BROOKLYN, N.Y. — For the first time since its founding in 2014, Gowanus-based Threes Brewing will move some of their beer production out of their flagship brewery space at 333 Douglass Street via a new partnership with Hudson Valley-based brewery Industrial Arts.
Over the last few years, as Threes Brewing has expanded, their team has looked for creative ways to meet the growing demands for their beer, while maintaining their high standard of excellence. There were a few false starts along the way, including a contract for additional tanks with Metalcraft, a fabrication company that went bankrupt. This was a contributing factor to calling off their potential factory in the North Fork that didn’t ultimately come to fruition.
Back in June of last year, the Threes team was lamenting these roadblocks with industry veteran Jeff O’Neil, founder at Industrial Arts Brewing. The friends realized that each had what the other was seeking. Threes’ Brooklyn location and growing demand for their beers meant they were in need of more room to brew. Industrial Arts’ upstate location afforded them with more space than they currently needed.
The two breweries hatched a plan to brew Threes beers at IA’s facility upstate, using Threes’ recipe, ingredients, and newly purchased equipment but drawing on IA’s deep brewing expertise. In collaboration with the Threes brewers, Industrial Arts’ facility will take over production of Vliet, Threes’ flagship beer that took the top prize in the 2017 New York Craft Beer Competition, beating out over 700 other local beers. With demand for Vliet growing across NYC restaurants, specialty beer stores and at venues like Madison Square Garden, working with IA to brew Vliet enables the team at Threes to free up tank space, with a particular concentration on more IPAs and barrel aged beers.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the reaction to Vliet from customers, however, the guys are inspired to make a lot more styles, so we need to offer a platform to help nurture that creativity”, said Joshua Stylman co-founder and Managing Partner of Threes Brewing. “The beers Matt (Levy, head brewer), Joel (Ford, Brewer and Barrel Lead) and team have been putting out are outstanding and getting better. Given the constraints of our existing business, this enables us to continue Vliet’s proliferation in the market, while continuing to experiment and push the envelope with new varieties.”
The partnership is a natural one, with Threes’ head brewer Levy having worked for Jeff O’Neil at Peekskill Brewing. The team at Threes feel confident that Jeff and head brewer Mike McManus are the most experienced brew team in New York State, and they’re thrilled to share Vliet production with such capable hands. Stylman says, “We’re extremely lucky to have partnered with the team at Industrial Arts. Aside from being some of the best operators in the country, they’re great people who are culturally aligned with our values at Threes Brewing.”
“This was a natural, easy decision for us,” says O’Neil. “We built our facility specifically to make technically difficult beers like Vliet. The process of developing this partnership, and subsequently the beer itself has been remarkably cooperative from the start, and already quite a rewarding endeavor. We’re proud that they trust us with Vliet!”
The two sister breweries also collaborated on beers that they’re releasing jointly, including Prior Restraint, a classic raw German-style lager made at Industrial Arts and a beer made at Threes, Peer Review, a Double IPA with Mango.
The joint effort is consistent with Threes’ history, which has been an ongoing story of collaborations with like-minded companies, including their Gowanus coffee partner Ninth Street Espresso and food partner The Meat Hook, their Greenpoint outpost Threes at Franklin + Kent launched last year with restaurateur Henry Rich and Gowanus Hospitality Group (Rucola, Metta, Fitzcarraldo, Purslane Catering), and recent beer collaborations with Eleven Madison Park and Momofuku.
About:
Threes Brewing is a Brooklyn-based brewery known for crafting approachable beers that balance simplicity and complexity, with a focus on lagers, farmhouse ales and hop-American ales. Their Gowanus brewpub is located at 333 Douglass St. with a recently launched Greenpoint outpost Threes @ Franklin + Kent, located at 113 Franklin St.
www.threesbrewing.com
Industrial Arts Brewing Company makes fresh, hoppy beers in a state-of-the-art brew house located in the Garnerville Arts and Industrial Complex in the lower Hudson Valley.
www.industrialartsbrewing.com