By Jennifer Farnsworth
Racing City Brewing Co. officially opened in March. Owners Debreen and Tony Oliva are producing their own craft beer at 250 Excelsior Ave.
The couple has owned and operated Oliva Vineyards in Saratoga for over 15 years.
The Racing City Brewing Co. serves beer, Oliva Vineyards wines, hard cider, cocktails, spirits and light pub fare. The space was once a FedEx distribution center, and is now not only the tasting room, but a four-barrel brewing system with space for Oliva Vineyards production and operations.
Oliva said so far, they have received a great deal of support and interest from the public.
“We had fantastic support from friends and many new customers on opening night. In our second week we had a steady stream of customers, including many repeat customers. We even have some regulars already,” said Oliva.
On opening night, they released Breaking Maiden beer and later in March they released Colt Classic, a dark cream ale. An IPA and a lemon ginger wheat beer are in the works.
As owners of Oliva Vineyards, they are also serving Post Time Peach, Italydar, and Sparkling Hannah wines. They also plan to release riesling, rosé and dry white wines.
Oliva said patrons so far have been a mix of serious and passionate beer drinkers, as well as wine lovers.
The brew company is still undergoing some physical changes, including plans for a kitchen. When weather permits, there will be outdoor seating.
“In the short term, we will be adding new beers, more wine and cocktails from NY distilled products,” said Oliva.
She said they are eager for the start of the summer season, when they plan to expand their hours of operation to seven days a week in order to support the additional business brought in by the race track. Currently, the business is are Friday through Sunday. They plan to be open on Thursdays in the late spring.
“We are eager to announce our acoustic brunch, a regular event during racing season that will pair handicapping advice from local experts with music, a selection of breakfast foods, and, of course beer,” she said.
A grand opening celebration will be held in June.
“Overall, we are really excited about the positive reviews and support from our customers,” said Oliva.
The business can be found on Facebook