Health, history, horses and, soon, Tree House: Charlton brewer set for Saratoga Springs

The executive director of the New York State Brewers Association’s phone was blowing up with text messages about, of all things, a brewery in Central Massachusetts.

Paul Leone, responsible for advocating on behalf of the over 530 breweries in New York, found himself flooded with inquiries and interest from people about the pending arrival of Tree House Brewing Co.

Leone couldn’t answer at that moment three Fridays ago: He was already on the phone with Tree House concerning its plans to build a new destination brewery in Saratoga Springs.

As he glanced at text after text about Tree House — messages like, “Hey Tree House is coming” — he chatted with the brewery’s owners, who had paid him the courtesy of calling his office as they released the news.

“There’s certainly a level of excitement in New York,” he told me over what will become Tree House’s first location outside New England. “They have quite a fanatic following.”

You have no idea, Mr. Leone.

'Reverence for history, vision for the future'

Pledging to generate upwards of $40 million for the region’s economy while creating at least 60 jobs in the city, Tree House chose the home of the 160-year-old Saratoga Race Course and the beloved Saratoga Performing Arts Center for its next outpost, saying it will build a new brewery next year for just the second time since opening 12 years ago on a tiny farm in Brimfield.

Tree House has expanded to six other locations (including the Monson brewery, which it still owns) and added spirits, coffee and pizza to its lineup. The four most recent have all been existing sites: a farm in Connecticut; a seaside restaurant in Sandwich; a former publishing company in Deerfield; and a country club in Tewksbury.

Not since its brewery and distillery in Charlton, where it has invested over $74 million, has Tree House built a new location from the ground up. Tree House’s main campus generates about $60 million a year for the local economy.

“With reverence for history and a vision for the future, Tree House aims to become an integral chapter in Saratoga Spring’s vibrant and hopeful future,” the brewery said.

On Wednesday, Tree House will meet with the Saratoga Springs Planning Board seeking a special permit to build a 22,680-square-foot brewery and taproom serving pizza, as well as a park-like outdoor experience with pavilions and walking paths.

Moving quickly to break ground, Tree House has scheduled meetings with local officials in Saratoga Springs, who told me they believe the brewery will enrich its already-vibrant tourism industry.

They hope to work with Tree House to make its opening as smooth as possible, assisting with tasks like guiding it through the brewery licensing process.

They have just one ask: come in willing to form partnerships with the other breweries in the region.

“I really am excited to have them in New York state, but the one thing New York state brewers do is collaborate with each other,” Leone said, adding, “I don’t care how big and important you are.”

Tree House by the park

“Come out and have a ball at Murphy’s Driving Range” was for nearly 70 years the motto of the driving range and miniature golf course at 3376 South Broadway in Saratoga Springs, near the city’s southern gateway.

Opened by Jack Murphy in 1945, Murphy’s remained family-run until its final season in 2013. A “for sale” sign went up, with no real interest materializing for the next decade.

The 10.6 acres were left untouched as development progressed around it, including a hotel next door.

Surrounded by trees, the once-manicured field where golfers pelted balls sits overgrown. The remnants of a tiny parking lot remain, and weeds creep up an electrical pole out front.

It’s here where Tree House will build its New York brewery, which in architectural renderings the brewer shared, looks a serene, modest wooden building with a tall glass façade.

The land had been recently assessed at nearly $350,000, with a full-market value of around $671,300. Saratoga County broker Julie & Co. Realty LLC had listed the site for $6.75 million, but it is unknown what Tree House paid for it.

“It’s an ideal location for them and for us,” said Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus, a former Holden resident and a Clark University graduate.

Within a mile of the highway, Tree House’s Saratoga brewery will sit across from Saratoga Spa State Park – home of SPAC, natural springs and 27 holes of golf – which every year attracts about 3 million people, Shimkus said. Nearby, he said, the Saratoga Casino Hotel sees another 1.6 million people annually.

“The key for us is we really need Tree House to work with us to attract even more people to Saratoga. It’s important that it’s a true destination,” Shimkus told me.

Tree House and Saratoga, the perfect match

Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim first met with Tree House a couple of months ago, knowing little about the brewery beyond their logo, which he recognized from a T-shirt his son-in-law wore once.

Mayor Kim left the meeting viewing Tree House as the perfect match for his city of 30,000.“We do have this small-town feel, and Tree House seems to also have come from those values,” he said.

In Charlton, Tree House has an extensive trail system that it encourages visitors to meander. Similarly, Saratoga Spa State Park has many walking and bike trails.

Part of what Mayor Kim said he discussed with Tree House was his city’s commitment to expanding its bike and walking trails, including a new bike lane to be built next year about 1,000-feet from the entrance to where the brewery will open. Eventually the bike lane will run through the state park to the Saratoga Race Course, he said.

Mayor Kim said he suggested Tree House build its own bike path connecting to the city’s.

Tree House, with its Deerfield enclave, has developed a robust live music program, both indoors and out. According to Mayor Kim, the brewery has started talking to the SPAC about coordinating events. The brewery has said it intends to donate proceeds from a beer to SPAC, along with another nonprofit, Sustainable Saratoga.

“I think that Saratoga and Tree House are complementary,” Mayor Kim said. “There are a lot of reasons to come to Saratoga and this is just another great institution; we’ll add to each other’s luster.”

Becoming a New York brewery

New York has the second largest craft beer market in the country, Leone, the executive direct of its brewing association, said.

And over a dozen different brewers operate in the region where Tree House will move.

Across that community, the reaction to Tree House’s Empire State expansion has varied from excitement to concern, according to the officials I interviewed.

Leone feels Tree House could heighten beer tourism, where people come for the famous brewery and visit all of the other brewers around it.

“It’s my sincere belief that coming over to New York, they’ll have greater success if they come in and really be partners and friends and ingrain themselves in the New York state beer scene,” he said.

Shimkus, the chamber president, said two breweries reached out to him expressing worry that Tree House could operate as an island, unwilling to take part in New York’s tight brewing scene.

That collaborative community, he said, shined during the pandemic, when New York brewers banded together to create a beer for the region’s ravaged hospitality industry, using proceeds to provide cash grants to the roughly 12,000 workers who lost their jobs.

Shimkus hopes Tree House will find ways to add value to the craft beverage industry thriving in the region, rather than just dilute it.

“I hope Tree House understands that’s what it takes to keep our success going,” he said. “Doing just what works for you doesn’t work here.”

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Beyond Beer: Tree House Brewing Co. set for new Saratoga Springs site