Sturdy Shelter Brewing

Sturdy Shelter Brewing put a taproom in one of Batavia’s oldest gathering places. Frank Mercadante, a longtime home brewer, and his wife Diane took the name from a line about faithful friends that they used at their 1980 wedding, and with brewer Oliver Bulley they opened the brewery in 2022 at 10 S. Shumway Avenue. The building was built in the mid-1800s by a stock company as the Batavia Music Hall, a 525-seat wood hall on a limestone basement, and it sits on the riverfront next to the Batavia Riverwalk. The taproom keeps 18 beers on draft, from historical classics to seasonal releases, and hosts trivia, music and community events.

What to know

• The taproom opened in 2022 at 10 S. Shumway Avenue on the Fox River in downtown Batavia.
• Owners are Frank and Diane Mercadante; Frank is head brewer and Oliver Bulley is general manager and brewer.
• The building is the former Batavia Music Hall, a community hall dating to the mid-1800s.
• Eighteen taps pour beers brewed on site, with beer to go and a loyalty program.
• There is no kitchen; the brewery encourages takeout from nearby Batavia restaurants.