Broken Bow, located in the quaint village of Tuckahoe in Westchester County, NY, is a true community-focused operation. And what better way to serve the community than to start with family? Broken Bow is family-owned and operated, run by the LaMothe family–Michael, his father Lyle, mother Kathy, and sisters Kristen and Kasey. The company started with Michael, who would dabble in home-brewing while working in finance–though he never thought of making the hobby a full-time commitment. After an internship at Village Brewery in Calgary, his “hobby” soon turned into something more, and not long after he shifted from financial adviser to brew-master–bringing his family along with him. While most of the work in the brew-house is mainly left to Michael, each member of the family is knowledgeable about the process, and they all help out in different ways–from creation to distribution.
The facility, opened to the public in August of 2013, is located near the Crestwood and Tuckahoe train stations and features a bar and tasting room with an interesting juxtaposition between the metallic brewing equipment and the old wooden bar, picnic tables and a broken multi-faucet sink for its taps. This also suits its location well, as the brewery sits in the more industrial area of an upper-class village. If you visit the facility, any of the family members working will be happy to share their tricks of the trade and stories with you. After one visit, you’ll feel like family, too, making Broken Bow a not only tasty brewery providing quality beers, but one of the more likable ones as well.
But now, THE BEERS:
Broken Bow started out with their three mainstay brews: the Broken Auger Lager–a malty and palatable brew that’s a refreshing change from most lagers in the craft beer world, turning to the traditional style unlike the many overly-hoppy lagers that saturate the market, the Broken Heart Stout–a smoky, but not too hefty stout that is rich in flavor, and the Marbledale APA–which has a very West Coast-style with hints of grapefruit.
For a brewery just starting out, they nailed the taste of their mainstays off the bat and have only continued to improve with each beer to come after it.
If you’re interested in checking out Broken Bow’s tasty brews, the Craftsman Ale House in Harrison, NY is having a tap takeover tonight from 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM featuring 8 BB samples:
Wet Hopped Cascade IPA
Broken In Russian Imperial Stout
Octoberfest
Cherry Wood Red
Parson’s Glebe
Broken Heart Stout
Marbledale APA
Broken Auger Lager
Our favorite is still the Broken Heart Stout, but we highly recommend trying any new beers they have available.
Visit the Tasting Room at 173 Marbledale Road, Tuckahoe. Open Wed & Thurs, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Fri & Sat, 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM and Sun, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM. Tours take place Fri & Sat at 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM.
Follow Broken Bow on Twitter: @brokenbowbrew; and Like them on Facebook: Broken Bow Brewery
Support local, friends and fellow beer-drinkers!
Next time on UBR: A few more local bars and brew-houses of note, smashing some pumpkins before the season ends, the wondrous mix of tea and beer and tasting another one of the divine-yet-mysterious Hill Farmstead brews. See you then!
The Unrefined Beer Review 