12 Gates of EVL
12 Gates of EVL
Newest Releases, an NYC Inspired Deli Menu, and the Story Behind the Name
Looking for a little haven with some tasty beverages, delicious food and laid back ambiance? Welcome to 12 Gates. With two locations - their flagship brewing company located at 80 Earhart Drive in Williamsville, NY and right here in Ellicottville at 14 Washington Street - whether you are north or south, they’ve got a seat at the bar for you. One of our newer breweries in Ellicottville, 12 Gates has much to offer.
ellicottvilleNOW spoke with owner Tom Kirchmeyer and Ellicottville Manager Bryan Everts about why it’s called 12 Gates (when there is nary a literal gate in sight), what their newest brew is, some thoughts on their menu and more…
eNOW: 12 Gates has become a great hangout spot in Ellicottville, but where did the name originate?
TOM: Modern chemistry wouldn’t be what it is today without alchemy, the medieval study of purifying, maturing, and perfecting matters. Renowned as one of England’s greatest alchemists, George Ripley provided the first colloquial account of the practice in his masterpiece, The Compound of Alchemy - otherwise known as Ripley’s Twelve Gates. Ripley’s prose explored the alchemic method in twelve steps, or “gates”, as he referred to them. The Ninth Gate, “Fermentation”, described the process of transmutation that forms a new product due to age, bacteria, or flame - a procedure still widely used today. Honoring his legacy, 12 Gates Brewery is named after Ripley’s profound lifetime studies. Just like alchemy, the chemical process of brewing takes practice, diligence, determination, and morale. We aim to create the perfect beer from the fermentation of the finest, hand-picked ingredients. And if you ask us, grains can be turned into gold.
eNOW: You’ve been busy brewing up a few new flavors. Can you give us some insight on upcoming releases as well as some of your other popular brews?
TOM: We haven’t brewed a double IPA in quite some time. We let our customers dictate what we brew, and the past few years the trend was for lighter and lower ABV beers, of which we brew several: This is Our House Lager, Pancho’s Legacy Lager, and Off-Road Session IPA are our most popular lighter beers. But we have been getting more requests for double IPAs which have more bite, along with the higher ABV (8% and above). We’ve always been pretty successful and are known for our IPAs, so we felt it was the right time to brew some one-off doubles, maybe quarterly releases, to see how they fare in both our taprooms and the distribution market. The first version in our Imperial Series is our Spring Imperial IPA - a fresh, clean, crisp, double west coast style IPA. We’ve already received some good feedback on it. Our next one will be a HAZY double IPA which should be out mid-summer. We also just recently brought back our Flo-Mingo Fruit Sour, which is always a popular refreshing alternative from the light lagers and bitter IPAs.
eNOW: You also boast a great deli menu. What sets the food at 12 Gates apart from other menus?
BRYAN: I’d say that our menu is small but mighty! We try to cater to people by providing something for everyone. We also try to keep it seasonally oriented and we keep our most popular items and switch out some things to provide an even better variety for not only locals but guests from out of town as well. We have corned beef, pastrami, a shrimp po’boy… We even have a nice kids menu so the whole family can enjoy a meal with us.
eNOW: What are your plans for your Ellicottville location moving into the summer season?
TOM: In May we will be welcoming back our popular trivia nights on Thursdays and occasional live music on Saturdays. We welcome everyone that might stop in after a day of golfing, hiking, biking, running, disc golf… Everyone that enjoys the awesome outdoor experience Ellicottville has to offer often needs a refreshing beer afterwards!
eNOW: Any events coming up you'd like to share, for either Ellicottville or Williamsville?
TOM: All of our major events happen up in Williamsville at the brewery, a one-hour drive from Ellicottville. Coming up we have our annual Star Wars party on “May the Fourth Be with You” Day (May 4th) with a best costume contest and Star Wars related drink specials and live music. This is a party for all ages you won’t want to miss! May 18th is our annual Jeep Go Topless Day party where 100+ Jeep Wranglers get together and we have a contest for the coolest Jeeps. You don’t have to be a Jeep owner to enjoy this Jeep show. WNY Heroes will be on-site and proceeds from the event will go to their cause in support of our local veterans in need. Jeep Club members get two hours of free beer and food. Visit 12gatesbrewing.com/jeep for more info on joining our Jeep Club. We also host trail rides in Ellicottville for club members with the next one scheduled for June 1st.
eNOW: Could you list your current opening hours, kitchen hours and best way to reach you?
TOM: Our hours during the spring season (April) are Friday through Sunday noon until closing, depending on business. In May we start back up with our normal hours Which are Thursdays through Sundays noon until closing. We are closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The best way to reach us is by calling 716-699-1313 and by visiting our website, 12gatesofevl.com.