Brewery opens behind Bruce & Ollie’s in Utica

Opening a brewery behind Bruce & Ollie’s started as a passing comment but within a year it came to fruition.

Last summer began the process of submitting licenses and building out the space behind the Utica cafe at 166 Mill St.

“The next thing you know we have a brewery back here,” said Dan Stash, owner and brewer at Ginger Road Brewing.

The nano brewery opened Independence Day weekend. Stash started as a home brewer about seven years ago.

“My favorite style of beer is IPA, but I know not everyone enjoys IPAs, so over the years of just having friends over [I’ve been] getting input of what everybody likes,” Stash said. “My wife likes fruity beers so that’s why I make a peachy ginger. It’s her favorite beer. It’s a base pale ale with peaches added to it. Just something more approachable than a bitter IPA.”

He’s set up for a one barrel, all grain brewing system and can produce 31 gallons at a time. Because of the small inventory, beer is bought by the glass but he hopes to sell crowlers (beer in a 32-ounce can) in the future.

While the beers range from hoppy to fruity, there will also be seasonal beers. He recently brewed his Oktoberfest, which will be called Gingerfest in the theme of the rest of the beers’ names such as The Peachy Ginger and Punch A Ginger. An Oktoberfest block party in September is in the works with Bruce & Ollie’s.

Stash brewed his first beer with his friend, Matt Cetwinski, who owns Bruce & Ollie’s with his wife, Jen. Matt and Stash built the bar together and did the tile work.

In Ginger Road’s first weekend, they sold close to 700 beers. The most popular beer was the Rare Blue Eyed Ginger, a blueberry lemonade wheat.

“It was a good weekend for us,” Stash said.

If you’ve met the Stash family, you know where the Ginger in the name comes from. Stash is a red head, as well as his wife, Amy, and their two children, Ruby and Owen.

And that’s where the Road comes from – Ruby, Owen, Amy and Dan. His family was on hand opening weekend and customers will continue to see them, Stash said. It is a family-friendly business with kids games and homemade root beer.

Ginger Road carries Bruce and Ollie’s charcuterie boards and cheese spread with pretzels. Customers also can place an order for ice cream and other items from Bruce & Ollie’s walk-up order window on East Church Street. They will receive a buzzer for when their order is ready.

Stash and his wife both work full-time jobs outside of the brewery, so hours will be limited to the weekend from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Though primarily an outdoor space, Stash plans for winter hours for seasonal and special releases and the sale of crowlers and growlers.

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