SHERBURNE – Beer lovers in Chenango County rejoice as the first farm-brewery – Bullthistle Brewing Co LLC – in Sherburne has opened its doors to quench thirsts and appetites alike in hand-crafted fashion.

Business partners Charlie Anderson, Amy Jeffrey, and Brad Taft say their farm-brewery and restaurant has been a long time coming, and since its official opening on May 5, business has showed no signs of slowing down.

“We are...busy,” said Anderson with a laugh, looking to find the right word for the public’s response to the newly opened brewery and restaurant.

“Brad and I always went to breweries growing up and we wanted to start one, and Amy wanted to start a restaurant. And so we became the first farm-brewery in Chenango County...and the oldest!” joked Anderson.

Anderson says that he and Taft – who have been best friends for upwards of 20 years – have been home brewing beer seriously for the last seven. Jeffrey is aunt to Anderson, and both have lived in Sherburne their whole lives.

Over that seven year span, Anderson says he and Taft created a number of different brews, including its first concoction, the ‘Imperfectly Perfect Porter,’ and crowd favorite ‘Bobby B’s Pale Ale.’

Anderson says in addition to the six different brews already offered at the establishment, the trio will be unveiling even more in the near future.

Since its inception, the farm-brewery has had a logo made by Village Creative which appropriately features the Bullthistle plant.

In addition to offering beer, the farm-brewery also serves up a number of food options crafted by Taft, who is the establishment’s chef.

“Brad is excellent,” said Jeffrey. “He’s our chef, but he jokes and calls himself a ‘sandwich artist’ instead.”

Anderson said that offering food options was an important aspect in opening their farm-brewery because he and Taft know firsthand how beer is better accompanied by food.

Taft created the entire menu, which offers a wide-variety of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and flatbreads.

Although officially opened on May 5, Jeffrey says that once they’ve settled in, they plan to hold a grand opening event in the near future.

As a farm-brewery, Bullthistle Brewing Co LLC has committed itself to using locally-based ingredients. The farm Brewing Law passed by Governor Cuomo in 2012 requires all farm-breweries to use at least 20 percent of its hops and 20 percent of all other ingredients in New York State through 2018. By 2024, Anderson says the goal is to increase those percentages to 90.

Bullthistle Brewing Co LLC is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, with the kitchen closing at 8 p.m. It is located at 45 South Main Street in Sherburne.

For more information on the newly opened farm-brewery, visit its Facebook page by searching “Bullthistle Brewing Co LLC,” or call (607) 674-2337.