Brewing a Catskills Dream

Some people dream of throwing it all in, moving to the Catskills and opening up a brewery.  They dream of turning their hobby into a business, of tapping into the famous Catskill water to create a superior craft ale, of creating a sustainable operation that gives back to the environment rather than pollute it.  Some people dream it, and some people do it.  Bill Lenczuk is one of the rare few who is doing it. In 2015 Bill and his wife Cindy opened Shrewd Fox Brewery in Eldred, NY and this weekend their second location is opening a few miles away, a tap room serving pub food in Glen Spey, NY.

A Long Road to Route 55

Bill was first introduced to the Catskills back in the 1970’s when his parents bought a summer house in Glen Spey.  He spent a lot of time locally until school, the military and a career kept him away for close to 20 years.  Then one weekend he was visiting the area and driving around with his future wife Cindy, showing her his parent’s house, and saw a “lakefront for sale” sign.  He called the number on the sign, bought the property, and built himself a house.

An experienced home-brewer, Bill transferred all of his beer equipment to the new house where there was plenty of room to play.  As he started making his home brew with the local water he quickly realized it was pretty tasty.  So tasty that other people might enjoy drinking it.  And the idea for the Shrewd Fox Brewery was born.

It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right

Bill says his role in running the brewery is the easy part, that being a brewer is part time and can be done at any time.  But the brewery itself is a full time deal and it’s Bill’s wife Cindy who, as their Operations Manager, works there full time and makes sure everything gets done during the week.  She takes an extremely active role in the business, attends brewing conferences all over the country, and is an involved member of the Pink Boots Society – an organization created to assist, inspire and encourage women beer industry professionals.

Between the both of them they’ll now have two locations going strong.  The Eldred location will continue on as the operational brewery with quality control, canning and storage of excess kegs in Glen Spey.  The new Glen Spey location will also feature a tap room and kitchen featuring a pub menu.

A Thirst-Quenching Path to Renewal and Sustainability

Shrewd Fox Brewery is a farm brewer, which means they brew beer made primarily from locally grown ingredients. They use ingredients like non-GMO barley and hops, produced by New York state farmers, and famous Catskills water.   Their natural craft brewing process avoids the use of chemicals, additives and preservatives.  And when they are done their “spent” grain and hops go back into livestock feed, completing the circle of sustainability.

Start Off Slow and Grow the Business

What’s next for Shrewd Fox Brewery?  Their plan is to start off slow and grow their business, concentrating on the quality of the beer and focusing on the local ingredients.  For the next year they will be focusing on the festival market and you’ll be able to find their fine craft beers at events throughout Sullivan County.  You’ll find them all summer in Bethel, at the Callicoon County Fair and at the Ukrainian Church picnic in July.  Their next phase of growth is focused on the canning and bottling their aged beers and start distributing them next year.

Get your entrepreneurial inspiration directly from Bill, Cindy and the Shrewd Fox Brewery by visiting one of their locations, or picking up a pint at a local festival (catch them at the Callicoon Country Fair this Saturday!)

Take a sip and consider, if you were going to change your life and move to the Catskills, what would your business be?

 

 

Shrewd Fox Brewery Locations

Eldred, NY

552 NY State Highway 55
Eldred, NY 12732
(845) 557-8255

Friday: 4:00pm – 8:00 pm
Saturday: 12:00pm – 8:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm – 6:00pm

Glen Spey, NY

1764 Forestburgh Road
Glen Spey, NY