ONEONTA, NEW YORK

Cozily quaint cafe-styled brewpub lets its ‘family-friendly atmosphere reflect the relaxed, convivial attitude’ of downtown Oneonta. Though ROOTS BREWING COMPANY only crafts a few homebrews on-site, their eighty-plus bottle and can lineup and handful of guest draughts will please varied thirsts.

A neat li’l homey red brick brewhouse with elongated left side bar, community tables, a few pews, olden wood chairs and five rear brew tanks, Root’s stylishly eclectic antiquity gets reinforced by its lavender-hued columns and scattered abstract paintings. Snacks, pizza and tacos are available alongside snazzy cocktail specials.

There’s only one homebrew on my January ’23 sojourn, but it’s a true delight.

Retaining a rummy dried fruit spicing and dewy fungi musk, Roots Inconceivable Tripel let its mild caramel creaming sweeten its raisin-plum-date conflux, subtle butternut squash nuttiness and wispy floral perfuming as oaken vanilla tannins surfaced latently.