OceanCity.com, August 4, 2014 by Anthony Towey
When Berlin squared off against Cazenovia, NY in the finals of Budget Travel’s “Coolest Small Town” contest this winter, the mayors of the municipalities upped the ante on the competition, each wagering a growler of locally brewed beer on the outcome. Mayor Gee Williams putting beer from Burley Oak on the line may have been intended as a fun side bet (which he won), but it is also highly symbolic of the brewery’s importance to its hometown.
In an area with an ever-expanding brewery scene, the Burley Oak Brewing Co. is not only redefining what craft beer can be, but also striving to embody the very essence of the culture itself, and spearheading the emergence of its community along the way.
Visit Burley Oak’s website and you will be greeted by a bearded man stepping off of a tractor- the same bearded man who is likely to greet you upon a visit to the brewery’s tasting room. He is Bryan Brushmiller, Burley Oak’s visionary owner, and this isn’t a gimmick. He literally grows his own grain for use in his award-winning beer.
