Courtesy Other One Brewing
By Susan Elise Campbell
With the opening of Other One Brewing, a new craft brewery and tap room at Glennpeter Plaza in Halfmoon, co-founder and president Randy Lewis has checked one more thing off his bucket list.
Lewis has been a home brewer for years, an interest shared by his son. But with a new baby and grandchild on the way, the timing wasn’t right for a father-son enterprise, he said. But it was just right for his three neighbors, Brian Hutchinson, Pete LaPan and Matt Stillitano. During the pandemic the four started making beer and working out of Hutchinson’s garage, splitting all the expenses.
Now they own a business.
“Brewing isn’t cheap,” Lewis said. “We’ve spent well into the six figures.”
The story began when one of the neighbors came over to his home to watch the brewmeister at work “and to drink the stuff,” Lewis said. As interest grew, Lewis said, “I’m not getting any younger. Let’s open a small tap room.”
Lewis is retired but the other three still work full time. Nevertheless, they agreed to run the tap room with no outside staff.
Lewis said he did some market research and analysis to assess what styles and flavors of beer the community would buy.
