Davidson brothers selling their brewery, sort of

During my many years in the newspaper business, one of the most enjoyable chores was writing headlines. In most of my journalistic stops, we often tried to outdo each other with wit, whimsy, and wackiness.

One of my favorite headlines, written by someone else, was on a story about the country music stars The Statler Brothers. It said, "Statler Brothers ain't neither," referring to the facts that no one in the quartet was named Statler, and none of them were related.

So, out of habit I was trying to find an entertaining way to break the news to craft beer fans that things are changing in Queensbury. I failed, thus the semi-straightforward label on this posting.

Rick and John Davidson, founders and owners of the Davidson Brothers Brewing Company, have agreed to sell their three-year-old brewery on Route 9 in Queensbury to Northern Eagle Beverages Inc., according to an announcement made today by the purchaser.

However, that does not mean the Davidsons are out of the business. They'll retain their Glens Falls restaurant and original on-site brewing operations at 184 Glen Street, near the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Northern Eagle Beverages, located at 41 Browne Street in Oneonta, was founded by Lou Hager Jr. in 1986. In addition to being a beverage distributor, it owns and operates the Cooperstown Brewing Company. That facility, incidentally, isn't in Cooperstown. It is located at six miles south at 110 River Street in Milford.

"We have worked very closely with the Davidsons over the past couple of years on the brewing side of the business," said George Allen, president of Northern Eagle, said in the announcement. "As a distributor we have carried their beers since 2012, so I think we are comfortable with each other."

He also said his company will add lagering tanks, a canning line, and non-alcoholic beverage lines to the brand's portfolio.

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