Watertown changing rules to allow downtown brew pub

Historic Lincoln Building

Breweries and wineries do not exactly abound in New York's North Country, but they do have a presence that is about to get incrementally larger.

Officials in the little Jefferson County city of Watertown (population 27,800) have taken a step toward making possible the opening of a new downtown brew pub when the Planning Board amended city regulations to allow owners of Boots Brewing Company to brew and sell beer inside a new location in the historic Lincoln Building on Public Square. Before that decision, breweries were not allowed in that area of the city.

Under the change, Boots Brewing and any other future microbrewer on Public Square would be permitted to operate, but limited to brew 5,000 barrels, far below the New York state limit. If the City Council approves the change, Boots Brewing could be open by this summer.

City firefighter Daniel E. Daugherty is behind the Boots Brewing effort, and plans to occupy a storefront closest to the Crystal Restaurant that will house his brew pub and tap room. Beer would be made in the basement on the J.B. Wise parking lot side of the building. The business will be set up like a wine tasting room with an upstairs tap room.

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• Go here to visit the Capital Region Brew Trail
• Go here to visit Notes On Napkins
• Go here to visit Dowd's New York Wines Notebook

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