might have to initially open as curbside pickup only, depending on how things go with the pandemic.
“Our plan is up in the air for the initial opening of the taproom. With current restrictions on capacity and social distancing, it makes it a little harder, especially with winter approaching. Our main hold up is licensing, since everything is moving a little slower right now. And boy, did they not move fast in the first place. We are hopeful for December. However with the restrictions in place right now, we may have to start with curbside pickup only, or set time windows for people to sign up for so we make sure all regulations are being followed.”
The location is furnished with 12 taps and an outdoor patio, which can fit up to 20 people. The brewery can also accommodate up to 20 people inside as well. In addition to their own beer, they will have cider, mead and guest offerings as well. All brewing openings will continue out of Barker.
Mesiti says that the new taproom will feature dedicated taps for their Illemonati lemonade sour series and Drip Latte Stout series, in addition to cider and mead offerings.
“When people arrive to this taproom, they can expect a cozy area with barrel tables, a small covered outdoor patio (seasonal), 12 taps, savory snacking foods like flatbreads, and, of course, our signature boozy frozen custards. Our taps will be outfitted with 7-10 of our craft brews with some ciders, meads, or the occasional guest tap. Our flagship Illemonati lemonade sour series and the new Drip Latte Stout series will have dedicated taps.”
Why Buffalo, you ask? Well, the answer is obvious; Barker is quite the trek for most craft beer drinkers. Mesiti says Buffalo edged out Rochester for their second home, admitting they have been wanting to toss their hat in the ring of Buffalo beer.
“We have always wanted to open small satellite tasting rooms since Barker is such a drive for most people. We keep that as home base for production and a sit down tasting room, which is a great addition to a Niagara Wine Tour. Buffalo was definitely in our sights a little more than Rochester. Both are amazing cities for breweries, however Buffalo has been killing it recently and we wanted to get our name in that ring.”
You could really say their beer is the reason they are opening in Buffalo in the first place. As Mesiti explains, it was someone who drank their beer that made the introductions to the team at Black Button Distilling.
“We were actually approached about the opportunity by people who tried our anniversary beer package that we sold during the initial shutdown and thought we would be a good addition to the area. Upon meeting the Black Button team, we decided it would be the perfect fit for what we are looking for. A small, cozy tap room for people to come enjoy a pint, a flight or a crowler (4-packs coming soon) to go.”
Speaking of the Buffalo beer scene, Mesiti says that he wants In the Mix to be a part of it because each brewery is making everyone better with each great beer they produce.
“I don’t believe market saturation is even a conversation for Buffalo right now. Sure, there are a decent amount of breweries; all of them are cranking out some bangers. The friendly competition is great because in the end the customer wins. Each brewery is pushing the others to release the next best thing or give their variation to a trendy style.”
Follow In the Mix on Facebook, Instagram, or at www.inthemixbrewing.com for updates.
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 buffalobeerleague@aol.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).
