Visiting Fulton Chain Craft Brewery: the Complete Old Forge Visitor Guide
Old Forge earned its status as an outdoor recreation hub through wilderness access, not artisanal fermentation. Founders Richard Brower and Justin Staskiewicz launched Fulton Chain Craft Brewery to fill an obvious vacuum in Herkimer County. Before their arrival, pints poured in local taverns came almost exclusively from industrial conglomerates or well-worn upstate macros.
The operation gained immediate traction by committing to the New York farm brewery standard established under state legislation in 2012. Rather than buying commercial malt from generic distributors out west, the brewhouse sources grains from central New York malting facilities and specialty hops harvested across regional bines.
That choice yields an unmistakably regional flavor profile. The water profile of the western Adirondacks, naturally soft and minimally mineralized, serves as a pristine blank canvas. The brewing team leans into that water quality, refining grain bills to highlight rustic rye accents, earthy pine aromas, and crisp malt finishes that feel tied to the surrounding hardwood forests.
