USA, NY: Two friends building new brewery in Canton

Bringing people together and making high-quality beer. That’s the goal for two men in St. Lawrence County as they begin the first stages of building a new brewery in Canton, wwnytv.com reported on September 22.

“I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to travel a lot for my job. So I’ve been able to have been exposed to dozens of different styles that have sort of shaped the way I brew.”

Joseph Erlichman is a biology professor at St. Lawrence University, where he teaches students about neuroscience.

While he enjoys showing students the wonders of the brain, he has an equal passion for brewing.

“I see this for me, its, you know, be a transition into retirement. I love it. It blends the science and the creativity of the brewing process and it’s a really good fit for me,” he said.

From a 30-year passion that started from his basement, Erlichman and his friend, Gary Hammond, have decided to brew that passion in Canton.

The brewery will be located in a barn off Main Street that has been in the community for more than 110 years. It was once a co-op dairy farm and a furniture store.

While there is still much to do, Hammond says this will be a place for college students and members of the community to gather.

“That’s part of the demographic around here obviously. College students, professors, some discerning palettes that we want to tap into, and the fact that there’s few choices in Canton for sit-down dining,” said Hammond, Bent Beam Brewing CFO.

The brewery is set to open in July of next year, but Erlichman says that the goal for the brewery is to make top-quality beer for people to enjoy.

“We have a passion for beer and we wanted to have a brewery that sort of reflected our interests and something that we could bring to the community and prove it,” he said.

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