Lucky Hare Brewing Company in Hector, New York recently released Ryes Up, a rye pale ale made with organic ingredients sourced locally in the Finger Lakes. It’s a collaborative brew that aims to create opportunities for more diversity in the brewing industry. The artisanal malthouse Murmuration Malts malted the rye from Finger Lakes grain farmer Thor Oeschner while the hops used are sourced from Pedersen Hop Farm in Seneca Castle. The owners of Main Street Market in Trumansburg also played a role in the production of this new pale ale.
“We’re always looking for organic products to include in our market, but finding organic beer can be tough,” says Lauren McKinsey, co-owner of Main Street Market. “I’m friends with Thor Oeschner and I knew he was growing grains that met our standards so I asked Tony (Tony Cordova, Lucky Hare head brewer) if he would be interested in making a rye ale with Thor’s rye. He jumped in right away and was so excited. We were thrilled with the results and are so glad that the Lucky Hare team is doing it again this year and using it to promote diversity.”
Ryes Up was originally produced in 2019 but the distribution was limited to kegs at Lucky Hare locations and at Main Street Market. With COVID-19 limiting social time in breweries, Lucky Hare put the ale in cans and are distributing it at the brewery and in their usual retail locations.
It’s a delicious rye ale that should please many palates. There are classic roasted grain and slight sour flavors of pumpernickel bread with a bit of tangerine and citrus notes on the finish. A rye ale is one where the rye grain is substituted for the usual barley. Local barley is hard to come by in the Finger Lakes but rye grows quite well here and is used by many of our local distilleries in their spirts.
Proceeds from the sale of Ryes Up will go towards Lucky Hare’s new Brewery Internship Diversity Program. Lucky Hare announced the new program on their website and are accepting applications through the end of 2020.
In a recent website post about the program, Lucky Hare staff stated that they are looking for candidates who are “self-identifying BIPOC [black, Indigenous, and people of color] or LGBTQ+ individuals who have a concentrated interest in craft beer, the brewing industry, and a desire to pursue a career in the craft brewing industry.”
The internship will run for about 8 to 10 weeks and aims to provide the participant with valuable, hands-on experience that can help launch a career in the craft brewing industry. Skills that can be gained from the internship include creating recipes, brewing techniques, and the fermentation and packaging processes. Interested candidates can learn more and apply here.
