HALFMOON – Randy Lewis is turning his 30-year experience of home brewing and opening the Other One Brewing Company at 1505 Route 9 on Friday.

The beer builder brewed at home as a hobby, which intrigued a couple of his neighbors.

Little by little, Lewis’ one-man show grew, adding three partners – Brian Hutchinson, Peter LaPan and Matt Stillitano – as they started brewing savory ales out of Hutchinson’s garage together. 

“We experiment a lot and sometimes you hit it right,” Lewis said.

And hit it right they did. The four boozy craftsmen nailed down a variety of beer flavors they’ll be debuting this week. 

The Other One Brewing Company will be a small taproom, hosting as many as 45 people at once. Lewis said he and his partners wanted to revive the old taproom scene because in the olden days there used to be one on almost every corner.

The taproom will offer a variety of IPAs, ales and porters but will particularly specialize in New England-style IPAs. Although Lewis said if you can name it, odds are he and his buddies can brew it.

The company does have a flagship beer called Sajulus, a citrusy blend composed of several grains and two types of yeast with notes of orange, melon and stone fruit. This beer was inspired by Lewis’ daughter, who as a young girl couldn’t pronounce the word fabulous, so instead told everyone they looked “sajulus.” 

The taproom won’t serve food but encourages others to BYOF (bring your own food) or order in from a local restaurant, which the brewery will have menus for. In time, Lewis said they also plan on bringing in food trucks to accompany all of the games and beer they’ll have.

For now, the group is launching a soft opening to iron out any kinks in its operations. Lewis said they faced challenges at “almost every turn” trying to get the business up and running, particularly in obtaining a permit license from the state. He deemed it the “most frustrating thing” in the industry because everything for the business needs to be in place and ready for an opening before approval is given.

Regardless, Lewis and his team are grateful they got over the hurdle. Hutchinson said in between obstacles they spent most of their time “goofing off” and having a good time in his garage. The result was beers that were “brewed with love,” Hutchinson joyfully said. The four men want to replicate that experience for others who visit the taproom.

“We want to bring the community together. We want to give them a place where they can relax, have fun, good conversation, meet people (and have) good laughs,” Lewis noted. 

Shayla Colon is a Native New Yorker who previously worked for Hearst CT Media. She now covers business news for the Times Union in Albany, N.Y. When she's not reporting, find her working out or tucked away in a corner with a book, preferably Hemingway or Fitzgerald.