We managed to visit SIX breweries on Seneca and Keuka Lakes during our weekend visit to the Finger Lakes. The majority of these were new ones for us that we had either missed on prior trips, or that had opened more recently. All in all, they were very impressive not only with quality of beer but also with the friendliness of their staff and ambiance of their breweries.  Check out our reviews of Steuben and Bacchus Brewing Companies. Here’s the scoop on Heavily and Lucky Hare Brewing Companies:

Heavily Brewing Company

• Heavily Brewing Company: Heavily is a fantastic brewery located in Montour Falls, which is south of Seneca Lake. It is located in a re-purposed dairy barn and has been open for less than two years. We visited in the afternoon, so the atmosphere was pretty quiet, affording us the opportunity to chat with the staff. Their brewery is large, with space for two dart boards and live music. After a couple drinks we threw some darts and learned that we are not good at darts. We loved that they featured beer, wine, and cider from other Finger Lakes breweries in addition to their own fleet of beers.
  • Beers: Mike got a 4-beer tasting flight featuring the Apex IPA, XKE English Bitter, No Doubt Oatmeal Stout, and the Snake Bite, which was a mix of their IPA and a hard cider from Hazlitt.
    

    Flight at Heavily

    I went for a pint of the Snake Bite. All of their beers were excellent, with the English Bitter being a standout of the bunch. The Snake Bite was refreshing and different from your typical brewery offering – a great summer beer alternative.

  • Vibe: The feel of the brewery was relaxed and fun. The staff were very friendly, sharing some of the history of their brewery with us. If you want a chill, quiet visit, stick to the afternoon hours – we got the feeling that the pace really picks up in the evenings with live music and visiting food trucks.
  • Check Heavily out for yourself here!

Brews with a View at Lucky Hare

• Lucky Hare Brewing Company: Lucky Hare is a very new brewery that opened just six weeks prior to our visit! It is located in Hector, NY, on the eastern side of Seneca Lake, in a quaint, cozy space that made us feel like we were entering someone’s home.
  

  Glassware = On Point

  They describe themselves as a “farm brewery,” due to their use of grains and hops straight from the Finger Lakes region. They are also pride themselves on being kind to the environment in their brewing practice and disposal of used ingredients.They had a great deck with views of the lake and a bright, clean open-air feel to the tasting room. We could’ve stayed there all day.

  • Beers: Whenever we visit a newly opened brewery, we have learned to anticipate some not-so-great beers as it often takes time for breweries to find their footing. This was not the case at Lucky Hare. We were very impressed by every beer that we sampled.
    

    On Tap at Lucky Hare

    We both got tasting flights and tried almost every beer they had on tap, including the Cezanne French Saison, London Gentleman ESB, Falcon Punch IPA, TwoCan Slam Wheat Pale Ale, Milk Milk Milk Stout, and Millenial Falcon Double IPA. Our favorites were the saison and the double IPA – both incredibly drinkable and well-balanced.

  • Vibe: This is a great place to kick back and enjoy a beautiful view of the lake with some impressive beers. It wasn’t overcrowded, and we were able to find plenty of seating on the deck and in the tasting room. The staff were friendly and inviting. A great addition to the Finger Lakes brewery line-up!
  • Check Lucky Hare out here!

Check back soon for the next set of breweries from our Beer-end at the Finger Lakes!

Cheers,

Bethany and Mike

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