Alternative Brews, one of the Buffalo area's first craft beer bars, to close

Beers at Alternative Brews in Amherst near Buffalo.(Alternative Brews)

AMHERST, NY -- Alternative Brews, one of the first bars in the Buffalo area to embrace craft beer, has announced it is closing Dec. 2 after 22 years in business.

Alternative Brews, at 3488 Sheridan Drive in Amherst, was also known for its smokiness -- it was one of just two licensed cigar bars in the Buffalo area (meaning you could smoke inside). It  frequently hosted live music.

The building will no longer be a bar -- it will be turned into a professional office, owner Paul Madsen posted on Facebook.

"I enjoyed every day of it, but the time has come to move on," Madsen wrote in his Facebook post. "The best part was meeting all of you, and enjoying the camaraderie over a good beer (or several)."

Alternative Brews started in 1995 with three taps and now has 19, according to a report at The Buffalo News. It became one of Buffalo's craft beer destinations, along with the Pizza Plant, Cole's and Mr. Goodbar.

Since the announcement, fans have taken to social media to remember the bar and its impact on the Buffalo beer scene.

Ethan Cox, owner of the Buffalo craft brewery Community Beer Works, posted: "Paul believed in CBW right off the bat and put us on. ...  a great place-- yes, smokey, kind of a honkey-tonk, musically, and ahead of the curve like Pizza Plant and Sterling and a few others-Buffalo BrewPub as well. Much love to a Pioneer!"

Music on the last day, Dec. 2, will include the High Horse Band, 3-6 p.m. and the Big Sauce Trio (the bar's "house" band), playing from 8 p.m. until midnight and jamming with musicians who have played the bar over the years.

Madsen told the Buffalo News he hopes he doesn't have to pou beer down the drain on the last night. "I'm telling people to bring their growlers Saturday night," he told the News.

Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.