I'm Just Here for the Beer: Escaping Wine at the Finger Lakes Wine Festival

Rooster Fish Brewing's tent at the 2010 Finger Lakes Wine Festival

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Amidst the sea of wine drinkers that accosted me and my fellow vendors (I was pouring for Freedom Run Winery) at the Finger Lakes Wine Festival this weekend, I managed to make my way to my own personal oasis: the Brewers Garden. Purposely tucked away behind the main festival proceedings, the small cluster of beer tents cost a $10 admission fee to both guests and vendors -- irritating, yes, but once I got in I realized that maybe the fee was a good thing.

Lines were short and the drunk “dudes” normally present at beer festivals all seemed to be congregating at the Red Cat tent. After purchasing my ticket and refusing to let the rather snappy Brewers Garden bouncers dampen my spirits, I discovered a small but solid collection of beer vendors serving up friendly attitudes and solid beers.

My $10 got me a beer sample glass and a bracelet with tabs for eight fills. Sierra Nevada, Anchor and Victory represented the non-NY contingent, and macro brands Dundee, Michelob, Kona and Budweiser were present, but I zeroed in on Rooster Fish, Lake Placid, Saranac, and Brooklyn. Ommegang and Southern Tier were on the program but must’ve run out of beer by the time I made it on Sunday afternoon.

These breweries weren’t messing around. Though I spent plenty of time at Watkins Glen’s own Rooster Fish brewpub over the course of the weekend, I stopped at their tent for the excellent Hop Warrior Imperial IPA and Summer Sky Hefeweizen. Lake Placid went big with Honey Rye and the flagship brown ale Ubu, with sister brewery Saranac supplying the fruitier Pomegranate Wheat. Brooklyn poured a refreshing batch of its signature Lager and was bold enough to offer the Black Chocolate Stout as well. Sure, it was 85 degrees out, but that stout was a great pairing for my cocoa-spiced glazed almonds from the Banana/Nut guy.

It was great to see the New York beers showing so well, and with comfortable tables in the Brewers Garden and some great live music throughout the weekend, it was a welcome, low-key break from the chaos of the wine tents.

 My favorite beer experience of the weekend, however, wasn’t at the festival. It was at the bar at Seneca Lodge Motel and Restaurant.

The homey, hopping bar (pictured right) serves up its own house beers, and they’re delicious. The Porter is wonderfully roasty with a nice hop kick in the finish, but the Ale is my favorite; a nose of fruity banana esters and a peanut butter/caramel malt explosion on the mouthfeel make it slightly sweet and creamy but refreshing with low carbonation and a nicely balanced finish.

Both are complex yet sessionable and great matches for the ribs, barbecue and burgers being served in the restaurant.

Brett Brubaker has been brewing the house beers for his family’s restaurant only since April of this year, but he’s been homebrewing for years and shows an obvious appreciation for simple, easy-drinking brews made with care and a sense of balance.

He says the response from locals and guests has been great, and he’s interested in expanding the beer selection. “Our next beer will probably be a light ale,” he says. “Something refreshing, not too extreme.”

Ideal for a summer vacation on the lake, the Seneca Lodge beers were a surprising treat and truly hit the spot after a hot day at the festival. If you’re in the area on holiday and need a break from a marathon of wine tasting, don’t forget to seek out some delicious local beer -- Central New York was the original center of the American beer world, and it’s clear that several talented brewers are keeping the tradition alive.

 

Comments

[Knile]

I'm not sure I'd call Dundee or Kona macros in their own right. I understand that Kona has a relationship with A-B but in terms of production itself, I wouldn't lump them together. Can you shed a little light on how you decided to group them this way?

[Julia Burke]

Sure. Kona is a part of the now-international AB/InBev family, and Dundee is ultimately part of North American Breweries, which includes Labatt's (imported from Canada) and the Genesee Brewing Company in Rochester, where Dundee beer is made along with the Genny beers, the Seagram's line of Escapes, and Imperial - "La Cerveza de Costa Rica."

If they're owned by or affiliated with a macro company, that is going to affect the production on some level, and I don't like it when the macro guys try to pass off these brands as "craft." Does that mean they're not good beers? Of course not - but I cover New York breweries for this publication, and AB/InBev is not New York-based. NAB's corporate headquarters is located in Rochester, however, which brings us to the less tangible issue at hand.

Dundee is made in New York, but I gave it no more than a quick mention because, like Labatt's and Michelob, it's so ubiquitous at these types of events that its presence in the Brewers Garden is hardly something to write home about. I could write an article about going to a baseball game and seeing Labatt's or Dundee on tap, but would it be interesting reading? Nevertheless, Dundee's was at the festival pouring the decent-value IPA, and I have no problem with that.

You'll notice that we tend to focus on the little guys here at the NYCR. I'll happily write a story about the history and brewing processes at Genesee - as soon Hazlitt Red Cat gets a similar feature.

[Tom Mansell]

Knile:
I like to refer to these types of companies as "mesobrews." A-B et al. will usually lend marketing infrastructure while largely letting companies operate autonomously (save for the influx of capital) in exchange for a portion of sales. I don't particularly have a problem with that.

Julia:
Just because InBev is Belgian doesn't mean lots of beer isn't made here. Beer from A-B bought around here could very well be made at A-B's huge facility in Syracuse, for example.

Does "buy local" really mean "buy from local auteurs"?

[Julia Burke]

True, Tom, but are we reviewing the Ithaca Applebee's or Fridays under "Finger Lakes Restaurants" now? The cheese selection of the Westchester Wal-Mart? I figured a mention that Bud, Michelob, et al were present at the Brewers Garden was adequate, but I suppose I could've tasted and reviewed them. I did get a finite number of possible beer samples :)

If you consider AB/InBev to be a New York brewery because there is a production facility in New York, then we'll just have to agree to disagree. I figured people didn't attend the FL Wine Festival and pay extra for the Brewers Garden in order to sample beers they can get at a gas station at 3 am.

[Tom Mansell]

I wasn't asking for a full review of Bud Light Lime (though, as lime-flavored beers go, it's probably the best...).

I just don't see why production numbers are a criterion for whether or not a beer (or wine) should merit a review. I realize we can't review everything and we do have an emphasis on supporting local businesses, but if it's good, it's good, right?

[Julia Burke]

If it's good, it's good, and next time I taste a beer from one of these companies that is somehow made or produced in New York that impresses me, I'll review it for this site. I buy almost everything I review, and it doesn't usually occur to me to pick up a six pack of Labatts or AB just to see if it's drinkable.

I don't like empirical definitions of macro and micro based on barrels produced or number of shareholders or anything like that - I'm a fan of the Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams), for example, and I've been known to drink plenty of Molson during a chicken wing night. Come to think of it, let's all just settle this over a can of Genny Bock - I hear Bryan is buying.