Brewery of the Month — Two Way Brewing — Beacon, NY
Growing up in Rockland County and studying at SUNY New Paltz, the Hudson Valley region has always been a special place for me. In 2018, bored of office life, I started to explore other job options that would allow me to learn more about things I’m passionate about (like beer!). I was offered a management position at a brewery in Boston, but when they told me I had three weeks to move there…I panicked. Where did I see myself living in the future? Did I really want to leave the Hudson Valley? I remembered visiting Beacon and thinking it was a cute town, and when I saw Two Way Brewing was hiring, I jumped at the opportunity.
Working there was one of my favorite jobs and it’s where I first got to know the Beacon community. It’s a chill environment with a variety of different personalities stopping in. Many people coming to and from the train station make Two Way a stop along the way. I can’t remember the last time I stopped in there and didn’t recognize at least one friendly face. Mike O’Herron, the owner of Two Way Brewing, created this space with community in mind and as a former employee and now regular, I can say with confidence that he’s succeeding. And with good beer to boot!
Mike was able to take some time out of his busy days to do this interview with me, and I’m excited to share it with you all-
HEATHER: What made you want to open a brewery? Did you have a background in beer?
MIKE: For me it started as a desire just to have my own business. I had always wanted to do my own thing even as far back as the end of college. Initially a brewery wasn't even on my radar and I actually looked into a few other types of business before heading down the brewing path. I didn't really have a background in beer but my engineering background helped me enjoy the technical aspect of brewing. It was when I was working as an engineer for Avery Brewing in Colorado that I fell in love with the brewing industry and decided that a brewery was the business that made the most sense.
HB: You were the first brewery in Beacon, what has changed since opening in 2014?
MIKE: Hahaha. What hasn't changed? We'll be 8 years in business in September and it was a year of construction before that. At the time Beacon was right on the cusp. Since then it's exploded and the change just seems to accelerate every year. Mostly it's been new buildings and business that have changed, but I feel like the people have too. Especially in the last two years. I can't speak for everyone, but I feel like we're seeing a lot of new faces.
HB: Can you share what inspired you to name the place Two Way?
M: It took leaving and coming back home for me to appreciate the valley in the way I do now. As a kid I felt stuck and bored, probably like every kid does. I couldn't wait to get out of here and head west. When I came back though I realized how much I loved the valley and all that it has. I really wanted to make that a part of the brewery. Naming it after the river just seemed right since it was the river that made the valley.
HB: Your family has a farm in Newburgh, can you share details of what you grow there and if you use any of those items in your recipes?
M: Ah yes. The farm! When I was young my Dad ran a small business growing apples and I grew up helping pick and prune and all sorts of other random tasks that need to be done on farms. (like hand soap from young trees to keep away the deer) When he passed though I took over some of the apple trees, and now I use them to make our Hard Cider. At various times we've also had pigs and chickens, but not right now. Hopefully again one day but right now life is pretty busy so that might have to wait a few years.
HB: Can you share more about the process of using your own farm's yeasts?
M: Once you have the yeast there really isn't much of a process to using it, but finding it in the first place is another story. That took quite a bit of work. I found it on some wild black raspberries and grew it up to a quantity I could use in a five gallon batch. I was brewing a delicious beer with that culture, but isolating the characteristic strain was where the real work was. I built a small microbio lab in a spare bedroom where I could practice sterile technique and I used a pressure cooker to cook up the agar plates I needed. After a few fails I managed to isolate and grow up the strain that gave the beer its flavor. Now I use some professional help to keep it frozen so I can go back to it whenever I need to.
HB: In what ways is Two Way contributing to the community?
M: One of our favorite activities is to take part in the annual river sweep with Riverkeeper, cause we've been able to be a sponsor, and also attend the actual event. It's a great way to get outside, clean up the shores in Beacon and spend time with my family. We were stoked at the opportunity last summer to craft a completely NY state ingredient beer, using grain sailed down the river by the Apollonia, a carbon-neutral Hudson River sail freight. We also have worked with various farmers, giving them our spent grain for their animals. Covid has damaged our ability to help with some things, but we really love being a part of the Hudson Valley community, and hope we can keep finding new ways to contribute.
HB: What has been your favorite beer to brew and drink?
M: I enjoy brewing stouts the most. They feel the coolest to mash and stir for some reason. To drink though I like IPAs a lot. Shocker! My absolute favorite is our X1. That doesn't make an appearance too often though and even when it does it's a little strong for me. I probably drink the most of the Highlands Haze. It's juicy and delicious while still being drinkable.
Two Way Brewing is located at 18 W Main St in Beacon, NY. Their taproom hours are:
Thursday 4pm-10pm
Friday 4pm-11pm
Saturday 12pm-11pm
Sunday 1pm-8pm
Homespun’s current offerings in our Beer Store—
Beacon Brown Ale
Confusion (their flagship beer & made with the family farm yeast!)
Devil’s Head Red
