Breweries and Brewpubs

Two Days, Six Breweries: Steuben and Bacchus

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We managed to visit SIX breweries on and around Seneca, Cayuga, 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 visits to Lucky Hare and Heavily Brewing Companies here. Now, here’s the scoop on Steuben and Bacchus Brewing Companies:

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Steuben Brewing Company

 

Steuben Brewing Company: Steuben was one of the standouts during our cruise around Keuka Lake. Established in 2013, Steuben resides on the west side of the lake on sprawling farm land.

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Bearded Beer Bros

This brewery is unique due to its commitment to its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model of brewing, which entails working closely with local farmers as well as the local community for beer production and consumption. It has a clearly loyal following, as it was by far the most crowded brewery we visited on Keuka. The beers were excellent and the atmosphere energetic, which seemed to be buoyed by having the cheapest prices around for a cold pint.

  • Beers: None of their options disappointed. We were most impressed by their two IPAs – the Steuben Club IPA and the Hopyard IPA – and the Vacation Ale was a great beer for sitting outside and enjoying the beautiful view of Keuka Lake.
  • Vibe: The brewery was crowded but with plenty of room to spread out, as people sprawled in lawn chairs and perched on the edge of the deck out back. Overall, it is a fun and energetic place to visit.
  • Check out Steuben Brewing Company here!

Bacchus Brewing Company: We had attempted to visit Bacchus in our past visits to the Finger Lakes region, but due to their somewhat limited hours we hadn’t been able to until this most recent trip. Bacchus is located quite as close to the lakes as the other breweries, but is instead in a town called Dryden outside of Ithaca. We arrived at Bacchus toward the end of a full day of brewery stops, which resulted in tasting a number of beers with already-full and somewhat distended bellies. Nevertheless, the beer was excellent and we had a nice time chatting with our bartender. This brewery opened in 2012 and has since partnered with Americana Vineyards, a Finger Lakes winery.

  • Beers:  We both did a tasting of each of their beers on tap. Some of the standouts included the Irish Red Rye, which had a nice malty flavor with a dry finish, and the Cyclehops IPA, which is a single-hopped beer with a clean and pleasantly bitter taste.
  • Vibe:  The exterior is somewhat stark but the interior has a cozy feel. Our informative and friendly bartender created a warm and inviting atmosphere as we tasted the beers. The tasting room was quiet with only one other couple joining during our time there. Although it lacks the beautiful views of the lake, it was a pleasant place to visit with equally pleasant beers.
  • Check out Bacchus Brewing here!

Cheers!
Bethany and Mike

Two days, Six Breweries: Heavily and Lucky Hare

/ Two Pints, Please! / 3 Comments

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:

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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.
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      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!
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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.
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    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.
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      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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How many goats? Two Goats!

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RedX, Hefeweizen, and the best view on Seneca Lake

If there is a finer place in the world to enjoy a pint than Two Goats Brewing in Hector, NY, we have not yet found it. If you take a trip to the Finger Lakes region and don’t sit on their deck overlooking Seneca Lake with a pint of Goatgasm on a sunny Saturday afternoon, I seriously question your judgement.

Bethany and I have been to Two Goats on several occasions and it has always been a calm, quiet scene. The deck has never been crowded and the view is so captivating that Bethany and I would often just sit in silence for long periods of time (normally I’m the only silent one when we’re together), perfectly relaxed and watching the sun set over the lake.

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Two Goats is solar-powered!

If you go, try the Goatgasm , which is a blend of their XIPA and their Ultra Pale Ale. It is a refreshing blend with just enough bite to remind you that there is a pretty strong IPA in there but drinkable enough that it won’t disturb your zen-like state of peace.  Other winners include their Heffeweizen, which is wheaty and refreshing without being too light-bodied, and the Goat Master Pale Ale, which packs a nice hop punch with citrus tones.

If you come hungry be prepared to drive a little drunk somewhere else because all the food they serve is roast beef sandwiches that are actually quite good and free fresh-popped popcorn. (Just kidding about driving drunk–don’t be a jerk. Just get the roast beef sandwich.)

On our trip this past weekend to the Finger Lakes we were so excited to get to Two Goats to enjoy a quiet, relaxing sunset and a few delicious pints.  However, when we turned into the driveway we saw that the deck and parking lot were packed with rowdy people. I was suddenly flooded with painful and unexpected emotions. It felt like I had just pulled up to my girlfriend’s house who I hadn’t seen in a very long time and there was another man’s car in the driveway — but instead of it being another man, it was a party bus full of frat boys peeing in the yard and bachelorette partiers screaming “wooo” at just about anything. We were both devastated, but what did we expect? It was Saturday afternoon on the Seneca Lake beer and wine trail on a 4th of July weekend.

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Best seats in the house

After a brief survey of the scene we decided to turn around with hopes of returning the next day, Sunday, when it wouldn’t be so crowded to catch our sunset. After 24 hours of cognitive dissonance, we returned the next afternoon. It was packed again, and there was a band playing. However, this time we forged on, recognizing that a place this special couldn’t be kept secret for long. We grabbed our pints and joined the masses on the deck, strategically positioning ourselves to snatch our favorite place to sit – a corner cocktail table with commanding views of the lake – as soon as the opportunity arose. When we saw the couple sitting there beginning to get up we bolted over to the table like bratty, entitled children trying to beat out the other kids for the first eggs in an Easter egg hunt. I was a little embarrassed by our behavior but after we got to reclaim our favorite table and watch the sun go down over the lake I quickly forgot about my shame. Of course, the four pints of their RedX (red ale mixed with XIPA) that I drank also helped with that.

 

Check out Two Goats for yourself: http://www.twogoatsbrewing.com/

Cheers!

Mike and Bethany