Swiftwater Brewing Company, Rochester, NY

Finding some free time in our busy schedules, Tim and I wanted to post about another one of our favorite local breweries. Swiftwater Brewing Company, located in the South Wedge neighborhood of Rochester, NY, opened in early January of 2015. It is one of the local breweries that we have been patrons of since the beginning, and I was excited to have the opportunity to write about them for Liquid Alchemy. On a hot and sticky summer afternoon, we stopped in and had an in-depth conversation with Marina Christopher and Katie Nuber about what makes Swiftwater so unique in our area.

Silver Lake Brewing Project, Perry, NY

In recent years, there has been an explosion of new breweries in the upstate New York region. For many, it takes time to create a selection of beer that sets them apart from the crowd. That was not the case when we first visited Silver Lake Brewing Project in Perry, NY back in April of 2017. We knew we had discovered someplace special. A year later, we still find ourselves returning to enjoy their unique take on many traditional and modern styles. Today we had the opportunity to stop in and talk with Pilar McKay, one of the founding co-managers, about the brewery’s history and what they have in store for the future.

Blue Toad Hard Cider, Henrietta, NY

Tucked away in the Genesee Regional Market complex in Henrietta, NY, is one of our favorite local haunts. It is hard to pass up the opportunity to visit Blue Toad Hard Cider where we can spend some time playing card games over a couple pints of locally sourced hard cider. After a few years of watching Blue Toad grow, we felt it was time to include their story for the blog. Stopping in one Sunday afternoon, we spent some quality time with bartender extraordinaire, Adam Washbon, trying out the different ciders and getting the inside scoop on all the work being done at Blue Toad.

Iron Tug Brewing, Rochester, NY

Rochester, NY is truly blessed with a vibrant craft beer community; and small, independent breweries seem to be popping up all the time. Iron Tug Brewing is one of the newest kids on the block, yet has become one of our personal favorites to hang out at. I have been looking forward to writing about Iron Tug for a while, and a recent visit gave us the opportunity to talk with Kurt Owens, co-owner and tap room manager, about what goes on behind the scenes and where the future lies for them.

Noble Shepherd Craft Brewery, Bristol, NY

With many breweries and wineries so close to home, we tend to overlook them when choosing a new place to include for this blog. The time was ripe to add one of our most frequented local haunts, Noble Shepherd Craft Brewery in Bristol, NY. Excited to finally have the opportunity to write about this brewery, it has become one of our favorite spots to relax and play a round or two of cards. We met up with Tony Moringello, the brewer and co-owner at Noble Shepherd, to discuss the brewery and taste some fine beer.

Suarez Family Brewery, Livingston, NY

While visiting the Hudson Valley region of New York every year for TapNY, we always make sure to visit a new brewery or two to write about for Liquid Alchemy. Having heard many good things about Suarez Family Brewing in Livingston, we made our way there on a sunny afternoon to discover what makes them such a hit among beer aficionados.

von Trapp Brewing, Stowe, VT

The hills of Stowe, Vermont are alive with the spirit of craft beer. You may have heard of the von Trapp family singers, but might not know that when the family moved to America, they opened up the Trapp Family Lodge. Decades later, one of the von Trapp children, Johannes, started a brewery at the Lodge which distributes beer throughout the northeast. Intrigued, we visited von Trapp Brewing to see how the family brought a little bit of Austria to the countryside of Vermont.

The Alchemist, Stowe, VT

In my local beer community, there are quite a few aficionados who make pilgrimages to some of the more sought after breweries in order to bring home beers with limited distribution areas. The Alchemist, in Stowe, Vermont is one such special brewery. While vacationing in nearby Montpelier, we definitely had to stop in to see what kind of brewery they were running, as well as bring home some of their famous beverages.

Stone Corral Brewery, Richmond, VT

Recently we visited family in Vermont, and took the opportunity to check out some of the breweries along the way. Our surprise stop of the day was Stone Corral Brewery in Richmond, VT. Luckily, we had enough time to sit down and talk to the folks behind the bar while enjoying a fantastic selection of unique and diverse beers.

The FarmHouse Brewery, Owego, NY

I’ve said this before, and will probably say it again, but the annual craft beer fest, TAP NY, is a great way to discover breweries across New York State that are producing unique and delicious beverages. One brewery that stands out to me year after year is The FarmHouse Brewery, located in Owego, NY. I finally had time to visit them and spent an afternoon trying their incredibly diverse lineup of beers.