WEST SHORE

BREWING CO

Now that we are getting out of the winter (a mild one at that) we can truly start looking forward to all the great things that are coming in 2016. We are moving closer and closer, albeit slower than I would like, towards our goal of opening our brewery and tap room. So many steps have to come together, but we have been working on them simultaneously. So here are some updates on everything that has been going on.

First, the beers, is there anything more important than that? Our first beer was always going to be our Pale Ale, but now we can at least show that it has some friends. We have 3 more than we have been diligently working on.

Up first, for all the hop heads out there, is an Imperial IPA. This is sort of a mix of a West Coast Style and an English Style as that it has a strong malt background, but it also has a very citrusy hop feel to it. We are still dialing in what the exact hop combination will be, but what we have been testing so far include, Cascade, Columbus, Williamette, Mt Hood, Galena, and Fuggles. Not all at once, but these have yielded some very positive brews upwards of over 7% ABV. After that we turned our attention to the other end of the spectrum, and a pre-prohibition style ale. This beer is very malt forward, combining Caramel, midnight wheat and others into a very old style beer that is a wee on the heavy side. It comes in at around 6% ABV. The 3^rd beer that we are looking to add to our lineup is a very classic style, which has been gaining in the craft beer world over the last couple of years. More and more you are seeing it pop up at a craft brewer here and there, even around town, and that is a Cream Ale. You may have a preconceived notion of cream ales, but ours is a little different twist on an old favorite. Combining 4 different malts, two different hops and a hint of Vanilla, this beer comes in at 5% ABV and goes down so smooth. This beer has a solid body that can make anyone appreciate craft beer. Looking into the future of our brews, we will be focusing on an Oatmeal Stout, Summer Wheat, and a Grapefruit Pale Ale. Then again, who knows, we are always experimenting with new beers.

After the beers, we can finally say that this week we are ordering our Brewing System. This is the first major step to our grand opening. Following right behind it is the announcement of our location. While I can’t officially say anything yet, keep your fingers crossed that we can make our official announcement in March.

So as the skies still seem to be overcast and grey, don’t worry, summer is coming. Along with The West Shore Brewing Company, The route to Great Taste.

Josh Dziomba
Founder

As we are now recovering from Thanksgiving and Black Friday antics, and before the Christmas rush becomes just a little bit crazy, I wanted to give an update as to what is going on with West Shore.

We are moving along, albeit slower than we expected (but I guess that can be expected), and we were hoping to announce our location and tentative timeline to open, but one location we had in mind just did not work out.

So what? Did I come here just to give some bad news? Nope! If you saw the article in the Buffalo News some months back, as well our earliest posts on Facebook, we were planning on having our beers contracted and then selling them to the public. Now, through a lot of hard work, we are moving forward with opening up our own facility and taproom. In the coming weeks we are working towards announcing our location and timeline for our grand opening.

We are still moving forward with our recipe creation and are hoping to launch with 3-4 offerings. The Pale Ale, an Oatmeal Stout, an IPA, and a Pre-Prohibition Style Ale. We hope you will like them as much as we do.

So get ready for Christmas. New Year’s is coming next, and after that we can look forward to the Grand Opening of West Shore Brewing Company, The Route to Great Taste.

Have a great Holiday Season,

Josh Dziomba
Founder

Welcome to West Shore Brewing Company! We’re an up-and-coming brewery in Western New York and we’re excited to be joining a large family of local breweries. As we near closer and closer to the launch of our first offering—Historic Rail Pale Ale (an American Pale Ale)—you may be wondering about our name. Where did it come from and what does it mean? Well, so glad you asked!

We’re named after the historic West Shore Railroad

Our namesake dates all the way back to 1885, when the West Shore line was born. Over the years it became a subsidiary of the New York Central Railroad, as their more profitable route allowed for a more complete system. The West Shore ran from Weehawken, NJ up the West Shore of the Hudson to Albany, and then on to Buffalo. For this reason, it was used primarily to transport freight, though it did offer some passenger service, as well. [For more about the West Shore Railway see our About Us section]

Unfortunately, the one thing we can all rely on is change. In 1952, the West Shore Railroad formally merged with the New York Central and was no longer recognized under its original name. However, some of the rail line is still around today and is in use by CSX, primarily up the Hudson, and around Rochester. In recent years the Western portions of the route have been abandoned, the most recent being converted to a bike path through Clarence and Akron.

We’re hoping the memory of this historic line is rekindled by the launch of the West Shore Brewing Company.

Working on the railroad—it’s in our blood

West Shore’s owner and operator, Josh Dziomba, has a unique interest in the rail line for one major reason: his great grandfather, Anthony Borysik was employed by West Shore from 1918 – 1968, so the railway is near and dear to Josh’s heart. Anthony worked primarily on the Syracuse division over the majority of his career, hauling freights over the West Shore as well as passenger trains out of Central Terminal by the 1960’s. It’s this investment in the establishment of New York’s history—and what the railroad has meant to his family—that is so important to Josh. Which is why West Shore was the only namesake that fit quite right when planning his brewery.

Remnants of the past

Coming soon, you’ll have access to a small slice of American history. We hope you’ll sip West Shore’s carefully crafted brews and imagine a different time and place—when New York State was a place less traveled, and our livelihood relied on Iron Horses traveling swiftly along rivers, through fields and past forests to deliver both goods and people safely to their charted destinations.