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).