Arrowood Outpost, a new spot where you can taste varieties of beer or seasonal goods from their original location in Accord, NY, had its official opening on Jan. 5th, located at 3 Church Street in New Paltz, the former Rhino Records location.
Jake Meglio, a SUNY New Paltz alumni, partnered with Blake Arrowood in 2014 to help create something special.
He explained, “I was actually pre-med getting ready to apply to medical school, and this opportunity fell in my lap. I had been home brewing since high school.” Arrowood Farm, started as a hop farm, which are flowers from the hop plant, Humulus lupulus, but they soon started their brewery side of the business. They quickly received a farm brewery license. Their doors opened in 2016.
The farm has six different varieties of hops, as well as, pigs, grain, ducks, chicken, sheep, and bees. They also have a three barrel brewing system on the farm. The goal for Arrowood Outpost is to provide the community with local and delicious food and beer. They hope to help motivate other farms to go from conventional farming to organic.
Arrowood Farm opens for the season on March 17th, where you can then find several people exploring, trying the beer, and tasting the local produce. Both the farm and the outpost hope to create a family feeling in their locations. Their typical customer includes people “of all walks of life,” according to Meglio.
With New Paltz being on the other side of the Mohonk Preserve, it may seem questionable as to why they chose this location. Meglio not only graduated from SUNY New Paltz, but it is his home town as well. Most of their customers are from New Paltz and drive around 30 minutes to get to the farm, so out of conveniency, the Outpost was created. The Arrowood Outpost is merely an extension, or small taste, of what the Arrowood Farm is truly like.
They want to reach as many people as they can.
Another connection to New Paltz was when Meglio and Arrowood partnered with the Genetics Department at SUNY New Paltz last year. Meglio explained, “We isolated yeast strains off of our honey bees at the farm, and we brewed beer with those yeast strains.” The project proved to be very successful, which is included in their new bottle release series they are beginning.
On their grand opening on Jan. 5th, they had a packed house. Meglio hopes that the word will continue to spread and people will decide to drop by and taste the beer they make. One of their main goals includes tying the people to their local agriculture. At the Outpost you can take growlers, or bombers of beer home to then enjoy with your friends and family wherever you wish.
When you walk into Arrowood Outpost, there is a spacious tavern, with a welcoming feel. Rhino Records could be remembered as crammed with records from one wall to the next.
“LPs take up half the space, you know you don’t come and hangout,” Janet Bosco, a New Paltz alumna, joked.
Rhino Records seemed to take up an insignificant amount of what is there. The register blocked off the section that was towards the back of the space, which was used for storage.
When opening the Arrowood Outpost, they utilized the space like never before. Jaclyn McGaril, an employee, explained “We had to tear down more than build up, it has kind of doubled the space.” When visitors check out Arrowood Outpost, they might be surprised with the renovations.
The opening of Arrowood Outpost has been off to a great start and Meglio encourages more people to stop in.
