Popular Irish pub in Webster to close after 12 years; owners to focus on liqueur brand
Sept. 9 will be last call at one of Webster’s most popular establishments.
Barry’s Old School Irish will close out a successful 12-year run at 2. W. Main St. so pub owners Jessica and Danny Barry can focus on a new venture: bringing their brand of Irish cream liqueur to the masses.
The couple shared the news in a July 23 Facebook video.
Barry’s Irish Cream Liqueur will be produced by a company called Merrys, which is based in Tipperary, Ireland, and could become available in bars, restaurants and liquor stores throughout New York state by the fall before being distributed more widely throughout the United States, Danny Barry said.
Having their own Irish cream brand is a long-held dream for the Barrys, and a major undertaking.
“We want to be able to put our full mind, body and soul into this dream,” Jessica Barry said in the video.
Which is why the pub in the heart of the village of Webster will go dark in less than two months.
Later in an interview, the Barrys were reluctant to frame it as an ending, for a lot of reasons: Their Irish cream was inspired by the pub, and the packaging will tell its story. Barry’s “is bigger than Jess and I, and it’s bigger than these walls,” Danny said. And ultimately, their goal is to reopen Barry’s in a bigger space with some sort of Barry’s Irish Cream Liqueur component.
Yet, Danny became tearful talking about the place.
“It’s small, but it’s got a big reach,” he said.
Now the parents of three young children, the Barrys were newlyweds when they opened the business, modeling it on the country pubs, or public houses, they visited in Ireland on their honeymoon.
With a bar side, a bakery side, a food menu including fish and chips and shepherd’s pie, and a friendly family vibe, it quickly became a community destination.
Besides bands and Irish dancers, Barry’s has hosted a hugely popular trivia night on Wednesdays.
And despite its relatively short history, it’s been named among the top-rated Irish pubs in the United States, including by Travel + Leisure magazine, FourSquare and The Irish Post.
“I would never be able to put into words, what that embrace means,” Danny said. “We love people, and we love our community and connecting with people.”
To maintain those ties while their product gets off the ground, the Barrys plan to host community events in Webster and beyond.
They also stage an annual Irish festival on their farm in Hilton. This year’s will be held Saturday, Sept. 16.
They’re already thinking about a future Barry’s location and, as was the case with 2 W. Main, believe that the right place “will hit us like a lightning bolt. I know it will speak to us right away,” Danny said.
The Barry's Irish Cream dream
About five years ago, the couple began experimenting with making Irish cream liqueur at home.
“We went over many many recipes,” Danny said. “And then came the day when we said, ‘That’s the one.’”
They have sometimes served it as a drink mixed on the spot at Barry’s. The thing about homemade Irish cream, though, is it has a short shelf life.
So, in late 2019, they started thinking about large-scale production of a shelf-stable bottled product.
“Then pandemic hit,” Jessica said, “so it was put on hold for a bit, and now we’re able to go full steam ahead.”
They met with Merrys a little more than a year ago, Danny said.
“Their facility is top-notch,” he said. “But Jess and I based a lot of it on, Are these our people?”
It turned out they were.
“We had an hour meeting that turned into eight hours, and we almost had an Irish accent by the end of the meeting,” he said. “Everyone there was so welcoming, kind of like our pub feels.”
The pub was a dream, and the Irish cream was a dream, he said.
“But community is the common thread that ties it all together.”
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Barry’s Old School Irish pub in Webster NY to close
