Southern Tier Brewing Company of Lakewood, New York, has been in operation since 2004, and currently produces over 12,000 barrels annually, equivalent to over 3.96 million 12 ounce bottles of beer! Beer drinkers in more than half of the United States and around the world are now enjoying hand crafted ales brewed in a modest facility in rural western New York State.
Founders Phineas DeMink and Allen ("Skip") Yahn started the brewery with the vision of bringing small batch brewing back to a region rich in brewing tradition. In 2003 Skip and Phin purchased the defunct Old Saddleback Brewing Co. in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. All the equipment was removed, brought back to Lakewood and set up at its new home located within the Stoneman Business Park. The Brewery began distributing regionally in February 2004. By 2005 sales covered the majority of New York State and the eastern half of Pennsylvania. In the beginning their two flagship brands were Pilsner and Mild Ale and they also brewed IPA. As it turned out the flagships were a flop and the IPA was a huge success! They next launched a line of seasonal beers which gained great success. Since the beginning, Southern Tier has experienced steady growth, currently distributing to over 34% of the United States. Multiple expansions have been made to keep up with demand and the brewery continues to innovate and produce new products.
Awards & Press
BeerAdvocate magazine has listed the brewery in the top 50 American Breweries in their June 2007 issue. Of nearly 1400 breweries and brew pubs in the US, being named the top 2.5% (35th) is quite an achievement for the young company. This listing came on the heals of the May/June 2007 issue of
The New Brewer Journal of the Brewers Association which listed the brewery as the 39th largest in America in 2006, noting an increase in volume of 140% since 2005.
In addition to these accolades, the 2007 Tap New York Beer Festival recently awarded Southern Tier’s ‘'Unearthly’ Imperial India Pale Ale “Best Beer in New York State. ‘Unearthly’ was also named the 81st “Best Beer in the World” by BeerAdvocate in their May 2007 issue. The October 2007 issue of Bon Appétit magazine featured a beer pairing article complementing ‘Hoppe’ Imperial Extra Pale Ale.