WESTERN MASS. – In his first stint in Amherst, Marcus Camby was a key part of a team that refused to lose. Now, the former University of Massachusetts (UMass) and professional basketball star is returning with another team he believes has a winning formula.

Springfield’s White Lion Brewing Co. announced on May 18 the plan to expand with a second brewery and taproom in Amherst as part of a joint venture with the former John R. Wooden Award and Naismith College Player of the Year Award winner who played for the Minutemen under Hall of Fame coach John Calipari from 1993 to 1996 before enjoying a 17-year NBA career. The hoops legend and the brewery kicked off their strategic partnership in January with the launch of the Marcus Camby New England IPA.
In the company’s announcement, Camby said, “Our partnership extends beyond a conventional business venture, it was important for me to engage the greater Amherst community. I have witnessed White Lion do amazing things in the Greater Springfield area; I am confident we can capitalize on that momentum, utilize my career relationships to enhance the downtown Amherst experience. Lastly, the centerpiece of success is to work with UMass Amherst and the local education community to create opportunities for the next generation of leaders.”

White Lion’s new location at 104 N. Pleasant St. will feature a small brewhouse, indoor and outdoor seating area and test kitchen similar to its Springfield location. White Lion President Ray Berry and Amherst Business Improvement District (BID) Executive Director Gabrielle Gould both noted conversations about an Amherst location had been in the works for nearly three years. Berry explained that the company’s focus on establishing its physical presence in downtown Springfield at Tower Square took precedence and complications presented by the coronavirus pandemic slowed that process, but interest from stakeholders in the Amherst area remained strong.

“It’s good to know and humbling to know that folks are interested in our brand and what we do, but obviously the timing just wasn’t right,” Berry said.

The White Lion Brewing taproom in Springfield opened in June 2021 and the partnership with Camby was forged several months later. Camby’s involvement and interest in investing in Amherst was a catalyst for more serious conversations about expansion, according to Berry.

“He always wanted to invest his time and energy [after] his NBA career back in the town of Amherst. I think it made him more comfortable that we were an established business, a growing business, and there’s some synergy between what he’s looking to do and what we’re looking to do,” he said. “We always wanted to have a second location but we didn’t know when [and] Marcus said, ‘Let’s have a serious conversation and see what we can do.’”

Gould said, “Collectively, patience appears to have paid off; a White Lion-Marcus Camby partnership is an All-Star win for the business district. The Amherst BID’s vision is to curate businesses that complement our already outstanding and loved small businesses. This is just the beginning as we rebuild and create a vibrant downtown for residents, scholars, and visitors to enjoy over and over again.”

Berry and White Lion head brewer Mike Yates said they were excited to be a part of the downtown culture that has been growing an evolving through the efforts of the Amherst BID and others – including the recent opening of The Drake, live music and performance venue made possible by the nonprofit Downtown Amherst Foundation. The Drake was the scene for a community meet-and-greet with Camby and White Lion representatives on May 21.

“Being on the outside looking in, it’s just a lot of positive energy. They have a very proactive Business Improvement District,” Berry said. “Obviously, downtown Amherst sits in the middle of several higher education institutions. [Amherst] in itself is a destination, but when you throw in the college and university environment, it definitely develops a lot of foot traffic. Knowing that the Business Improvement District was going to take on an even stronger approach, ie. The Drake music hall and some other activity that hasn’t been announced, we thought White Lion could be a good fit for all of that activity.”

Berry also credited Gould as a leader in the ongoing discussions that led to this announcement.

“Gabrielle Gould has been at the forefront of the conversation – encouraging, pointing us in the right direction and being a cheerleader for the town of Amherst. It was refreshing knowing they really wanted to see some activity [and] something different to add to the overall experience,” he said.

Yates added he was familiar with Amherst having worked for more than a decade in town at Amherst Brewing Co. and the now closed High Horse Brewing, which was located just down the road on North Pleasant Street.

“I’m pretty familiar with the ebb and flow of the town and the demographics. It’s a different demographic than Springfield – it’s younger and with Amherst College right across the street, UMass around the corner and Hampshire [College] down the road, there’s a lot of young minds that are excited to try new stuff. It’s exciting,” he said.

Also exciting for Yates is the potential the Amherst brewhouse will provide. Currently, Yates works at the Springfield location with a 30 barrel system producing approximately 1,000 gallons of beer per batch. The Amherst site, he explained, would be a tenth of that size.

“That will allow us to do more experimentation, some more one-offs, let the creative juices flow a little bit more and do some fun stuff,” he said.

Berry said he anticipates the Amherst location would be open sometime between late fall and January 2023. In the meantime, the company has plans for events in Amherst including pop-up beer gardens in collaboration with the Amherst BID.

Additionally, White Lion will continue its partnership with the Springfield BID and its summer pop-up beer garden in downtown Springfield and will again participate in the MGM Springfield Free Music Fridays series. Pop-up beer gardens in the city of Westfield are also in the works.