Roc Brewing Company

 

Rochester is our stopover enroute to points Buffalo and we’ll be putting up for the night in town. Well, Genesee threw us out, so something something something before we hotel, I guess. An easy maneuver to Roc as all of Rochester is just 5 minutes across. Sharp looking single level stand alone on I don’t know where I am but street parked easily (you know who I am, right?) nearly right in front of the place…

Modern and fun, like Denver memories of last year. Looks like it may have been 2 separate places previously and is now one, as it should be. Blue-gray walls with some light art, concrete pebbled floor & white corrugated ceiling with zig zag raftery things, ductwork, & drop filament bulb lighting. 7 tables, 5 of them along the front wall of large windows, blinded.

Straight wood bar with a panel base and foot box to the rear. Seating for 6 at current on blue squared metal stools there, but this is Covid capacity after all. 12 non-descript handle tap row over stainless on the barback. Glassware lining the counter below the horizontal wood plank barback wall with “F.L.X. Wienery” and “@ Roc Brewing Co” logo pieces. A slight shelf to one side holds cans and the like. 3 boards mounted above between the barback and the kitchen counter area to the left of it. 2 of them list foodings and milkshakes and sweets; the 3rd one with beer selections (beer, style, ABV, glass & growler pricing), and wine & cocktails. Around the far side of the bar sits a small spur of bar and another set of 12 taps on the barback below 3 vertical food & drink boards. Mug club mugs dangling there and the brewery to the rear. They can contain your nonsense to the front side by dropping the gigantic panel garage door at the end of the bar. Swag section, canned beer to go, and N/A beverages on the far wall. Raised pen out front with a handful of wood tables amidst plantings.

12 beers on tap (Hazy Eyes, NE IPA, 6.1%; Flying Pumpkin Ale, Pumpkin Brown Ale, 5.6%; Nicholas’ Final Toast, Russian Imperial & Peanut Butter Stouts blend, 8.6%; Delorean Parking Only, West Coast IPA, 7.1%; Disco Sphinx, DDH APA, 6.2%; Sais of our Lives, Saison, 8.9%; Innertube Whispers, American Pale Wheat, 4.8%; Blue Raspberry ROC Candy, Cream Ale, 5.1%; Lagerithm Lager, Vienna Lager, 5.8%; 3/4 Weisse, Dunkleweizen, 5.4%; Kaha-Wai, New Zealand Pilsner, 5.5%; Sweet Chai O’ Mine, Chai Spice Milk Stout, 4.8%).

I drank the Delorean Parking Only, a solid West Coast IPA, and 3/4 Weisse, which was a very good Dunkleweizen. Ben says the Sweet Chai O’ Mine, Chai Stout, is better than it should be. (Why so?) Because it so easily could be a mess. But isn’t.

We opted for the lemon garlic something something fries as our Covid eats and they were quite tasty. Place has a good vibe and were playing tunes I did dig. These are really comfortable ‘giving’ chairs we’re parked in. Ben says, “This place seems waaaaaaay cooler than Rochester”. We had heard good things about the place and were not disappointed. Beers were solid, we just didn’t get in enough time, is all. We like it here.

it was great to get around rochester a little bit and see some breweries, the scene was nowhere near as robust when i lived there as it is now, awesome to see. these guys have been around awhile though, making some really solid beers. their space is small and mellow feeling, family friendly with some kids in here, games to play and such, but it was a little much with some screaming kids running around in here, its not big enough for that. there is a little taproom area in the front, all windows, seating for maybe not more than 20 or 30 people, and then the bar, with the brewery and a few more tables in the back. they didnt have a huge list when we were in, but they had an awesome list. we all loved the irish goodbye, a strong blonde ale with coffee, whiskey soaked oak chips, and vanilla, it was my favorite for sure, but they had some others that were really solid, including an organic pale ale and a guava passion fruit sour, these guys are making some cool beers for sure! i liked the homey feel of the place, and the service was incredibly friendly, beery, and humble. a nice place to spend some time on a sunday afternoon. some of the best beers we had on our trip.

This establishment had a small bar with some tables inside for seating as well as outside seating. They had 7 beers on tap featuring 2 sour beers, 1 IPA, 1 rye IPA, a blonde ale brewed with coffee and roasted malts, and 2 other beers I can't remember. They had a nice variety of different styles of beer. Their IPA was good and they had a really great passionfruit sour beer probably the best beer I've drank made by them in my opinion. Service was quick and friendly. The "food" was good. Don't go in there expecting entrees because, although they had food it was very simple and basic food such as pretzels and naan pizzas. My friend got one of the naan pizzas and he said it was really good and I had the pretzels with beer cheese topped with scallions. I've had a lot of soft baked pretzels from many breweries and these were by far the best I've ever had with awesome cheese. Definitely buy the pretzels if you end up visiting. Decent place but, nothing that blew my mind.

Nice micro-brewery near downtown Rochester. Limited but tasty menu and a nice selection of beers. One wall of the building is all glass and absorbs a great deal of heat on a sunny day to the point that their A/C system could not keep on the day I visited. Otherwise, a good addition to the brewery scene.

 

 

I was here two weeks ago, it being my second time overall. A lot has changed since the last time I was there! (2 years ago or so)

I'm now a big fan of this place! When I went recently, it was packed, but not overly crowded... a great atmosphere overall! The bar area was standing room only, and within seconds of walking up to the bar we were greeted by staff. I had beer in my hand within two minutes of walking in. Ordered a flight, and grabbed one of the last remaining tables. One of the best parts - they have a large selection of board games! We played Cards Against Humanity there for over an hour while drinking our beers. Oh and they have shuffleboard too! Friendly staff, good selection of beers, and an awesome atmosphere. Overall, it was a great experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roc Brewing Company is about a 10 minute walk from my apartment, so I've been a few times. A lot of good things about them, lots of potential, but a few problems.

They make pretty decent beer. Their flagship (I think it's their flagship) is a Dark Mild, which is a perfect session beer. Their other everyday offerings, the Golden Pale and the Irish Red, are serviceable but a bit bland/watery/. Their one-offs have been pretty good- I had a couple pints of the Wet Smash harvest ale, which I loved. The Cadejo Negro (a coffee pale ale) was inventive, and very tasty. Lil SIPA was a great session IPA. I have heard that a few of their one offs have been atrocious, though. They will get truly good once they lock in their consistency.

They've got a small, but nice space. About 10 seats at a small bar, with a few tables. They will eventually need more space. They offer one food item per day, usually some sort of pretzel thing, which is good. A full menu would be nice, but I'm not holding my breath. The prices are generally pretty good. I've never gotten a growler fill here, but they do fill both 32 and 64 oz'ers. The prices for pours, growler or pint, are average.

Overall, a good place to stop and relax. The brewers and employees are nice and always up to talk.

 

 

 

Roc Brewing Company

As a craft beer drinker living in Rochester, NY my initial thoughts upon hearing of Roc Brewing Company was excitement and jubilation for both myself and the beer community in the Greater Rochester area. Unfortunately, after having an opportunity to drink a variety of their offerings, disappointment was the only feeling I was left with. The ambiance of the brewery was excellent and the owners/brewers were well averse in the beer culture, but the beer they make can be summed up in one word, bland. The key type of beer the tend to focus on is a "drinkable" beer or the beer's "drinkability" and they do not do anything to elevate these beers beyond their style (or even match the style the beer is supposed to be). I can only hope that they work on the overall balance of their beer offerings and provide some sort of elevation to the styles they offer (differentiate themselves more).

If you enjoy craft beer and live in the Greater Rochester area Roc Brewing Company is a must visit (not worth going out of your way for if you are not local). Try their offerings for yourself and formulate your own opinion. I foresee good things to come for this local Brewery based on both its location and the passion of its owners/brewers.

Cheers!

If you haven't been to Roc Brewing yet then you're missing out on a great local spot here in Rochester. The space itself is fantastic, which a giant window for a front wall, rotating artwork on the walls, and a nice wooden bar.

All of the beers I've had have been somewhere between good and great. The IPA is top notch, and the Dark Mild is to me the best beer brewed in New York state. They brew a pretty wide variety and and usually 5-6 beers of theirs are on tap each night, giving you lots of options.

They do have some food, typically one offering a night, but they aren't really trying to be a restaurant. There are also no TVs (not a bad thing for me but you may disagree) and no dart board, which would be nice. But they have live music on occasion and frankly I'm just here for the beer anyway.

All in all it should be a regular trip for locals and a place worth seeking out for visitors to the area.