tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18542166875587342082024-09-04T19:47:11.172-04:00All about Upstate NY beers and ales. As time goes on, this will include my (mis?)adventures in homebrewing...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-43171774910188642912012-05-18T11:25:00.001-04:002012-05-18T11:25:59.097-04:00

I'm a bit disappointed in my recent homebrewing efforts.  I picked up a Woodforde's Wherry kit from Beers of the World (it's actually a very good English Bitter, in its commercial form).  Think the kit must have been sitting on the shelf for a while, because the brew has this awful twang to the flavour - I just can't bring myself to drink the stuff.   var _gaq = _gaq || [];

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-47496860821792853442012-02-11T11:57:00.000-05:002012-02-11T11:57:58.914-05:00

New York Cork Report just announced on their Facebook page that their Beer of the Year is CB's Krysztoff Baltic Porter.  Congratulations to CB's - it's a great achievement and an awesome accolade for Rochester-area brewers. var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-19610866-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga =

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-29207248704117716002012-02-09T12:46:00.001-05:002012-02-09T12:48:25.588-05:00

Baseball isn't really a huge thing for us Brits, even those of us who moved across the Pond.  If you're a Brit who's really not into spectator sports, you'll probably find that when the topic comes up in conversation, people will start jabbering on in a weird, alien language with lots of references to strike zones and curveballs and Lord knows what else.  You'll eventually have no idea

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-22262217078202303972012-01-11T08:02:00.000-05:002012-01-11T08:02:40.645-05:00

I love how much great beer is being brewed in Rochester!  As a testament to just how many fantastic breweries we have in this area, Lovin' Cup in Henrietta is hosting the Rochester Homegrown festival this Saturday!  I'm hoping to be there - 3 Heads are launching their new Loopy anniversary beer and all the major breweries in Rochester are going to be represented.  Sounds

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-57475953449922191312011-12-06T15:00:00.000-05:002011-12-06T15:00:16.770-05:00

I missed this last week, but have now caught up... var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-19610866-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s =

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-56125512547390531262011-11-29T12:38:00.004-05:002011-11-29T12:46:52.782-05:00

Since my last review (which was back in...JULY?!?  I really need to update this thing more), I've got a couple of updates for you. The first thing I want to mention is that my good friends at Upstate Brewing Co. have finally found a home for their microbrewery and we can expect to see their fine beers commercially available early next year.  I've been following these guys since I

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-64982465609466505282011-07-11T21:38:00.000-04:002011-07-11T21:38:17.548-04:00

When I think of the War of 1812, as a miseducated Brit, the first image that comes to my mind is not the Revolutionary War, but the Napoleonic invasion of Russia which inspired Tchaikovsky's overture.  I actually had no idea that anything particularly noteworthy happened this side of the pond in that year until I took a graduate course in history a short while ago.  That raised a few

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-81966606438927977322011-07-03T21:12:00.000-04:002011-07-03T21:12:43.873-04:00

I went to Custom Brewcrafters for my birthday a couple of weeks ago, with some family and friends.  It's an awesome place - with 20-odd craft beers on tap, what beer enthusiast wouldn't be happy as a sandboy there?  They also offer free brewery tours, and your $6 tasting ticket includes a free tasting glass to keep, and a $2 rebate if you decide to buy a growler from them.  They

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-34955525838246136242011-07-01T23:25:00.000-04:002011-07-01T23:25:04.667-04:00

Tonight, I'm defying convention in so many ways.  While Upstate Brews generally only covers beers from breweries in NY state but outside the NYC metro area, I reserve the right to occasionally bend this rule a bit.  Not least because tonight's ale is made by Brooklyn Brewery, a wonderful group of folks based in the Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn.  This part of New York

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-52047952665051575532011-06-29T23:30:00.000-04:002011-06-29T23:30:42.679-04:00

Ah, fruit beer - I've tried and reviewed a couple of examples of this style recently, and they've all, without exception, been very refreshing and simple beers.  The kind of drink that goes just brilliantly with a light riverside meal or picnic on a balmy summer's day such as we've been experiencing (a bit more sporadically than I'd have hoped) recently.  The kind of beer which, for

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-31760945891549847222011-06-28T21:05:00.000-04:002011-06-28T21:05:41.842-04:00

Yesterday, Nathan Berrong of CNN posted an article where he extolled the virtues of West Coast beer.  It's caused a bit of a stir in the blogosphere because he states 'there's no debating that the best region for beer in the United States is the Pacific or West Coast region.' No debating, huh?  Well, if that's the case, he clearly sparked some kind of non-debating argumentative social

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-11488640726047809002011-06-27T21:33:00.000-04:002011-06-27T21:33:00.080-04:00

One of the neatest things about being a Brit in Upstate NY is that you get to critique the attempts that people make at imitating your own accent and culture.  From Renaissance festivals to Cockney reptiles selling insurance to those God-awful accents that well-meaning Hollywood actors put on, there's plenty of opportunity for a proud Englishman to smirk at the Yankee perception of his

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-6945876031814412992011-06-26T21:07:00.002-04:002011-06-27T16:55:15.643-04:00

It occurred to me the other day that this blog is only a small part of a broader turn I've made in the past year or so towards supporting the local and organic food movement.  And yet I've only hinted at this in my posts; I've never fully explored or explained this aspect of Upstate Brews.  Well, today I'd like to briefly go into some of the reasons why I support this movement, why it's

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-18375329605988669412011-06-25T12:07:00.000-04:002011-06-25T12:07:27.440-04:00

The Rochester Real Beer Expo is happening today, 6pm-10pm in the South Wedge!  It's on Gregory Street, between South Ave and South Clinton Ave, and there are plenty of awesome breweries represented from Upstate and beyond.  Tickets are $45 at the gate ($40 if you buy them online) - if you're looking for something fun to do this evening, this is an awesome way to get to know more of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-6206954377272041922011-06-24T18:24:00.001-04:002011-06-24T18:25:03.796-04:00

In my city neighbourhood, we get a lot of wildlife - no, not the students drunkenly stumbling out of bars yelling 'Eyyyyy, loveyoulezzallgetchickenwings!', but small, cute bunnies, squirrels and chipmunks that decided to live the urban life.  I often see them running around in the branches (my bedroom window opens to a canopy of trees) and a few days ago, while I was walking to the car a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-9804578184691304482011-06-21T08:53:00.000-04:002011-06-21T08:53:25.772-04:00

The past few days have been a bit quiet on the blogging front, and I do apologise - it was my birthday yesterday and I spent most of the weekend doing vital beer-related research for the blog.  I'll post my findings sometime later this week - sooner, rather than later, I hope. In the meantime, please enjoy this picture of Custom Brewcrafters, and prepare yourselves for the awesomeness that

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-87832360624044426762011-06-16T21:06:00.001-04:002011-06-16T22:05:16.667-04:00

OK, readers, it's polling time! When you think of beer, what kinds of adjectives come to mind? Hoppy?  Malty?  Bitter?  Refreshing?  Floral? How about 'chocolatey'?  Probably not the first thing you'd think of.  Even with many of the dark ales on offer in this area, I think we tend to major on roasted flavours and bitterness, so the idea of beer with chocolate

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-64897364655867936732011-06-14T22:42:00.000-04:002011-06-14T22:42:03.439-04:00

Ellicottville is right in the southwestern corner of New York, a small town that's best known for Holiday Valley, a ski and golf resort which is a major tourist attraction for the region.  It's known as the Aspen of the East. I was never much of a skier - I took one lesson as an extremely un-coordinated teenager, on a family holiday, and ended up colliding with some poor Austrian kid

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-9588897911100114472011-06-12T23:03:00.000-04:002011-06-12T23:03:11.143-04:00

Ah, India Pale Ale.  A style beloved by so many beer enthusiasts, but also feared by others (i.e. Yours Truly).  Particularly in its American incarnations, it's intensely hopped, which gives it a really bitter taste.  Personally, I prefer brews which exhibit a good malt character and restrained hops, so whenever I try an IPA it's with a sense of adventure.  The two examples

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-57063072675597568482011-06-11T10:19:00.001-04:002011-06-11T12:10:38.726-04:00

Wegmans is one of Upstate's great assets, and now there's another reason to love them: recently, they started offering 'Craft Your Own Pack'.  Inspired by a similar service available at Beers of the World, the idea is that you pick out 6 single bottles of craft beer and pay a flat rate of $9.99.  It's a bit more expensive than your average 6-pack, but it's worth it for the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-45369303734675368562011-05-26T11:40:00.000-04:002011-05-26T11:40:14.466-04:00

Australian brewery makes beer custom-designed for space travel. I wonder if Virgin Galactic is planning to have this as part of their on-board drinks service?  var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-19610866-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src =

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-39260074891276187562011-05-10T21:59:00.000-04:002011-05-10T21:59:19.399-04:00

Tonight we're venturing to the southwestern corner of Upstate, to the town of Lakewood, NY.  This is the home of Southern Tier Brewing Company, a microbrewery that's been with us since 2002 and produces a wide variety of beer styles.  In addition to their year-round offerings, they produce seasonal beers such as a wheat beer, ESB, an Old Ale named 'Old Man Winter' and 'Pumking', an

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-46747659572134115802011-05-09T19:26:00.000-04:002011-05-09T19:26:35.908-04:00

First off, a disclaimer: I don't own the fantastic image you see to your left.  I got it from the Ithaca Beer Company website, as I sadly didn't get a picture of my own bottle and glass of this brew. I've already talked a bit about Ithaca Beer Co.  One neat thing I learned about them recently is that their brewery doubles as a local homebrewing supply - it's great that a commercial

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-75285474404058481402011-05-06T21:41:00.000-04:002011-05-06T21:41:32.959-04:00

I thought I'd take this opportunity to recommend some really good and informative books on beer and homebrewing -they've been really helpful to a lot of beginning homebrewers including myself, so if you're thinking about starting out with the hobby you really ought to get a hold of these.  Charlie Papazian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing is a standard textbook which countless homebrewers have

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1854216687558734208.post-71866095977792273562011-05-06T19:20:00.000-04:002011-05-06T19:20:47.063-04:00

Up { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Greetings, readers! It's been a couple of weeks since my last update, but a lot's been going on, particularly on the Upstate Brews front. First of all, I've now discovered the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program)! This is a brilliant way to get to know beer on a more intimate level. One of the most impressive aspects of the BJCP is its Style Guide, which

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0