One of the true success stories in Yonkers, has been the Yonkers Brewing Co, founded by Yonkers natives John Rubbo and Nick Califano, who decided to dream big, and invest in Yonkers and put the name of their city on their beer. The brewery is located at 92 Main Street, but the beer is sold all over Westchester and the tri-state area.
Recently, Yonkers Brewing Co.’s 914 Vienna Lager took home the gold medal at the 2018 U.S. Open Beer Championship in the Vienna category. The Ohio-based competition—the only one to include beers from professional breweries and award-winning home-brewers, and includes judges from England, Canada, and the United States—announced the winners July 9th.
914 Vienna Lager (5.3% ABV) features a fresh, full bodied malt profile, with toasted and very lightly-roasted grain flavors for a subdued hop. It is a nice counter to all the heavily-hopped beers around these days. The lager was awarded the bronze medal in last year’s competition.
Yonkers Brewing Co. joins only four other New York State breweries—Lake Placid Craft Brewing, Spider Bite Beer Company, Blue Point Brewing, and Saranac Brewing—who took home medals during this year’s competition. 914 Vienna Lager placed ahead of Big Sexy Brewing (California) and Denver Beer Company (Colorado), who took home silver and bronze respectively. 914 Vienna Lager is also currently available in six-pack cans at the brewery and most local beer suppliers.
“This is a big win for the brewery,” said John Rubbo, BrewEO of Yonkers Brewing Co. “We are happy to move up the ranks in this competition, and proud to bring the gold medal back to Yonkers. This is a great testament to the changes we’re making with head brewer Ray Girard. His passion for the craft and a taste for innovation makes for very exciting beers!”
Yonkers Brewing Co. is celebrating the win with a 914 Gold Medal Dinner Tuesday, July 31st at 6:30 PM. The lager will also be featured at a beer dinner hosted by Sambal Thai & Malaysian in Irvington Thursday, August 2nd at 6:30 PM. For details about these events and to purchase tickets, please visit www.yonkersbrewing.com.
John Rubbo is now also a City Councilman in Yonkers, but this story is all about the small business he co-founded which is all about Yonkers, and good beer. If haven’t tried it yet, enjoy a cold Yonkers beer this summer to help cool off
