YOUNG LION BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

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CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK

Inside a sterling white-columned tan brick building across the street from Canandaigua Lake, YOUNG LION BREWING COMPANY opened its doors, June ’17. Its multi-faceted mod Industrial rooms include a pristine windowed 16-seat pub room (with white oak block-bottomed tan slate-topped bar, 14 tap handles and blackboard draught list), a casual left side lounge and an expansive second floor lake view event space (housing a separate Edison lit, formica-topped, 10-seat bar plus a four-couch lounge area and large TV). There’s also an outdoor side deck with an old wood floor and plastic seating.

During a two-hour venture, November ’23, I hung out with associate brewer, John O’Flaherty, a former homebrewer, whose cream ale is one of his favorite recipes used as the base for variants such as an upcoming Christmastime elixir, Egg Nog Cream Ale.

Stylishly robust Czech Pilsner retained a pungent straw grained musk, oats-dried barnyard acridity and herbal tinge to contrast its honeyed cereal graining.

Crisply clean easygoer, Mexican Lager, let lightly floral-spiced fungi musk infiltrate its caramel-toasted Vienna malting – leaving wispy caraway, rye and pumpernickel snips.

Another crispy straw-cleared moderation, Hey Ey Ey Ey Helles, let mild lemon tartness spunk musky barnyard acridity, corn-oiled astringency and cracked barley roast as well as dark floral and light herbal snips.

Leafy hop astringency and hickory-smoked molasses saddled Vienna-malted Oktoberfest, relegating its caramelized chocolate whim.

Like a lighter tasting IPA, Hill Of Fame Pale Ale stayed briskly citrus spiced as light pine sap grazed honey-sweetened pineapple, grapefruit, orange and tangerine tanginess.

Straightforwardly dry and clean West Coast-like IPA merged juicy navel orange, sunshiny yellow grapefruit, zesty lemon, salty pineapple and tangy tangerine in a lightly creamed setting, picking up grassy pine resin.

Orange-spiced grapefruit sugaring reaches cannabis-oiled hop resin as tannic grape must, mild honeydew-cantaloupe sweetness and botanical melon snips file in for Double IPA, a white bread-backed moderation.

Mildly spiced yellow grapefruit and navel orange peel entry and salted gooseberry-guava tartness pickup grassy pine-oiled white peppering for Harvest The Haze, a prim oated wheat creamed NEIPA.

Persistent Concord grape tartness and underlying green-red-yellow grape medley gain oaken cherry dalliance, lemon peel pucker and floral blood orange liming for Fall Into Grapeness Fruited Sour, leaving passive rosé wining, delicate champagne sparkle and l’il lemon icing.

Lightly tarred black malts got slightly whiskey bent for Black Lager, picking up subtle oaken burgundy-bourbon dryness in a distinctly offbeat stylistic twist.

Richly robust Barrel-Aged Hazelnut Coffee Stout plied dry bourbon vanilla tannins to hazelnut coffee tones and sweet peanut-buttered chocolate benevolence, leaving mild red grape, cinnamon bark and burgundy remnants.

PEACEMAKER BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Photos of Peacemaker Brewing Company | Untappd

CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK

On a downtown Canandaigua side street formerly occupied by Twisted Rail Brewing, PEACEMAKER BREWING COMPANY is situated in a red wood barn house. Open for biz in November 2016, the small three-barrel pub crafts standardly stylized suds with an eye towards balance and quality.

A friendly neighborhood shanty crudely designed, Peacemaker’s windowed and rear brew tanks sidle the diminutive barroom. A ten-stooled hardwood-edged bar with bark bottom (and caged Edison lights) serves rangy liquid fare and a small back kitchen offers pizza, hummus and pretzels. There are four community tables across from the bar. A red-benched side area provides further seating.

My wife and I gathered mid-afternoon on a Friday in November ’23 to try all available elixirs.

Dry grassy-hopped astringency grazed corn-flaked pilsner malts for Captain Suburbia, a politely honey-dipped cream ale.

Dainty yellow fruit spicing secured light-bodied Fonder & Blonder as pallid orange-tangerine lollipop tartness wisped into earthen mineral grained pilsner malting.

Tangy ‘n tart peach sweetness absorbed Peachmaker Smash, a light fruited pale ale with slight lemon twist and herbal candied soothe above white wheat placidity.

Peachy grapefruit and pineapple tanginess embraced Flowerin, a hazy American IPA with ancillary floral-daubed hop pining skirting salty guava-mango tropicalia.

Dry yellow grapefruit and candied orange blew past the mild pine tones and grassy hop stead of Bottom Of The Bay, an easygoing New England IPA.

Bustling magenta-hued, pinkish-headed Persephone Blueberry Raspberry Vanilla, a slightly lactic fruited sour, let skulking vanilla creaming sweeten its tart blueberry pucker, salted raspberry tannins and gunky orange concentrate as well as tertiary purple grape must, pink champagne sparkle and blush rosé wining.

Cocktail-inspired yellow aluminum cleared fruited sour, Persephone Pina Colada, stayed a tad thin as lemony pineapple tanginess and toasted coconut sweetness could’ve used frothier vanilla creaming.

Maple pecan glazed the cocoa-dried walnut and hazelnut surge of Buffalo! Brown Ale, picking up relegated dried fruiting.

Candied yam glazed the brown-sugared nutmeg spicing of Shadyside, a nifty sweet potato porter with anise-daubed black chocolate malting.

Dark chocolate syrup draped the milk-sugared hazelnut coffee tones and black grape musk of Black Soul Of Mine, a cocoa nib-roasted Imperial Stout (with disguised 12% ABV).

FREQUENTEM BREWING CO.

United States Brewpubs,

Frequentem Brewing Co. | Canandaigua, NY

CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK

Defined as a ‘social space to gather,’ FREQUENTEM BREWING CO. began operations at an old Main Street dairy in Canandaigua during 2020. Garage-bound small batch homebrewers David and Meagan D’Allesandro enjoy crafting ‘modern and traditional beer styles’ at their spacious downtown lair, leaning towards India Pale Ales and fruited sours.

Residing at a brown-bricked station, Frequentem’s windowed brew tanks service the 20-seat lacquered oak bar where the white tiled backsplash draught board offers a dozen-plus choice suds. Two TV’s entertain the six-seat tables fronting the bar. A plastic-furnished cement floored palate-enclosed deck with a few firepits offers further seating.

My wife and I got some pizza and popcorn to go with the ten available brews onsite during our Friday afternoon, November ’23, Finger Lakes exploration.

Anchor Steam-styled California Common, Cali Lager, placated its toasted grain crisping and dank hop musk with subtle caramel spicing that turns cardboardy.

Utilizing a corny Czech pilsner base, Cream Ale tempered its musky grains and grassy hops with orange-dried herbage.

Spritzy fruit-candied Fresh Squeeze (Strawberry, Lemon), a kettle soured pale ale, exuded tart lemonade and salted strawberry cadences as well as watermelon Jolly Rancher souring and raspy raspberry ripples.

Dry-hopped with zestful Idaho 7, citric Mandarina Bavaria and cannabis-oiled Strata, #39 NEIPA let seltzer-fizzed mandarin orange, clementine and tangerine briskness plus salty grapefruit bittering pickup subtle herbal spicing and dank pine resin.

Yellow grapefruit-forward #24 NEIPA, dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic and Rakau, allowed ancillary orange-peeled pineapple sweetness to contrast salted guava-gooseberry souring and piquant lemon meringue tartness in a mild oated wheat setting.

Kettle-soured IPA, Natural Flavors (Concord Grape), retained lightly vinous red wining to contrast its muskily sweet Concord-Muscat grape conflux above creamy marshmallow fluff.

Similarly kettle-soured Natural Flavors (Cara Cara Orange) rampaged salted navel orange concentrate and mandarin orange tartness thru slight vanilla creaming.

Smoothie-creamed fruited sour, Just Fruit (Cranberry, Peach, Strawberry), combined sharp cranberry souring with sweet peach tanginess and strawberry rhubarb tartness, bringing mildly acidic orange concentrate to the surface alongside latent mango salting and banana pureeing.

Another vanilla-creamed fruited sour Smoothie, Just Fruit (Pineapple, Orange, Mango), daubed bittersweet orange juicing with tart pineapple and sweet mango, staying mildly acidic.

An experimental red-hued tequila barreled sour IPA, Cincoro Anejo Tequila-aged Not From Concentrate (Blackberry, Tangerine) maintained burgundy-dried red grape tartness and tangy pineapple juicing for its relegated blackberry and tangerine adjuncts.

BLUESTONE BREWING CO.

United States Brewpubs,

BLUESTONE BREWING

SAYRE, PENNSYLVANIA

Inside a 3,200 square foot aluminum-sided gray barn house, BLUESTONE BREWING CO. opened November 2015 in the Northen Pennsylvania micropolitan borough of Sayre. Just off two local highways, Bluestone is situated near Chemung River and its silver grain silo stands across from the right side porch.

A wood lacquered L-shaped bar with colorful blackboard beer list, stocked refrigerator and TV, Bluestone’s eight formica top tables center the blue-walled, arched wood-ceilinged pub. There are front windowed and backroom brewtanks plus extra space to build upon.

Brewmaster Brian Austin leads the way for homebrewing CEO founder, Brady Liechty, crafting a wide range of smashing suds. Wine, spirits and ciders fill out the liquid menu while burgers, sandwiches, tacos and spinach artichoke make up the light pub fare.

My wife and I sampled all twleve draughts available on a Thursday night in November ’23.

Dry pilsner-malted ricing and toasted cereal flaking picked up musky salted graining and slight cinnamon spicing for Underdog Light Lager, leaving mild hop astringency on its moderate-bodied finish.

Subdued blackberry tartness got washed-out for Trail Juice Blackberry Blonde Ale, picking up timid brambleberry, lingenberry and blueberry snips against lightly pungent earthen hops.

Lemon-spiced blueberry tanginess carried Blue & White Blonde Ale, gaining hard candied tartness and biting juniper-licked bittering over sugared oats.

Soft-tongued medium body, 1537 Imperial Blonde Ale, let lightly spiced pear, red plum, cherry and bruised orange illusions reach its delicate caramel base.

Zestful lemon peel briskness picked up dry lemongrass herbage to contrast subtle coriander-spiced banana sweetness for Ursa White Wheat Ale, a lightly wheat floured moderation.

Pumpkin-roasted gourd earthiness contrasted brown-sugared cinnamon spicing and oncoming sharp orange peel zesting for Howlin’ Pumpkin, going light on the autumnal spicing.

Perfume-cologned lemon zest guided Golden Bear Saison, bringing slight candi-sugared spicing to mild juniper bittering, dry rum wisps and casual herbal respite.

Candi-sugared fruiting contrasted dry dextrin starching for Common Wort Project Belgian Strong Golden Ale, relegating its sweet banana pureeing, piquant lemon meringue tartness, tangy tangerine flirt and Bartless pear nip as well as white peppered herbage.

Semi-sharp West Coast IPA-Styled Penna Pale Ale, brought sunny Mosaic-hopped yellow grapefruit, orange peel, pineapple and lemon tanginess to dry hop pining and caramelized pale malts.

Amiably low key Celestial Lotus New England IPA rushed tangy grapefruit, pineapple, peach and orange spicing and mild hop pining to sugary oated wheat.

On the dark side, nitrogenated Pumpkin Latte Stout escorted coffee-roasted dark chocolate bittering into autumnal cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg and allspice seasoning.

Creamy dark chocolate met nut-charred flaked oats for Mythical Beast Oatmeal Stout.    

 

DIVERSION BREWING CO.

United States Brewpubs,

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MONTOUR FALLS, NEW YORK

Slingin’ soft toned suds in the village of Montour Falls since July ’22, DIVERSION BREWING CO. expanded to this countrified midtown after opening its first location at a Chemung barnhouse 30 miles south in July ’16. Run by local prize-winning homebrewers Dutch Blokzyl and Dan Bennett, Diversion’s easygoing fare suits both delicate palates and blue collar denizens.

There are twelve taps adorning the mounted industrial pipeline at the small back bar. Six window fronted beer barreled tables with metal chairs crowd the narrow, plank wood-floored, red brick-walled interior.

My wife and I pull up to the slate-topped bar to get all eight proprietary suds available on a chilly November ’23 Sunday at noon.

Mild yellow-cleared pilsner, DB Lite, let dry champagned citrus spicing grace lightly barley roasted cracked corn rusticity.

Tart raspberry pureed pale ale, Pilsberry, stayed thin as wispy blueberry and strawberry fruiting faded over its white wheat bed.

Mild spiced apple sweetness melted away for Appley Married, a fruited pale ale with oaken cherry and tart apricot pectins.   

Sweet potato-infused pumpkin ale, Gourd Jam-It, retained a dry squash vegetalia that receded its spiced pumpkin pie sweetness.

Spritzy clear-yellowed wheat ale, Witty Remark, engaged its orange-peeled coriander spicing with cidery lemon souring and mild green grape vinegaring.

Dryly soft-tongued Imperial IPA, Empires Key, placed lemon-licked pining and musty floral daubs inside lightly embittered hop resin.

Stark black IPA, Nightfall, ignored its stylish Cascadian dark ale black malt roasting for understated orange-apple spicing, missing the mark.

Dark-roast dried coffee saturated East Coast Roast, a mellow coffee stout with rich dark chocolate creaming, musty earthen soiling and dried fruited wisps given a lemon rind twist.

BEEROCRACY @ SENECA LAKE BREWING

United States Brewpubs, ,

THE BEEROCRACY | Seneca Lake BrewingBeerocracy (@Beerocracycorp) / X

ROCK STREAM, NEW YORK

Born in England, brewmeister Bradley Gillette formed SENECA LAKE BREWING COMPANY in 2014, utilizing an 8 barrel system from the British town of Lancashire to create soft-toned cask conditioned ales. Undergoing a secondary fermentation when hand-pump dispensed, these ‘real ales’ forgo extraneous gassing for natural carbonation, retaining a delicate mouthfeel served at room temperature.

Located at the main Seneca Lake brewery in the tiny waterfront hamlet of Rock Stream, BEEROCRACY re-creates a tradition low-ceilinged Brit pub. Its diminutive 12-seat L-shaped bar serves liquor, wine and snacks alongside wood-handled draught beers. There are eight rounded three-seat tables fronting the bar. Behind the streetside main bar house is The Snug, a light brown lakefront barnhouse perfect for live events and parties.

Sitting at the bar on a cold Friday eve early November ’23, my wife and I tried all six subtly designed suds (surprisingly two Americanized IPA’s but not an English version). Though specializing in daintily-hopped English cask ales, Beerocracy’s website listed a few Specialty Ales available occasionally, including a Belgian-styled dubbel and saison plus German hefeweizen.

Sessionable straw-cleared Golden Ale tied mellow yellow fruiting to mild herbal spicing and cereal grained pilsner malts, leaving distant mustard seed, dill and onion snips.

Mossy truffle earthiness, light brown tea musk, nutty fungi and dried florality draped The Dunmore ESB, picking up mild toffee sweetness.

A delicate Irish red ale, Kill Kenny With Kindness retained dewy peat sweetness and wispy hop herbage.

Dewy soft-toned Bertie’s English Brown Ale plied chestnut, walnut and hazelnut subtleties to its caramelized biscuit base.

As for the India Pale Ales, muted perfumed citrus spicing softly embellished American IPA as lightly embittered yellow grapefruit, tart mandarin orange and tangy white peach gathered above dry pale malts.

Meanwhile, easygoing casked New England IPA, The Colonial, brought dewy fungi musk and sweet tea wisps to musty citrus oiling.

 

FLYING FISH DIRT CAKE IMPERIAL STOUT

Beers A-Z,

On tap at Andy’s Corner Bar, decadently thick ‘n chewy pastry stout retains Oreo cookie splendor as vanilla-creamed milk chocolate resonance persists. Oreo ‘dirt cake’ also retains fudgy brownie and toffee sweetness as well as chocolate pudding, chocolate ice cream sandwich, chocolate cake, Mild Dud, cookie dough, maple molasses, bourbon vanilla, butterscotch candy and buttercream frosting illusions. Luscious mocha vanilla dessert!

Flying Fish Brewing Co - Dirt Cake - Joe Canal's Lawrenceville

TOPPLING GOLIATH TERM OIL COFFEE INTELLIGENTSIA BARREL-AGED STOUT

Beers A-Z,

On tap at Kitchen & Beer Bar, decadent barrel-aged Coffee Intelligentsia variant with mighty 14% ABV embellishes relaxing Honduran coffee bean roast with whiskey-whiffed bourbon vanilla spicing and fudged chocolate richness given hazelnut-infused maple syruping above honeyed gingerbread base. At the bold finish, milk-sugared coffee continuance supplanted by rich caramel-burnt dark cocoa impetus. Complex bourbonized mocha java nightcap perfectly mellows the senses.

Term Oil Coffee Intelligentsia - Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. - Untappd