‘We met because of them.’ White Plains brewery founded on love

The brewery is a reminder of the love that got Chiltern and his wife here.

News 12 Staff

Feb 13, 2022, 7:12 PM

Updated 1,046 days ago

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Almost 20 years ago, Ernesto Carrion met his wife, Irena, on East Post Road in White Plains. 
Carrion was walking when he saw Irena Climovici with a friend.  
“She was smiling. Had beautiful blue eyes,” says Carrion. 
He stopped her to ask her for a drink. She said “yes.”
Five years later, the couple fell in love and got married.  
 Their best friends, Michael and Jelena Chiltern, met at the wedding and got married as well.  
Carrion and his wife had been trying to set the two friends up for months. 
Chiltern says he was taken aback by Jelena. 
“I was like woah,” says Chiltern. “This girl’s gorgeous.” 
“Table No. 7. I’ll never forget that,” says Jelena Chiltern. 
When they found out the hotel ran out of rooms, Chiltern and Jelena had to share. Despite the concerns Jelena had, they survived.  
The rest is history. 
In 2019, Chiltern opened Wolf & Warrior Brewing Company in White Plains. The location is right across the street from where Carrion and Irena first met on East Post Road.  
Chiltern asked Carrion to become his partner in the venture. 
Carrion says when he arrived at the location, he realized “it’s across the street where I met my wife.” 
Their meeting spot is framed by the brewery’s unique “full circle” window.
“I look out the window and I say that’s where I met my wife,” says Carrion.