In January 2020, a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic began in earnest and during a time when the craft beer boom was just beginning to wane, Roc Brewing Co. owner Chris Spinelli sat down with CITY Magazine to discuss the state of the brewing industry.
Namely, the discussion was on whether a beer industry bubble truly existed — and when it could burst.
"People think of a bubble and they think of the tech bubble, when the market crashes, everything closes and unemployment goes crazy," said Chris Spinelli, founder of Roc Brewing Company. "But a bubble is really an industry that expanded quickly (and) now there are too many players in the market. Some are going to win, and some are going to lose."
Nearly four years after that interview, Roc Brewing has become one of the staple Rochester breweries to lose. On Wednesday, a Facebook post announced it would be permanently closing its doors on Saturday, Oct. 7.
For members of the Rochester beer community, it is unanimously described as a “heartbreaking” loss. For Spinelli, it is a terrible feeling. The decision, he said, was seen on the horizon for months, but materialized in earnest very rapidly over the past week.
“We saw sales really decreasing, and the last month or so, and I think the whole industry has been seeing this, it slowed to a stop,” Spinelli said. “It took what was already a tough situation and made it impossible.”
The influence Roc Brewing had on the craft beer community locally cannot be overstated.
Opened in 2011 by Spinelli and his then-business partner Jon Mervine, Roc Brewing was among the first craft breweries to pop up in the craft beer boom of the 2010s. Struggling to obtain loans from banks for a business which was part of a then-fledgling industry, Roc was supported by Samuel Adams Brewing Company’s “Brewing the American Dream” program. That program provided capital to help get the brewery off the ground.
Roc quickly became a keystone of Rochester’s brewing scene, with beers like its Whoop Ass double IPA and its Vienna lager Lagerithm becoming local go-tos. Mervine, meanwhile, left in 2017 to start Fifth Frame Brewing on St. Paul Street.
Roc was also a cornerstone for building a craft beer ecosystem. Nine Spot Brewing opened late last year on Monroe Avenue, a quarter mile from Roc. Owners Chris and Marina Nothnagle credit Spinelli and Roc Brewing with making Nine Spot a reality. There was hope for them that, along with nearby Strangebird on Marshall Street, the trio of breweries would serve as a beer hub as the Strong National Museum of Play completed its $75 million expansion.
“They’ve been by our side since before day one, from driving their forklift down to unload our equipment, to collab'ing and contracting with us before we were open,” Marina Nothnagle said. “And just our friendship. We all did kind of become a family.”
The news was devastating, added Chris Nothnagle.
“It probably took us a good two hours to process what we had learned yesterday," he said. "Marina’s correct, we would not be here today without the generosity of Roc. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it.”
The closure cements a new reality for the craft brewing industry. Gone are the days of double-digit growth and a simple promise of good beer being enough to keep the doors open. There is competition, breweries must be nimble, constantly adapting, and offering something that keeps people coming in the door.
Roc, undeniably, did their best to achieve those things.
In 2020, as the brewery expanded into the second half of its building on South Union Street, Spinelli struck a partnership with FLX Wienery, the Dundee-based hot dog joint that made a name for itself by pairing wine with decadently topped frankfurters.
That partnership would last two years before the pair split, and Roc launched its own burger-and-fries based restaurant.
Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association, is also mourning the loss of Roc. He sees the closure not as a sign of any failing of the brewery or its leadership, but simply a sign of the times.
“We’ve entered a new reality in the brewing industry,” Leone said. “It’s not going by 13%, or even 5%, anymore. But that doesn’t mean the industry is collapsing.”
Leone described the current state of the brewing industry as less of the 2010-era gold rush, and moving into a more mature industry. It’s one where, like any other, there will be openings and there will be closures, and what makes one brewery radically more successful than another remains somewhat of a mystery.
As of 2022, the most recently available data from the national Brewers Association, New York had 503 breweries, the third-highest of any state, behind California and Pennsylvania and produced $3.9 billion in economic impact.
“It’s more than a business for a lot of these breweries,” Leone said. “I know that Chris poured his heart, soul, and passion into Roc. Everyone is heartbroken.”
Spinelli said the reason for Roc’s closure is a cocktail of issues that were emphasized during 2020.
“It sucks to keep saying this, but the pandemic really created a lot of issues, definitely,” he said. “The government tried to help but now those loans are due, and consumers have changed. A lot of people want to stay home more than they used to. But you look at things like, you go out for breakfast and it’s $40, it’s hard to then go out and see us and spend $50, $60.”
Spinelli has no plans for the future yet, beyond getting through the next few weeks and selling off what equipment he can. Most important is making sure his staff comes out safe to the other side.
“The people I’m concerned about right now are my team, and doing the best I can to make sure they find new jobs,” Spinelli said. “And to say my last goodbyes to everyone and thank them. That’s really what I’m trying to get through.”
Gino Fanelli is a reporter for WXXI/CITY.