BY PAUL MITCHELL
North Country This Week

CANTON – The Village of Canton will soon be a craft beer destination.

A group of 12 investors are geared up to open Bent Beam Brewing, under the corporate name St. Lawrence Suds, LLC, at the former McCarthy’s Furniture Barn, 41 West Main St.

Gary Hammond, a partner and chief financial officers for the brewery, is excited about the project with hopes of pouring the first pint in July.

“It’s a significant investment in the community,” said Hammond of the $1.1 million project. “We were lucky to find this location. There’s a not a lot of commercial property available in Canton.”

“There’s a lot of potential being it’s not in a resident area. And I like the fact we are saving a building,” he added.

Hammond said they hope to close on the property in a few weeks.

Joseph Erlichman, a biology professor at St. Lawrence University, will bring his decades-old brewing experience to the table, offering a variety of beers ranging from New England style IPA, extra special bitters to stouts and porters, and seasonal brews.

“We will be billed as a gastro pub,” Hammond said.

Once the renovation work on the 100-year-old building is complete, plans call for a full two stories with the brewhouse in the front side and the back end for the restaurant space. He noted that brewhouse apparatus and equipment has been purchased.

If everything within the project comes to fruition, Hammond said they expect to employ 12 full and part-time people.

St. Lawrence Suds LLC will be seeking funding through the Restore NY funding program; funding that will used for a full buildout for the restaurant.

Without that funding, plans for the restaurant will be put on hold, said Hammond.

If and when a restaurant opens, the menu, said Hammond, will be elevated pub food with fresh farm-to-table offerings that could be paired with a beer. Again, if there is a restaurant, wine and liquor will be eventually be available, he said.