High Falls Brewing Company

High Falls Brewing Company was the official name of the Genesee Brewery during the period of 2000-2009 when it was owned and operated by private Rochester-area investors. During this time it was the fifth largest brewing company in America, and the producer of JW Dundee's Honey Brown Lager, Michael Shea's Irish Amber, Genny Light, the Genesee Family of brands and Koch's Golden Anniversary. High Falls distributed its products across 41 states and Ontario, Canada.

High Falls also brewed beer for other beer companies, such as the Boston Brewing Company (makers of Sam Adams beer), on a contract basis. As much as 50% of the output of High Falls' brewery was for other firms. High Falls also distributed beer for other companies, some as far away as New Zealand, which may explain why trucks bearing the brands of other breweries (such as Coors) were sometimes seen on their premises.

In 2009 High Falls was purchased by an investment capital firm and folded into a larger brewing/marketing company called North American Breweries. At this time the public name of Genesee Brewing Company was revived.

High Falls Timeline ¹

2000 Genesee is reorganized as High Falls Brewing Co.
2005 High Falls starts brewing beer brands from Australia and New Zealand, the first of several foreign beers it will introduce to America.
2008 Under the direction of a new chief executive officer Norm Snyder, High Falls institutes the first public brewery tours of the 151-year-old company. Reservations can be made online.
February 21, 2009 - KPS Capital Partners Buys Brewery ²: sale of High Falls to KPS was facilitated by a sweeping agreement announced Feb. 13 that relieved High Falls of some of its financial obligations. KPS agreed to pay a $3 million federal business loan the city arranged for the brewery. The city and county, meanwhile, forgave a total of $9.8 million in back taxes and water bills, accepting $500,000 each to settle those obligations from 2007 and earlier. The city and county also agreed on amounts they would accept for 2008 and 2009. With the newly organized entity, KPS will go after a takeover of Labatt.

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2006-05-21 13:13:06 Contract brewing saved High Falls (Genesee) and other regional breweries like Saranac (Utica Club). —TomMaszerowski

2006-08-29 21:14:03 Does anyone know if they provide tours of their brewing operation? —AdamDewitz

2011-06-04 16:37:39 Trying to find out where and how I can buy the Dundee promotional posters: great designs! —KatieSchmitz

2011-06-05 21:18:56 Try a beer distributor or a large beer store. —RxScabin

1Drawn from sidebar on February 24 Article on D&C
2Sale of High Falls Brewing Co. is finalized