Jared Wood gets a little emotional when talking about his family’s property along the banks of the Susquehanna River. For him, brewing beer isn’t just about the process, the flavor or the fun of it. It’s about legacy, community and connection to a place that shaped his life.
Jared had messed around with fermenting wine and even sauerkraut with a neighbor and friend in the rural community of Unadilla, where he grew up. Those early experiments laid the foundation for Jared’s fascination with fermentation that eventually extended to brewing craft beer.
When New York State launched its Farm Brewery Act in the early 2010s, Jared saw an opportunity, not just to open a brewery, but to reconnect with his roots. Gathering friends and family on idle farmland, he began by planting hops, leaning into the region’s historic legacy as a hop-growing powerhouse.
“My parents had a small piece of land and we thought, ‘Let’s do something,’” Jared said. “So, we all joined together and started a hop yard on about a one-acre piece.”
Quickly realizing hops alone wouldn’t sustain the dream, a decision was made to start a brewery on the family plot along the Susquehanna that had hosted so many celebrations over the years. The first Muddy River location opened in 2018.
“We were embraced from day one,” Jared said. “The first weekend, we packed the place.
“We were just some building in the middle of the field, so it was awesome,” he said. “When I’m there at the Unadilla location and I’m seeing people enjoying the things that I did my entire life, it’s very rewarding.”
The Unadilla community became the heartbeat of Muddy River. Not only was it a beautiful spot perfect for connecting over pints, but the beer also happened to be really, really good. In fact, Jared had to double the size of his brewing system four years in a row.
“I can’t say enough about that community there,” he said. “Very, very family-oriented. We’re very LGBTQ-friendly and diverse. And that really is showing up here in Oneonta as well.”
Opening a second location in nearby Oneonta was about more than expansion, it was about deepening Muddy River’s roots along the Susquehanna. From Unadilla’s riverbanks to Oneonta’s bustling streets near the same beloved waterway, Jared sees community coming together around every pour.
