News

We’re proud to announce a very limited collaboration with Clonakilty Distillery. In November 2021, right after we finished canning our 2021 BA Towpath, we bubble wrapped our mostly-empty barrels, carefully stacked them in a shipping container, and sent them off to our friends at Clonakilty Distillery in Ireland. They then transferred a small batch of their Irish Whiskey, a blend of several whiskeys, which had been aging in their own barrels perched high on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic for between 5 and 8 years, into the Towpath barrels. The whiskey aged in the Towpath barrels for 9 months, adding some roasty and chocolatey characteristics to the already smooth spirits. The result is a very limited batch of handcrafted whiskey that is sure to please whiskey and beer drinkers alike. We won’t be able to sell full bottles to-go at the taproom, but we will be pouring this at the bar while supplies last. Bottles will be available for sale at select liquor stores in the area starting mid November. We’ll also be hosting a preview event where you can meet the distillery and sample some whiskey. Info below!

Preview Event Info: The fine folks from Clonakilty Distillery will be here at Big Ditch on October 29th from 2PM-5PM to preview the whiskey before it’s available in stores. The event is free to attend and snacks and samples will be provided. More info HERE.

We can’t wait for you to try this!

We’ve teamed up with YMCA Buffalo Niagara to bring you the official beer of the Buffalo Turkey Trot – “Turkey Trotter”. The YMCA Turkey Trot is the world’s oldest consecutively run footrace, and a Buffalo tradition since 1896. Turkey Trotter, a refreshing blonde ale featuring crackery malt flavor and light hoppy fruit flavor, is the first beer brewed specifically to celebrate this long standing tradition. A portion of all proceeds from this beer supports YMCA Buffalo Niagara’s efforts to strengthen the WNY community. Available on tap and in 6-packs to go today at the taproom with distribution next week!

Join us this Friday, September 16 as we release THREE Barrel Aged Bottles!

1. IT IS WHAT IT ISN’T – Imperial stout aged in Apple Brandy Barrels with coffee, vanilla, and marshmallows – This beer is the result of a collaboration lasting 18 months between Big Ditch and the Buffalo Barrel Project, with a simple goal of making a beautifully balanced barrel aged beer. We began by aging a 10% ABV Imperial Stout in Apple Brandy barrels for 12 months. We then blended this barrel aged stout with another 11% Imperial Stout. To this blended stout we added fresh coffee, vanilla, and marshmallows, to lend sweetness to the blended beer. The complexity of this beer is off the charts; this beer is everything that simple beers aren’t. 10.5% ABV.

2. THE TOWER – Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Barley Wine – Our brewery sits in the shadow of the Electric Tower, which is where the New Year’s Eve ball drops in Buffalo, and we brew The Tower to celebrate the coming of the new year. This beer was originally brewed in January 2021. We aged the beer in a Willett Rye Whiskey barrel as we hoped the subtle rye spice would complement the toffee and honey character of the base beer. We aged this beer in the barrel for 18 months. The result is amazingly smooth for its 10.5% ABV. We think this is one of the best barrel aged beers we’ve ever created. We hope you enjoy. 10.5% ABV.

3. BLOSSOM STREET – Helles Lager Aged in Chardonnay Barrels – Our brewery is bordered by Blossom Street, which is an alleyway behind the brewery where our brewers enjoy beers at the end of their shift to celebrate a job well done. Our Helles lager is a beer that is particularly enjoyed during these shift beer sessions. An idea that “blossomed” over these shift beers was aging our Helles in a Chardonnay barrel (3x times used) to add light oak and white grape character to the bready malt and lightly spicy hop character of the base beer. There is only a soft kiss of barrel character in this beer; the beer is well suited for consumption on a warm day, but also for contemplation while sitting by an open fire. We hope you enjoy. 5% ABV.

All three will be available at 11:00am Friday. Online ordering will be available for pickup only.

We’ll have 5 beers for you this week! These will be available at the taproom and online ordering (NYS shipping only) this week with distribution following. More info and release dates below.

MAKE ME WANNA STOUT

COFFEE AND CREAM STOUT

RELEASE DATE: 8/30

Made for Sunday mornings. We brewed this beer specifically for football Sundays in Western New York! This coffee and cream stout is brewed with Revolution coffee beans from Public Espresso. Besides the rich coffee taste, this beer features a light roast from the roasted barley, a light sweet finish from the milk sugar, and a creamy body from the oatmeal. Let’s Go Buffalo! 5.2% ABV

CINNAMON APPLE

AMBER ALE

RELEASE DATE: 8/31

Apples are the state fruit of New York. We wanted to brew a beer that incorporated our state fruit to properly celebrate autumn in New York State. We use locally pressed cider from New York state apples and locally grown 2-row barley to create our fall seasonal. This beer also incorporates cinnamon, allspice, oatmeal and brown sugar. Savor this beer and enjoy autumn in Western New York. 6.5% ABV

BEER THAT TASTES LIKE BEER: OKTOBERFEST

RELEASE DATE: 9/2

We love beer because of the diversity of styles that can be produced from the four basic ingredients of malt, hops, yeast, and water. But, in a world where it seems like craft beer is increasingly tasting similar (not that we have anything against juicy IPAs and fruited sours), we wanted to shine a light on “beer that tastes like beer” to keep us from forgetting why we fell in love with craft beer in the first place. This German-style malty lager features notes of toasted bread, fig, and a light touch of honey on the finish, with a fairly light and refreshing body for the style. 6.0% ABV.

DEVIL CHICKEN

DOUBLE DRY-HOPPED IPA

RELEASE DATE: 9/2

No chickens were harmed during the making of this devilishly good hop bomb of an IPA. Yet.

We started the brew with sticky Galaxy and Mosaic hops, added flaked oats to smooth out the bitterness, added a touch of Cashmere hops to add stone fruit and pineapple notes, then double dry-hopped the beer to up the hop intensity. You’ve been warned, chickens. 6.8% ABV

ELECTROPOSITIVITY

IPA

RELEASE DATE: 9/2

This collaboration between Big Ditch Brewing Company from Buffalo, NY and Underground Beer Lab from Syracuse, NY blended our collective brewing science knowledge to create an IPA like neither of our breweries have made before. Featuring Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, and Strata hops, then mash hopped with New York State Cascade hops and fermented with Cosmic Punch yeast, this beer features flavors of white grape, honeydew and passion fruit, with notes of grapefruit and peach. 6.3% ABV.

We had such a great time hosting the Summer Run Series that we decided to keep it going!. Introducing the Big Ditch Run Club!

Join us one Monday a month for a group run followed by beer and food at the taproom. This is just for fun! All runners welcome, go at your own pace!
– Runs start/end at Big Ditch Brewing Company.
– Runs start at 6:00pm. No pre-registration. Just show up a few minutes early, sign in, and be ready to go at 6:00.
– Melina from Next Level Running will lead the group runs.
– There will be a 3 mile and 4 mile route planned each week.
– Route maps will be provided.
– We’ll have water ready for you when you get back so you can hydrate before moving on to celebratory beers.
– The run is free to attend and open to all types of runners.
– Beer and food specials for runners each week after the run.

We’re happy to announce that Big Ditch is now available in the Capital Region!  And we couldn’t be more excited!  Over the past couple of weeks, our sales team (Hey Matty and Andrew!) has been working diligently with Saratoga Eagle to get Big Ditch beers to the Capital Region.  We’re focused on making sure the beer arrives as fresh as possible, so consumers can enjoy it as it’s meant to be.   You can currently find our beers at several bars and restaurants on draft, as well as in cans at retail locations throughout the area.  (And we’re adding more every day!)

Read the full news release below.

BIG DITCH BREWING COMPANY EXPANDS DISTRIBUTION TO THE CAPITAL REGION

Buffalo brewery offers award-winning beers on draft and in cans in the Capital Region.

 ALBANY, N.Y. – Big Ditch Brewing, one of New York State’s largest craft breweries, announced they are now distributing their award-winning craft beer to the Capital Region.

“We are thrilled to announce that we are bringing our products to the Capital Region after nearly five years of planning,” said Matt Kahn, President and co-Founder of Big Ditch Brewing Company.  The announcement comes following the opening of Big Ditch’s new production brewery in downtown Buffalo.  The new 40-barrel production-only brewery will more than double its existing production capacity, enabling Big Ditch to expand distribution of their beer across New York State.  “We’ve been excited about expanding to the Capital Region for some time now, but we were barely keeping up with demand in Western New York,” said Kahn.  “Our new production brewery finally gives us the capacity to produce enough beer for the Capital Region.”

Capital Region craft beer drinkers will be able to find signature Big Ditch beers such as their flagship Hayburner American IPA, as well as seasonal and limited release beers at retail locations throughout the region both on draught and in cans.  Big Ditch have partnered with Saratoga Eagle Sales and Service to distribute their beer throughout the area.  To give consumers an opportunity to try their products, Big Ditch and Saratoga Eagle will be hosting several events at local bars and retailers in the coming weeks.  They kicked things off with an official regional launch party on Thursday 8/11 at The Ruck in Troy and will also be at City Beer Hall in Albany on Friday 8/12.

For more information, visit bigditchbrewing.com.

TWO new beers for you this Saturday!  Whether you’re craving a classic style or something more modern (or maybe both) we have something to scratch that itch.

UNICORN PARFAIT PASTRY SOUR – If you like a) beer that tastes like ice cream and b) mythical animals, this is the beer for you.  This sour beer is brewed with cherries, blueberries, pistachios, vanilla, and granola. 5.2% ABV.

BEER THAT TASTES LIKE BEER: KOLSCH – This German-style lager/ale hybrid is slightly fruity, slightly bready, and completely refreshing on a warm day.  5.3% ABV

Both beers will be available on tap and in 4-packs (16oz cans)  at our taproom and online (shipping in NYS only) this Saturday, limited distribution next week.

You read that right. Hayburner American IPA is now available in 12 packs! We’ve always wanted to offer 12 packs, but until we opened our new production brewery, we just didn’t have the capacity. Now with the new facility up and running, the first new product we wanted to offer was our flagship IPA, Hayburner, in 12 packs. Available now at a store near you! Also available at our taproom and for pickup and shipping (NYS Only).

About Hayburner:

Hayburner is a luscious and citrusy IPA with primary notes of orange, melon and grapefruit, and a slightly earthy finish. It packs a firm bitterness but remains balanced by abundant late hop additions and a soft and airy malt base. 7.2% ABV.

Read the full press release below:

BIG DITCH BREWING COMPANY OPENS NEW PRODUCTION BREWERY IN DOWNTOWN BUFFALO, EXPANDS PRODUCT LINE TO INCLUDE HAYBURNER 12 PACKS

New brewery enables Big Ditch to offer more craft beer options and expand distribution across New York State

BUFFALO, N.Y. –Big Ditch Brewing, one of New York State’s largest craft breweries, has opened a 40-barrel production brewery in downtown Buffalo. The new production-only brewery will more than double its existing production capacity enabling Big Ditch to innovate more craft beers and expand distribution of Big Ditch Beer across New York State.  Big Ditch Brewing is also announcing that Hayburner American IPA, its one of Western New York’s best-selling craft beers, will now also be sold in 12-pack packages offering customers a better value.

The new 40-barrel brewhouse, located at 101 Oak Street, is double the size of Big Ditch’s 20-barrel brewhouse located at 55 East Huron Street, just a few blocks away. Big Ditch has hired seven additional brewers for the operation of the new brewery.  The new Production Brewery will be responsible for brewing and packaging all of the beer Big Ditch sells in 12-ounce cans.  This includes larger format 12-packs, which offers its consumers a value option in addition to the 6-packs it currently sells. The increased production capacity will also allow Big Ditch to expand distribution further into Central New York and soon to the Capital Region.  Kahn believes that’s just the beginning for Big Ditch.

“For years, our customers have been asking us to sell our beer outside of New York State”, stated Matt Kahn, President and Co-Founder of Big Ditch.  “we’re almost ready to make that happen!”

The 55 East Huron Street brewhouse will remain operational, transitioning to an Innovation Brewery focusing on specialty and experimental beers.

“Innovation is paramount for success in the craft beer industry”, stated Matt Kahn, President and co-founder of Big Ditch.  “The opening of the new production brewery will free up capacity at our current brewery for innovation while allowing us to keep pace with demand for our signature and seasonal beers.”.

.For more information, visit bigditchbrewing.com.

###

About Big Ditch Brewing Company

Founded in 2014, Big Ditch Brewing Company is a Buffalo, NY based independent craft brewery named after “Clinton’s Big Ditch”, the nickname for the Erie Canal. Voted “Best Craft Brewery in New York State” in 2016 at the Tap NY festival, Big Ditch has quickly grown into one of the most successful craft breweries in New York. Big Ditch beer is available in retail stores, bars and restaurants throughout Western New York. Patrons can also enjoy Big Ditch beer at its source from the brewery’s tap room at 55 East Huron Street in the Electric District of downtown Buffalo. Learn more about the company here.

Big Ditch Brewing Company is expanding distribution to the Capital Region and kicking things off at The Ruck on August 11th at 6pm. Details below.

We’ll be taking over 5 taps, offering free samples, and putting some FREE FOOD (wings, sliders, pretzels and tots) out for everyone to enjoy. Along with Big Ditch’s sales team, Head Brewer and Co-Owner Corey Catalano will be there to meet and greet (and drink some beers, of course).

Without further adieu. The Beer! Here is what will be available:

Hayburner American IPA – 7.2% ABV

Hayburner is a luscious and citrusy IPA, with primary notes of orange, melon, grapefruit, and a slightly earthy finish. It packs a firm bitterness but remains balanced by abundant late hop additions and a soft, airy malt base.

Dayburner Refreshing IPA – 4.9% ABV

Burning a day is a beautiful thing. That’s the idea behind Dayburner, a refreshing all-season IPA that boasts a taste (and name) complementary to our flagship IPA. It has citrus flavor, delicious drinkability and a smooth finish suited for days you never want to end.

Cannon Call Double IPA – 8.4% ABV

Cannon Call is a New England Style double IPA with Mosaic, Nelson Sauvin, Idaho 7, and Simcoe hops to yield a tropical flavor explosion with notes of white grape and orange zest.

Excavator Brown Ale – 6.2% ABV

Excavator incorporates seven different malts to achieve a rich, yet smooth flavor and balance. It is highlighted by judicious amounts of chocolate malt, with a subtle, spicy finish from the use of flaked rye.

Dock Jams Sour Fruit Beer – 5% ABV

When you’re ready to enjoy the warmer weather, this is the beer for you. Dock Jams is brewed with hibiscus flowers and New York State grape juice to be lightly tart with a big floral aroma and a delicious fruity finish. It looks like punch but drinks with much more complexity while remaining refreshing.

Two weeks ago, we brewed our first batch of beer (Hayburner, of course) at our new production brewery on Oak Street in downtown Buffalo!

We told you a little bit about the history and reasoning behind this new brewery on a blog post that day and promised we’d share a little more about the brewery on canning day, two weeks later. That day is today!

After waiting for years to open a new brewery, it was important to us to be able to scale up our operation quickly. For that reason, we decided to work with equipment vendors we’ve worked with previously, which made the learning curve for making good beer a lot less steep. We went with a 40 barrel brewhouse along with 10 x 80 barrel fermenters from Criveller (in Niagara Falls, Canada). This brewhouse is twice the size of our existing brewery at Huron Street. The current capacity of the new brewery is larger than our existing brewery, and our canning line is faster as well, which means we can immediately more than double our output. All of the equipment we’ve purchased is improved over the equipment we have at Huron Street. These improvements will make our process more efficient, which will give us more beer to sell.

The new production brewery will be responsible for brewing and packaging all of the beer we sell in 12 ounce cans; beginning in August, if you’re drinking one of our beers out of a 12 ounce can, it probably came from Oak Street. Oh, but don’t expect that we’ll only be making the same products you can get from us now – there will definitely be some BIG new packages coming to our portfolio shortly. That’s a hint.

Meanwhile, Huron Street will be brewing and packaging Hayburner in kegs for all the bars and restaurants in the area. Thanks to all of our on-premise customers for the continued support! Huron Street will also be filling our 16 ounce limited release beers, as well as brewing lots and lots of pilot batch beers. There will be all sorts of experimentation happening at Huron Street soon – and perhaps we’ll even be brewing some “beyond” beers as well. That’s another hint.

Another thing NOT to expect – that we’ll only be selling beer in the same places we’ve been selling the past few years. We expanded our sales through the Finger Lakes last year, started selling a lot more beer in Central NY recently, and will be expanding into the Capital Region of NY very shortly. We’ve hired some great new salespeople to help us with this – hi Ben K, Jess B, and Matty J! And that’s just the beginning.  For years our customers have been asking us to sell our beer outside of New York state, and we’re finally ready to make it happen – very, very soon.

Perhaps most importantly, a new brewery needs brewers to make the beer, and we’ve hired an incredible collection of amazing brewers who have come to us both from within the brewing industry and from outside of it as well.  Many of our existing brewers have been promoted through this process. We’ll even be shutting down 3rd shift (the overnight shift) for the first time since 2016 to focus more on innovation. Congratulations to our entire brewery staff and thank you for working under very stressful conditions over the last several years – we are all looking forward to tasting the beers you make for us!

Big Ditch Brewing Company is super energized for this new brewery and the next phase of our growth. Thanks again to our loyal customers for supporting us for the last 7+ years! We believe deeply in our hearts that Buffalo is the best place to get a beer anywhere in the world and we work hard every day to make you proud. Cheers!