Finger Lakes 2025

Have you been to Abandon Brewing south of Penn Yan? I am a bit biased as my buddy is the brewmaster there, but IMO the beer is good (and good variety of styles), the old barn has a great vibe, and they have a beautiful view of lake.

 

As @jmdrpi mentioned, Abandon is a solid choice. Also in PenYann is Laurentide.

If you’re already planning to visit Mortalis in Avon, then try nearby Rising Storm. The beers are pretty good and the setting is MUCH nicer.

I like Birdhouse, in Honeoye, because of they have a great beer garden and good beer. It’s a nicer drive than straight up to Rt. 5&20.

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@Rocktire, @ColdOne , @IGaveYouPower might have other suggestions.

also interesting are Brewery Ardennes and Steuben.

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There’s a great bottle shop in Watkins Glen and Auburn is making some really nice beers too.

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Oh, and for an authentic German meal…

Thry Rheinblick’s in Canandaigua. Almost next to Frequentem.

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The only breweries up there I love, love, love are (from west to east) Mortalis, Other Half and Prison City. There’s a tiny, groovy bar in Geneva called Microclimate that I can’t recommend more highly. The owners flip out for excellent lagers and they travel the state to pick up a well curated lineup. Tiny food menu, tiny wine menu, tiny beer menu, but everything is made with class and love.

Not beer-related: it sounds like you’ll be dangerously close to Spotted Duck ice cream. It’s insanely good, made with duck eggs, a really awesome experience.

 

I was going to add Prison City but @ColdOne already did—good for beer and food. Also, if you go to Two Goats, a little farther up the lake is Lucky Hare, good beer and Babe’s Burgers if you like a good, greasy burger!

 

Based on where you're staying, Laurentide in Penn Yan is my recommendation. Good selection of very solid beers mostly in the 5% abv area. Often have live music on the weekends plus decent food. Right in town is also Upstate and Lake Life. Don;t have as much experience with those 2, but what I've had was decent.

 

Now that we have the core FLX guys on here: who else will be hanging at OH Bloomfield on Father's Day? This might be my last year with my son as DD, and I'm milking it for all I've got. The tradition is lunch and beers (and an unruly game of horseshoes) in Bloomfield before headed back to the Ithaca area for a full family BBQ.

 

Weis Vineyards and McGregor are two of my favorite Keuka wineries, and they’re both right near where you’re staying. Weis is a good hang, and McGregor has seated tastings with food pairings.

 

Weis is my wife's favorite winery from our visit to FLX 2 years ago. She's a member of their wine club. The grocery store in Hammondsport has a really nice beer selection in case you weren't aware.

 

I'm 8 miles from there so could be easily persuaded to meet up.

 

Damn, Mike, we don’t get up there until the 17th or else I would be up for that for sure. I’ll check in with you when it’s closer, maybe we can meet up later in the week.

 

Father’s Day may be my last hurrah until school is over, but definitely let me know when you’re free just in case.

 

Unfortunately we will be in NJ for a quintuple celebration. 2 graduations, 2 birthdays, 1 father’s day (technically 3 fathers), tightly packed into one weekend. Good grief; we will have our own kinda hangover come Monday morning. HA! I am genuinely sad to miss out on meeting all youse.

Enjoy OH, and next year can be the start of a new tradition with your new beer buddy!

 

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For quiet and natural environment, Canadice and Hemlock are your best bets. Both are free of commercial development and only a couple old houses. Hands down my favorite lakes for serenity.