Elmira brewmaster sticking to his roots with new brewery
Posted Sep 17, 2019 05:45:00 PM.
Lichti had the dream to open his own brewery over 20 years ago, but he took the leap of faith back in 2017. As a project two years in the making afterwards, the brewery opened its doors this past Civic Holiday weekend.
“I think a seed got planted with me in 1997,” Lichti said. “I was in England and experienced British pubs for the first time in my life. What I saw there was people coming together in any small community in a pub.”
Lichti began his foray into
“Ever since I’ve been here, it’s always been said: ‘Elmira needs a place to
Lichti sought advice from family, friends and a pair of
“I felt a combination of passion to do something, a craft that had been developing and growing along with some encouragement from others, to like: ‘Yeah, let’s give this a go’,” Lichti said.
It wasn’t until late 2017 when Rural Roots started to come to fruition. The brewmaster scouted various locations in Elmira, settling on 21B Industrial Drive, which was a tax office.
Fast forward to opening day at Rural Roots, August 3, the Saturday of Civic Holiday weekend. Lichti was excited, nervous and thrilled to open his doors to customers for the first time.
“To
Word of mouth is spreading through Elmira and surrounding communities. Lichti is brewing day and night trying to keep up with the demand, occasionally running out of beer because it’s become so popular with the locals.
“What I’ve done for my brewing is take people through a different gamut of
The most popular beer on tap at Rural Roots Brewing Company has been their “Yes, Honey” Cream Ale. It’s made with fresh honey from the beehives of nearby Eby Family Honey. Lichti prides himself
Beer is the liquid that binds everyone who walks through the doors at Rural Roots, but Lichti is most excited about meeting the people who drink his beer and helping them form new bonds to their community.
“It’s