a big-time mobster who knew the ins and outs of bootlegging, along with his minions, replete with Tommy guns, soon arrived. After Briggs Brewery was purchased in 1932, operations got under way again, but were short-lived. New Jersey police investigating a double murder found full details in a safe about Gordon’s operation in Elmira, eventually conducting the biggest Prohibition bust in New York state history. A handful of Elmira residents, some wellknown businessmen, were involved in graft and cover-up. So, why revive a brand that’s been buried for 100 years, despite its colorful past? For Steve, it goes beyond what he’s putting in the can. It’s about community. “First, there’s a strong interest today in throwback brands— they’re coming back, reintroduced because people long for that small-town Americana feel. In addition to Briggs, you’ve got Congress Ale in Syracuse, as well as Utica Club. These types of things are the building blocks of returning the small towns to what they used to be,” affirms Steve. “Growing up in Elmira and on Keuka Lake in the summer were amazing places to be raised. Upstate New York has had a number of rough years—once-thriving downtowns with family-run businesses disappeared, replaced by malls, replaced by online shopping [Amazon]. Artisanal shops, Mom and Pop businesses—this is the fabric of communities. Elmira is successfully reinvesting in its urban areas. One piece of the puzzle, re-establishing the brewery, will be part of the renaissance,” he continues. Steve owes this sense of place and his strong work ethic to his parents, who continue to lead by example. Together with his dad, Steve Shaw, Sr., he owns and operates Shaw Vineyard, located on Seneca Lake’s picturesque western shore. Pam Yunis, Steve’s mom, runs GCP Discount Liquors & Wines in Horseheads, the wine and spirits store her father, Nick Yunis, started in 1968. Not surprising, Steve’s successful sixteen-year career in the wine and spirits industry includes launching his own spirits marketing and brokerage firm. Briggs Beer is Steve’s first beer brand relaunch. Last December Steve founded Old Time Beer Brands, LLC, the parent company of T. Briggs & Co. and two other forgotten Elmira beer brands. Production began in July of this year at Northway Brewing, which brews and cans the traditional Briggs Cream Ale recipe. Others will soon follow. You can find Briggs in several independent beer retailers, and in grocers in Elmira, the Finger Lakes, and Syracuse areas. “The ultimate goal is to reestablish T. Briggs & Co. Brewery in Elmira within five years,” says Steve. “Revitalizing an abandoned brand, seeing it coming back and available today for enjoyment is extremely gratifying. The brand has come full circle. This piece of Elmira’s liquid history that was taken by Prohibition is now being given back. “It’s interesting to think,” the history buff continues, “that Mark Twain was quite possibly sitting in a tavern sipping bourbon and drinking Briggs Beer.” After all, Mark Twain spent twenty summers relaxing and writing in Elmira at Quarry Farm, his summer home during the 1870s and 1880s. Now that’s something worth raising a glass to.
FEBRURARY 29 |
Winter Stroll
Ann Duckett is a certified cheesemaker and former cheesemonger, who now devotes her time to educating and helping others find their cheese bliss through classes, presentations, special events, and cheese catering. 31