GENERAL
Binghamton's first modern brewery, we at Water Street Brewing Co. pride ourselves on our diverse tap list, thoughtfully prepared menu, and our laid-back atmosphere. Our tap list provides a broad range of traditional and new styles, ranging from German Pilsners and Hefeweizens to hazy NEIPAs, barrel-aged stouts, and beyond.
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ORIGINS
Water Street Brewing Co. was begun as a passion project of John and Michele Bleichert in 2011. Trained in brewing at the Siebel Institute, John's love of German beers in particular and traditional styles more generally is evident in our rotating tap list.
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CHANGING HANDS
In May of 2019, John and Michele decided to move back to their hometown to be closer to family. At that point, the business was purchased by a long-time employee, Kristin Andrascik, and a frequent patron, Steven Button. Kristin and Steve aim to continue the Bleicherts' values of great beer, fresh food, and strong community. You can find one of them behind the bar or in the brewery at nearly any time, so make sure to say hi and let them know how they're doing!
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BREWING
The Head Brewer at WSBC, Nick Hall, is also a long-time employee. Nick had been an avid homebrewer for many years before starting at WSBC in 2013, working mostly behind the bar at that point. Over the years he made his way into the brewing side of operations, learning brewing on the professional scale both from John Bleichert and the previous Head Brewer, David Knapp. In May 2019 Nick took over as Head Brewer, and hopes to continue producing beer at the high quality of his predecessors while adding his own creativity to the mix of WSBC offerings. You can also still find him behind the bar many days. Just be careful getting him started talking about beer, because you might not be able to get him to stop!
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STAFF
Water Street has a small staff of great people who share a passion for food and drinks. We pride ourselves on our knowledge of the craft, and truly enjoy discussing and making great beer and food. Strike up a conversation with Ethan behind the bar (he particularly likes to talk about Norway), or ask what Head Chef Tom's latest creation is.
