Hello all. I'm traveling to upstate New York this summer (Cortland Ithaca area) and I'm just wondering about the craft scene up there. Any good local breweries? Any good bottle shops or beers to look out for? Thanks in advance.
Actually not that misguided! I'm from MA but I'm in Horseheads/Elmira (about half hour south of Ithaca) for work until December. Would be happy to crack some beers if you want to stop in when you are in the area.
Solid upstate breweries worth a visit include: The North Brewery(Endicott), Good Nature(Hamilton), Ithaca, Prison City(Auburn), Climbing Bines & Abandon(Penn Yan). I like the Ithaca Coffee Company for beer in Ithaca, or Fingerlakes Beverage Center. Keep in touch for bottle shares in Syracuse. Cheers!
Nedloh is another brewery that you may want to consider (canandaigua area). If you make it up to syracuse then J Ryan's is a must . Southeast of you is Rushing Duck (prob 2 hrs).
Thanks everyone for the replies. My wife mentioned going to Ithaca so I'll have to check out what they have their. My wife grew up in the area so she knows the locale better than I.
http://fingerlakesbeertrail.com/content/ Check out this site and the maps to see where some breweries are in the area. If you're in Ithaca on a weekend the Farmer's Market is a must visit. No beer there, but lots of great food, farm stands and crafts. Enjoy your visit.
The Ithaca Ale House has a good selection of beers on tap. I've heard they make a decent burger too, but I've only stopped in for the beer. They have an outdoor seating area they've let me bring my dog to, so that's a big bonus as well.
If you're feeling adventurous, Two Goats on Seneca Lake has beer that is pretty good but also some of the best views and a wicked roast beef sandwich.
Is the Cortland brewery any good? We're going to be staying right outside the city. Any local beers to try? I like just about anything.
Cortland is ok, nothing spectacular. If you're coming from the South def check out Galaxy, they're killing it. I'll second Prison City, Horseheads, Nedloh, Abandon, and Good Nature. Grab some super fresh Flower Power as well. It falls of quickly but it's hard to beat when fresh.
I'm a fan of Ithaca Beer Co. and Cortland Beer Co. I've only been to each place once but buy their beer often at my local bottle shop in Binghamton. I agree that they are nothing spectacular, but I think they make some good beer. Farmhouse Brewery in Owego is great too, and they feature guest taps from some other local breweries. The North in Endicott is good as well. Galaxy (in Binghamton) is just ok in my opinion, but their food is great. Binghamton also has Water Street Brewery (also great food) and Binghamton Brewery (which is eh). Depending on which way you come, if you are driving up via Rt. 17, you'll pass through Roscoe, which has the Roscoe Beer Co. - I haven't been there yet but it's a cool little town. Stop into any Wegman's in upstate NY and you'll find a nice variety.
