April 11, 2022
Nothing attracts customers to a brewery more than incredible beer. But a close second? An incredible location! Breweries around the country are finding new homes in abandoned buildings, helping to revitalize communities and reignite memories. These unique locations attract both locals and travelers alike, each drawn for a different reason. From historic banks and racing headquarters to federal post offices and churches, these breweries are bringing abandoned buildings back to life.
Let’s start by going back two centuries to an abandoned barn in Penn Yan, N.Y. While most of the barns in the Finger Lakes region are fully operational, this particular one had sat abandoned for years. It certainly wasn’t looking its best when Garry Sperrick first bought the property.
Sperrick and his family owned the farm for about five years before turning it into Abandon Brewing Company. Sperrick then sold it to his stepdaughter, Sarah Struzzi-Noto, and her husband, A. J. Noto. The couple saw potential in the brewery and knew they had something special when they took ownership in 2019.
Now the beautifully refurbished barn that overlooks Keuka Lake is a well-loved part of the community. As a New York State farm brewery, Abandon Brewing sources most of the ingredients for the beers locally. And like the building itself, head brewer Jeff Hillebrandt keeps the beers traditional in style. A. J. Noto explains that they “don’t make beer with children’s cereal, cookies, doughnuts, candy, food, etc. It’s just not our style.”
The other piece that is critical to Abandon’s mission? Not only do they strive to preserve the history of the building, they do so with zero waste. The spent grains go to local farmers and the wastewater is filtered and reused throughout the farm. Plus, the brewery is powered by thermal and solar energy. For Abandon Brewing, it’s not just about keeping the history of the barn alive, but also preserving it, and the land, for the future.
If you visit Abandon, make sure you ask to see pre-renovation photos of the 1800s barn. You’ll have so much more appreciation for the original beams and wood that still stand in the barn today.
After nearly 50 years in use, a former tire warehouse in Greenville, S.C., found itself empty in 2016—but not for long. Brian and Nicole Cendrowski had been dreaming of opening their own brewery for years. While the couple never imagined that they could afford a spot in downtown Greenville, their realtor had an idea: why not the old tire warehouse?
The building was dingy with oil-stained floors, but it had good bones. Knowing that they didn’t want a typical commercial location or new construction, the couple saw potential in the blank slate that the warehouse provided and took a chance on it. According to Brian, “It’s miraculous that this…
