12 Gates of EVL Now on Tap
12 Gates of EVL Now on Tap
Brewery opens its doors to craft beer enthusiasts with NYC-inspired menu
12 gates partner Todd Wilhelm points out the original can that was used for West Coast Style IPA - the flagship brew of the 12 Gates brand.
A community rich in dining/entertainment options got a little richer just in time for Thanksgiving, as the 12 Gates of EVL Taproom opened its doors at 14 Washington Street. downtown Ellicottville, NY.
With an impressive slate of award-winning craft beers on tap and sporting a menu styled after a New York City kosher deli, 12 Gates of EVL partners celebrated a “soft opening” just ahead of the coming ski season.
”I think it’s safe to say we all love Ellicottville and we think what we offer fits well with all the other players in town,” said Todd Wilhelm, one of 12 Gates’ original founding fathers at the opening of the new taproom. “We’ve all been coming here for years as skiers and we’re really looking forward to forming a symbiotic relationship here in town.”
The main offering to be served up at the new 12 Gates of EVL Taproom is handcrafted beer with wide-ranging flavors and styles - from pilsners, lagers and stouts to their flagship brew: a West Coast Style IPA that leaves you longing for another.
“The way it all started for us was we put a glass of the West Coast IPA in front of our Master Brewer, Matt Gordon,” explained Tom Kirchmeyer, the other original partner of 12 Gates. “We told him that if he could create a product like that for us, then we could be very successful.”
Craft beer aficionados may have had the chance to sample 12 Gates brews already, either at the main brewery/taproom in Williamsville, NY, at events like Holiday Valley’s Beer and Wine Festival, or at select bars and restaurants located throughout Western New York. 12 Gates products are also available on grocery store shelves and at beer stores throughout the region.
When asked what type of food would be featured on the menu, 12 Gates of EVL partner Kevin Lalock explained that the new taproom would be modeled after the kosher delis found in New York City - serving traditional brisket, roast beef, pastrami and corned beef sandwiches (among others) - all piled ridiculously high on fresh bread/rolls and served with housemade macaroni and potato salads.
“We’ll be working to expand our menu over time,” Lalock explained. “I’m working on a couple of homemade pickle recipes right now and we’ll be making our own soups of the day and salads - we’ll even be making breakfast sandwiches on the weekends.”
Tentative hours of operation for the 12 Gates of EVL Taproom will be Thursday from 4:00-10:00pm, Friday from noon-11:00pm, Saturday 11:30am-11:00pm and Sunday from 11:30am-8:00pm. Chances are good you’ll also find local entertainers performing live music during your visit.
As for the goal of creating their own niche in the Ellicottville community, one need look no further than the 12 Gates social media pages, where it soon becomes obvious how much these brewers have become imbedded in the fabric of the Williamsville, NY area - home to their original taproom. Anyone making a quick scroll through the 12 Gates Facebook page will find that they are involved with many and varied community activities, such as a running club, sponsored hockey and soccer teams, and even a club for Jeep enthusiasts!
“My son, Brett and I own Jeeps and we thought it would be cool to start our own Jeep Club,” Kirchmeyer explained. “It turns out there’s not a lot of places around here that you can go to for trail rides and our events generally sell out within a week.”
12 Gates is also involved in fundraising events in the northtowns and plans to carry on supporting groups like WNY Heroes, a non-profit organization whose mission it is “to ease the transition from combat to civilian life, and eliminate the hardships and complications that too many veterans continue to experience in America today.” Any active duty service member and all veterans will receive 20% off their 12 Gates tab by showing their military ID.
Whether you’re looking for a tasty, handcrafted brew or a tasty, old-school deli sandwich, the next time you’re in town, push open the main gate at 14 Washington Street and say hello to the crew at the 12 Gates of EVL Taproom… Ellicottville’s newest kids on the block.