Brewtus Roasting Wags Into Upstate New York Roastery and Tasting Room

Photo courtesy of Brewtus Roasting.

A trifecta of craft beverage greatness has come together in the upstate New York hamlet of Delmar now that small-batch specialty coffee roaster Brewtus Roasting has set up shop and opened its tasting room in between the Real McCoy Beer Co. and the Royal Meadery.

Photo courtesy of Brewtus Roasting.

With roasting, packaging and green coffee storage all plain to see for patrons in the approximately 1,100-square-foot industrial space that was formerly a body shop outside Albany, Brewtus drums up interest in its whole beans by hand-pulling espressos for classic drinks on a 3-group Astoria Rapallo lever machine paired with a Mahlkonig K30 Twin grinder. A Ditting bulk grinder breaks beans for Fetco XTS batch brews.

Photo by Ian Whelan.

Brewtus was formerly known as Barkeater Coffee Roasters in its original location one town over in East Greenbush. Owner Stephen Pivonka II told Daily Coffee News that the company’s move to Delmar stemmed from a readiness for more space that could handle wholesale growth while also providing a retail element.

“The majority of it I consider the tasting room,” Pivonka said of the new space, where the spectacle of fresh-roasted beans emerging from Brewtus’ 15-kilo Ozturk roaster is appreciated by patrons. “A lot of people like seeing it, they think it’s neat to see all the manufacturing.”

Steven Pivonka II. Photo courtesy of Brewtus Roasting.

Brewtus’s craft appeal fits right in with the roastery’s brewery and meadery neighbors, as patrons drift between the three, with occasional food trucks stationed in the parking lot.

“The people that are becoming my regular customers are regular customers at the meadery and regular customers at the brewery,” said Pivonka. “It’s a really unique experience, I think.”

The Ozturk roasting machine at Brewtus. Photo courtesy of Brewtus Roasting.

And beyond just the customer base, the trio of specialty-drink-mongers also share in a collaborative spirit of craft. Pivonka said so far there’s been a Brewtus-roasted Kenyan-coffee-infused Irish stout made by McCoy, while a cold brew root beer is currently in development with Royal Meadery.

“People are loving it,” Pivonka said. “It has that root beer taste, but it’s got a really chocolaty undertone from the coffee.”

Photo courtesy of Brewtus Roasting.

Though its move across the Hudson was a short distance geographically, the company’s relocation struck Pivonka as a prime opportunity also to move into a new name and logo — something less wordy and more immediately recognizable, if not also a bit snugglier.

“Branding is such a huge piece of the company, especially with a consumable,” said Pivonka. “People build an emotional bond with a brand. I think having one with a face that’s very recognizable is huge for repeat business. People instantly recognize the face of the bulldog when they see it.”

Photo courtesy of Brewtus Roasting.

With no immediate plans for a standalone cafe or other formal retail, Pivonka hopes that its jowly, lovable logo continues to gain recognition on the wholesale market, where it intends to focus its growth for the next couple years.

Brewtus Roasting is now open at 20 Hallwood Road in Delmar, New York.