The taps flow as another day begins at Yonkers Brewing Company.

“We want to make sure that we have an offering that people can enjoy,” said John Rubbo, a Yonkers City Council member and managing member at Yonkers Brewing Company. “It’s not about the 10% IPA. While we might have that, we’re finding that people just want to drink a 4% or 3.5% nice, light beer — something tasty and easy to drink.”

The company began when Rubbo and a friend bonded over helping their grandfathers make homemade wine as children. As they got older, they shifted from crushing grapes to pouring pints.

“We were in college,” Rubbo said. “We met a friend who was making beer at home, and we attempted to do it. We wanted to make something very similar to, say, Boston Lager or Brooklyn Lager, two really classic beers. From that, Yonkers Brewing Company was really born.”

The brewery officially opened in the heart of Yonkers in January 2015, making all of its beers in-house.

“When we first started, we were making all sorts of beers,” Rubbo said. “Nothing too crazy, but we’d make a stout, a porter, a red ale, smoked beers. Where we’ve really landed now is just the basics. It’s not about the 10% IPA. While we might have that, we’re finding that people just want a 4% or 3.5% nice, light beer that’s tasty and easy to drink.”

A few years later, Rubbo was elected to the Yonkers City Council, allowing him to bridge both roles to help the community.

“Sometimes I’ll be here doing work around the brewery, and someone has a question or concern about something happening in the city,” Rubbo said. “It allows me to wear two hats and help people in different ways.”

Meanwhile, head brewer Ian Issitt said new ideas often come to him while working in the back.

“Drinking and beer in general have been down in recent years, but we’ve been thriving,” Issitt said. “It’s been really good. We’re almost an entertainment company that makes beer, puts on shows and operates as a full restaurant.”

They attribute that success to events like trivia and live music. Their goal is to create a gathering place for people from all backgrounds.

“We have so many regular customers,” Rubbo said. “This is like a second home to them, and that’s what we wanted to create — a third space where people feel really comfortable. It means a lot because they like what we’re doing. We’re doing something right, and we have a lot of people who have either made friends here or met spouses here.”

A full list of the brewery's upcoming events can be found here.

Yonkers Brewing Company also sells canned beers in-house and at stores such as Stew Leonard’s. Its beer is also available at local restaurants, including Rory Dolan’s in Yonkers and Tucked Away in Tuckahoe.

Yonkers Brewing Company is at 92 Main St. in Yonkers.