Last call: Peekskill Brewery officially shuts down after 15 years in business
One of Westchester's most popular places to gather for local beer, good food and close friends held its final last call.
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One of Westchester's most popular places to gather for local beer, good food and close friends held its final last call.
Owners of the Peekskill Brewery officially shut down Wednesday night after 15 years in business.
"Seeing everyone out here today shows us that all the hard work, even though it might not be the way we wanted to leave, it impacted people's lives and we'll cherish that forever," said one of the brewery's co-owners, Kara Berardi.
Berardi met her husband Keith while working at a bar in Mount Vernon over a decade and a half ago. The pair, along with Keith's sister Morgan, went into business to bring something new to northern Westchester.
The brewery had become a longtime symbol of a bustling downtown in one of Westchester's fastest-growing cities along the water.
Owners said pre-pandemic sales never rebounded, and it became too expensive to keep the bar, beer garden, tap room and restaurant open despite attempts over the last several years.
"We're proud of what we built, and we couldn't have done it without everybody that's here today right now helping us celebrate," said Berardi.
Hundreds of people packed the bar on Wednesday to get one last drink and say goodbye.
"It's such a homey place, and people love it. It's a difficult day," said Ed Goldberg, one of the brewery's original employees and now loyal patron.
It's unclear what's next for the owners, who will take some time before venturing on their next journey.
"We want just to take away knowing that we're just maybe a little piece of Peekskill's history and that people will remember us," said Berardi fighting back tears.
