brewery tour finger lakes

Best Finger Lakes Breweries: Craft Breweries You Need to Visit

Posted on Published: April 13, 2021  - Last updated: January 20, 2024

Categories Beer , Blog , Food and Drink , New York , United States

Attention beer lovers: you need to visit these Finger Lakes breweries! Did you know that there are over 85 craft breweries in the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York? It will take you quite some time to drink your way through all of them!

You’ll be spoiled for choice when you visit local breweries and restaurants that serve beer from the Finger Lakes. To make things a little easier on you, I’ve sampled some of the most refreshing and delicious pints at these top Finger Lakes breweries. I know, research can be difficult sometimes, am I right?

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There are so many different varieties of craft beer from dozens of microbreweries in the region. From wheat beer to IPAs, from stouts to seasonals, the Finger Lakes has a beer for every taste. And if you don’t know exactly what kinds of beer you like the best, you’re in luck: there are tons of tasting opportunities around each of the 11 Finger Lakes.

Table of Contents

How to Visit Finger Lakes Breweries

Craft your own adventure on the Finger Lakes Beer Trail. There are over 85 craft brewers spanning 210 miles across central New York State – from Rochester to Syracuse in the north to Corning and Binghamton in the south. You can create custom itineraries around where you’re traveling and staying.

In fact, with so many different breweries, you can try new ones every time you visit. With so many microbreweries in close proximity to the Finger Lakes themselves, you can enjoy a pint with a beautiful lake view. With a refreshing brew in hand, it’s the perfect way to unwind after a day of outdoor adventures, too!

Getting Around the Finger Lakes

The Finger Lakes, New York, is the perfect road trip destination. Keep in mind that if you plan to visit all of these Finger Lakes breweries that you’ll need a defensive driver! As each town is a short drive from one another and several breweries are not right in town, you’ll definitely need a car.

I suggest picking up your rental car in a nearby city like Rochester. Compare car rental prices with Discover Cars to find the best rate.

BOOK YOUR RENTAL CAR

Taking a Finger Lakes Brewery Tour

If you don’t feel like driving around and having a defensive driver, why not book a Finger Lakes Brewery Tour ? You’ll have a driver take you from place to place, so you won’t need to worry about finding your way to each brewery. On this Finger Lakes Brewery Tour, you’ll be able to visit five different breweries throughout the day, giving you a great taste of what the region has to offer.

BOOK YOUR BREWERY TOUR

Where to Stay in the Finger Lakes

First, you’ll need to decide where you want to make your home base. If you’re traveling on a road trip of the Finger Lakes, you’ll likely want to make a couple of stops on the way. Here are my suggestions for places to stay in the towns featured in this article. You can also use the handy booking map to compare prices on hotels and vacation rentals in the region.

• 18 Vine Inn & Carriage House in Hammondsport, NY
• Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel in Watkins Glen, NY
• Radisson Hotel in Corning, NY

Best Breweries in Hammondsport

When I traveled to the Finger Lakes with my sister, Robyn, we experienced three Keuka Lake breweries, one of the 11 Finger Lakes. All three craft breweries are located in Hammondsport, New York, and you can easily check them all out in one afternoon.

Keuka Brewing Company

Keuka Brewing Company was the first brewery we visited in Hammondsport, New York. We drove down some dirt roads in the middle of the country to find the brewery. In an unassuming small building, we walked inside to find a lengthy wooden bar in a casual setting. Even though it might be unassuming, it’s one of the best Keuka Lake breweries.

Even though it’s not the fanciest place, Keuka Brewing Company has plenty to brag about. They were voted the best craft brewery in New York State at the TAP New York Beer Festival Competition in 2014, and they also won the F.X. Matt Memorial Cup.

Established in 2007, the Keuka Brewing Company prides itself on creating small batches of artisan beer with unique styles and flavors. As an innovative brewer, they continue to formulate new styles of beer that varies by the season.

Robyn and I tried samples of several different beers in our beer tasting:

• White Cap Wheat – This traditional Belgian Style wheat beer is lightly hopped. It’s brewed with a 60/40 blend of wheat and barley, along with flavors from orange peel, blueberry, and coriander seed for that Belgian style taste.
• Bluecap Wheat – It’s very similar to the White Cap Wheat, except it tastes like blueberries. This was my favorite beer from Keuka Brewing Company, and it’s only available in the tasting room.
• Keukumber Saison – It’s a beer made from cucumbers! I’ve never tried anything quite like it. This beer is super refreshing, and it’s a seasonal beer only available in the summer. Keukumber Saison is a French style ale, brewed to be light and refreshing. There are notes of cucumber and lime. Yum!
• Pumpkin Cream Ale – I’m not so much a fan of pumpkin flavors, but the pumpkin lovers out there have gotta try it. It’s brewed with real pumpkin, seasonal spices, and vanilla.
• Hoppy Laker IPA – This one was definitely more bitter and intense. There are four different hops – Centennial, Columbus, Cascade, and Simcoe. Keuka Brewing Company states that this one will, “wake up your taste buds!”
• Ghost of Rita – It’s a German style Gose beer, characterized by the use of coriander and salt during the boil process. The salt comes locally from Seneca Lake (Seneca Salt Company). Then, hops and lime peels are added, making it like the margarita of beers.

Most beer is available by filling up a growler, though a few varieties are available in cans. I brought home a 4-pack of their 607 Lager for Justin. It’s a Vienna style lager, smooth and ideal for most beer lovers.

Steuben Brewing Company

Our second stop was just down the road, Steuben Brewing Company . The views from the property of this brewery are simply stunning: pastoral lands overlooking the lake with rolling hills just beyond it. It’s a really dreamy location to enjoy a pint on a summer afternoon.

The Steuben Brewing Company takes pride in sourcing their ingredients from local farmers as much as possible. They recently won the 2016 John Calen Memorial Award for Best Brown Ale in New York State at TAP NY, and they also won a silver medal for Best Light Lager in New York State.

The brewery is warm and welcoming, with a bar at the back and tables near the entrance. You can also take a peek behind the scenes to see the brewers at work just beyond the tasting room. Robyn and I each opted for a beer flight, where we chose four varieties of beer to taste. There were also light snacks available to munch on while we sipped our brews. Here are the ones that I tried:

• New York Pilsner – It’s a crisp and light beer with a slight citrus finish.
• Cream Ale – It’s a light beer that starts sweet and finishes dry.  
• Vacation Ale – So, I may have tried this one based on the name alone. Who doesn’t love a vacation? It definitely tasted like the perfect beer to enjoy on a vacation or summer holiday. I couldn’t resist bringing home a growler of the Vacation Ale.
• Strawberry Blonde Ale – This is a seasonal beer that I couldn’t resist as I love fruit beers. It even looks slightly pink. It was very refreshing and great to sip on the patio.

Speaking of patio, there’s a lovely seating area outdoors with opportunities to take in that beautiful view. We chatted with the owners briefly and had a wonderful experience visiting this family-run farm brewery.

The Brewery of Broken Dreams

Our final stop on the Finger Lakes Beer Trail was perhaps the one with the most brilliant name, The Brewery of Broken Dreams . How could you not visit a brewery with that name?

The brewery and tasting room is inside a historic stone and wood building. It’s a great way to taste new beer in a charming environment. Sit by the bar, pull up a stool, and try some new craft brews! As the brewer says, “You are encouraged to share your dreams in words while we share ours in thoughtfully rendered liquid form. We hope to entice and satisfy your senses. Tears!”

Robyn and I tried a sampling of several beers all on tap. The beers all shared clever names:

• Summer Blues – A classic German style wheat beer, tasting of banana and cloves.
• Good Enough – An IPA brewed with Chinook, Cascade, and Willamette hops from New York State.
• Old Antics – A light amber ale featuring hops from local farms in New York State.
• Unfinished Business – A Scottish style ale honoring the brewers’ Scottish heritage.
• Floating Leaf – A brown porter ale with hints of chocolate and coffee.
• Wise Old Ale – A malty light bodied ale tasting of molasses.
• So You’re Wild – An oatmeal stout made with malted and unmalted oats that goes down smooth.

One of the owners served us our beer and told us fascinating stories behind each one. My favorite was the story of the Unfinished Business Scottish Ale. Perhaps this is due to the fact that my heritage is half Scottish. The husband and wife team of The Brewery of Broken Dreams discovered that way back in the past, their families both once knew each other in Scotland. In fact, their families despised one another.

There were tales of extreme hatred, and even murder! Their ancestors would not be pleased at all that this pair united, got married, and started a business together. It’s somewhat of a Romeo and Juliette story, really…except for the fact that this personal story had a happy ending. As some Scottish people can be known to hold a grudge, there’s always some unfinished business there.

I adore that there are personal stories like these in the making of the beer. I had to bring home a growler of the Unfinished Business ale after hearing that treacherous tale, and to honor my own Scottish roots.

Best Breweries in Watkins Glen, NY

Staying in Watkins Glen? There’s so much to see and do in this delightful small town in the Finger Lakes. You’ll have to go hiking at Watkins Glen State Park to witness some of the most incredible scenery. Farm Sanctuary is another amazing place to visit where you’ll be able to spend time with the resident rescued farm animals.

I’ve planned out the perfect 1 day itinerary for Watkins Glen should you decide to plan a day trip or spend the night. A trip wouldn’t be complete without checking out these brew pubs and breweries in Watkins Glen. These are the best breweries on Seneca Lake.

Rooster Fish Brewing

Rooster Fish Brewing is right in town in Watkins Glen, so it’s the perfect place to stop for a pint and a meal. It’s a brew pub with a full menu, including plenty of yummy vegan eats. Justin and I visited together many years ago, back when I first started this blog. I’d love to go back the next time I’m in Watkins Glen as it’s one of the best Finger Lakes breweries.

Rooster Fish is one of the first official New York Farm Breweries . This means that the brewery supports local farmers and producers. They use locally grown hops, local organic malts, and water straight from Seneca Lake, the Finger Lake that’s in Watkins Glen.

While the Farm Brewery license came into being in 2013, Rooster Fish Brewing used local ingredients far before the designation even existed. You can be sure that these craft ales use the freshest ingredients and help support small businesses and local farmers.

Rooster Fish Brewing has at least five craft beers on tap, as well as up to four seasonal and special brews. We tried a couple of special ales when we visited: the Mysterious Amber and the Summer Sky Hefeweizen. Rooster Fish Brewing is by far one of the top Seneca Lake breweries, and you’ll need to visit when you’re in town.

Wagner Valley Brewing Company

Wagner Valley Brewing Company is part of the Wagner Vineyards property, one of the best Seneca Lake wineries I visited on a day long wine tour. As I’m also a beer lover, I was delighted to hear that they brewed beer here, too. It’s one of the oldest craft breweries in the Finger Lakes region (established in 1997) and the first craft brewery on Seneca Lake.

There are a wide variety of different brews to try at Wagner Valley Brewing Company . Definitely get a flight if you’d like to try a few of them. A lot of the beer is seasonal on a rotating menu, so you’ll be able to sample different ones all year long. I got to try some of their beer with some friends at the TBEX travel blogging conference.

For instance, you might find the following beers on the menu: Sugar House Maple Porter, Dockside Vienna Lager, Berliner Weisse (sour ale), Mangose (sour beer with Mango puree, in cooperation with Resurgence Brewery in Buffalo ), Hefeweizen, Bavarian style Doppelbock, a cream ale, a pilsner, IPAs and more. They also brew their own non-alcoholic rootbeer here, too.

Top Breweries in Corning, New York

As we make our way around the Finger Lakes, there’s lots of great beer to try in the city of Corning, New York. While it’s home to the amazing Corning Museum of Glass , there’s also a cute downtown area with great brewpubs and restaurants. Here are my picks for the best places to drink beer in Corning.

Iron Flamingo Brewery

Iron Flamingo Brewery started back in 2014 by the Mauer family and it’s managed by two brothers. It is Corning’s first brewery to bottle and distribute beer. The brewery is a little outside of the main city streets, about a 20 minute walk from the downtown core. You may want to drive there or walk, depending on how you’re feeling.

Iron Flamingo Brewery always has five beers on tap: an IPA, a red ale, a blonde ale, a brown ale, and a dark English ale. They also have seasonal varieties, like sour beers, lagers, double IPAs, a pilsner, a pale ale, and even a blueberry sour beer. Check out what’s on tap here .

When I visited Iron Flamingo, I tried a flight of three beers: the Belgian Wit ale, the Tart Apple Ale, and the Blonde Ale. It was interesting to drink an apple beer! It tasted a bit like a cider, but a bit like beer. Hard to describe. Iron Flamingo is one of the best breweries in the Finger Lakes, so check it out while you’re there.

Liquid Shoes Brewing

Liquid Shoes Brewing is a brewery in downtown Corning, New York. It’s owned and operated by two brothers, David and Eric Shoemaker (in case you were wondering where “shoes” comes into play in the name of the brewery!).

They’ve always got loads of interesting and rotating flavors of beer on tap at their brewhouse on Market Street. Liquid Shoes Brewing also does collaborations with other brewers and has a couple of guest brews on tap, too. If cider is your drink of choice, they usually have at least a cider on tap, too. I tried one of their ciders for something a little different and it was really refreshing and tasty.

For instance, right now, there is a beer called Squeezy with mango, orange, banana, coconut and marshmallow flavors. I love the fruity beers, so I’d give this one a try. However, for those who like their beers a little more classic or straight forward, those options are there for you as well.

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More Finger Lakes Breweries

There are so many more Finger Lakes breweries that I need to return to try. I’m only a small percentage of my way through all 80+ breweries! Here’s one more brewery at the top of Canandaigua Lake in Canandaigua, New York, that you need to visit.

Twisted Rail Brewing Company

Twisted Rail Brewing Company is located in the small town of Canandaigua, New York, on the northern side of the Finger Lakes. It’s one of my favorite Finger Lakes breweries, and they also serve food here, too. The brewery has quite a few seating areas inside and a spacious patio outdoors overlooking the lake.

If you don’t find yourself in Canandaigua like I was, perhaps you’ll be driving through Geneva, Macedon or Honeoye, New York? Twisted Rail Brewing has four locations to serve you, so there’s really no excuse not to sample their tasty brews.

They currently have 15 craft brews on tap, and I suggest trying a flight if you’re undecided or want to try a few. These range from lagers and wheat beers to IPAs and stouts. There are even a couple of ciders to taste, too.

You might want to grab some food while you’re here, too. I got a big hummus platter to snack on while drinking my beer. It was delicious!

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Have you visited any breweries in the Finger Lakes?

Lauren is the full-time travel blogger and content creator behind Justin Plus Lauren. She started Justin Plus Lauren in 2013 and has travelled to 50+ countries around the world. Lauren is an expert on vegan travel as one of the very first vegan travel bloggers. She also focuses on outdoor adventure travel, eco and sustainable travel, and creating amazing travel itineraries for cities and small towns.

william wilkins

Wednesday 9th of February 2022

When in Canandaigua, try Peacemaker.....fantastic place.

Eric Scott Klarman

Sunday 22nd of July 2018

Two Goats Brewery on Seneca Lake is one of my favorites. Excellent choice and quality of beers with an amazing view of the lake.

Saturday 7th of January 2017

Definitely a must visit place. It's cool and the place looks nice. Enjoy your brewery tour, I wanted to experience that too and visit the brewery and learn a little about their story. What flavored beer did you enjoy?

Thanks for sharing

Brown Gal Trekker

Sunday 20th of November 2016

Heavenly place for drinkers. The location is excellent for scenery as well so win-win!

Thursday 17th of November 2016

I'm ot a drinker, but i would love to know the inside story of a brewery. That sounds interesting! You seem to have really enjoyed it, though :)

• TripAdvisor

Crush on Seneca-Keuka Beer Tours

Our Signature Daily Beer Tours are designed for parties as small as 2 people and up to larger parties of your desired number.

Choose a tour below for details:

Farms and Flights

Farms and delights, farms, flights & delights plus lunch.

Enjoy the views and aromas of local hop farms while enjoying Farm Fresh Flights.

• Pick-ups & drop-offs are available at central pickup point stated below, or hotels and B&B’s in the surrounding Seneca/Keuka Lake area.
• Please inquire about a custom itinerary for groups of six or more.
• Advance booking is required for daily tours.
• Last minute inquiries are welcome.

This afternoon tour departs from the Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track at 10:00 a.m. Your four-hour tour of THREE of the four breweries listed below will include scenic views of Seneca Lake. A Crush Host tour guide will lead you through your tour while highlighting some of the rich history of why the Finger Lakes is a perfect place to grow hops and generate great growlers of beer. Visited breweries vary based on days and times tasting rooms are available.  ** Pickup times may change depending on your pickup location. Please refer to email communication from Crush Beer and Wine Tours for specific pickup information.**

BIG aLICe Brewing

BIG aLICe BREWING began production in January 2013.  On their original 10-gallon pilot system, they brewed and exclusively bottled flavor-forward, one-off batches, which they sold on-premises. In 2019 they opened their Barrel Room, a dedicated barrel aging facility within Industry City, Brooklyn. On May 1st, 2021, they opened their third location in the Finger Lakes, consisting of a brewery housing a 15bbl brewhouse, taproom, and amazing grounds. Their family and dog-friendly facility encompass the laid-back and relaxing atmosphere of the Finger Lakes. They are proud to be part of the craft beer scene in the region.

Climbing Bines Hop Farm and Brewery

Climbing Bines Craft Ale Company is one of New York State’s first farm breweries! They specialize in small batch, handcrafted ales brewed on site with the freshest estate-grown hops and barley harvested just a few miles down the road. The hopyard is a 1.5-acre planting that consists of seven cultivars and nearly 1500 hills. Their Farm is dedicated to growing premium New York State grown hops for the local brewing industry and beyond. Their practices are rooted in the philosophy of sustainable agricultural and environmental consciousness.

Fleur De Lis Beer Works

They are Seneca Falls only farm brewery.  Open since May 2017, they offer a rotating selection of brewed on site beer, homemade root beer & a small selection of local wines. Their craft beer parlour is perfect for a relaxing time enjoying a flight or pint while playing oversized yard games, visiting with friends or watching the brewer create the next batch!

Watershed Brewing Company

Watershed Brewing Company is a destination farm & microbrewery. Their brewery and taproom are located in a renovated dairy barn on 17 acres overlooking Seneca Lake. They have a passion for sustainability and delivering a high-quality craft beer experience in the Finger Lakes region.

• As the afternoon turns into evening your tour will end back at the Finger Lakes Casino and Race Track at 4:00 pm.  ** Pickup times may change depending on your pickup location. Please refer to email communication from Crush Beer and Wine Tours for specific pickup information.**
• The Farms and Flights tour includes a knowledgeable Crush Host on the Beer Trail, transportation to all of the Breweries listed above (or alternative Breweries depending on availability), and all Brewery tastings.
• Sunday – Friday price per person is $174.00 + tax. Saturday price is an additional $10 + tax per person.
• Group size 2-12 people
• Credit card payment is required at time of booking.
• Tours are 100% non-refundable. You can reschedule your tour date asap to confirm your new date is available, OR, you can receive a Gift Certificate/Credit worth the amount that you have already paid towards any Crush Beer & Wine Tour. This credit will expire a year from the date of your original tour and re-scheduling fees waived.  Due to our advanced scheduling for our drivers and vehicle assignments, if your tour is canceled, missed or rescheduled within 14 days of your original tour date, a re-scheduling fee of $50 will be applied. If a tour is canceled the day before or the day of, a re-scheduling fee starting at $50/person and depending on group size, up to $100/person, may be applied due to pre-payment of tasting fees, lunches and driver’s wage. Please call us at 855-TO-CRUSH to reschedule.
• On rare occasion, Crush reserves the right to change venues due to availability.

This afternoon tour departs from the Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track at 10:00 a.m. Your five-hour tour of FOUR of the five breweries listed below will include scenic views of Seneca Lake. A Crush Host tour guide will lead you through your tour while highlighting some of the rich history of why the Finger Lakes is a perfect place to grow hops and generate great growlers of beer. Visited breweries vary based on days and times tasting rooms are available.  ** Pickup times may change depending on your pickup location. Please refer to email communication from Crush Beer and Wine Tours for specific pickup information.**

Fall Street Brewing Company

Fall Street Brewing is an elevated brewery and cafe located in historic downtown Seneca Falls, NY. They focus on serving quality crafted hot/cold craft beverages.

• The Farms and Delights tour includes a knowledgeable Crush Host on the Beer Trail, transportation to all of the Breweries listed above (or alternative Breweries depending on availability), and all Brewery tastings.
• Sunday – Friday price per person is $204.00 + tax. Saturday price is an additional $10 + tax per person.

Our  Farms, Flights & Delights tour  is now the same great Full day tour PLUS a visit to Fall Street Brewing AND a delightful lunch will be served at the Brewery. The Lunch served is pub style food with a pint glass of beer from the brewery. This  FULL DAY TOUR includes a knowledgeable Crush Host on the Beer Trail, transportation to FOUR of the five Breweries listed above (or alternative Breweries depending on availability), all Brewery tastings, and Lunch.

Fall Street Brewing is an elevated brewery and cafe located in historic downtown Seneca Falls, NY. They focus on serving quality crafted hot/cold craft beverages and pub fare.

• We will depart the Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack at 10:00 am and return at 5:00 pm.  ** Pickup times may change depending on your pickup location. Please refer to email communication from Crush Beer and Wine Tours for specific pickup information.**
• Sunday – Friday price per person is $259.00 + tax. Saturday price is an additional $10 + tax per person.
• Group size 2-12 people.

We look forward to seeing you on your next beer tour.

17 Fantastic Finger Lakes Breweries You Won’t Want to Miss

The Finger Lakes region is well known for its great wineries, waterfalls , and outdoor activities. However, did you know that there are many incredible Finger Lakes breweries as well?

That’s right throughout this region of Upstate New York, you’ll find dozens of delicious breweries to suit any taste, location, and style.

So, whether you are looking for a stout in Syracuse, an IPA in Ithaca, or a sour in Rochester, this list of the best breweries in the Finger Lakes is for you.

Other Half Brewing in Ontario County

New York is home to many great breweries, but there are few that can compete with Other Half Brewing Company . That’s because Other Half Brewing makes 16 of the top 20 New York beers according to reviews on BeerAdvocate.com.

This brewery actually has four locations in New York, with their spot in Ontario County being the only one located outside of New York City.

Their Finger Lakes brewery is a great spot to check out if you love incredible IPAs, stouts, and sour beers. These can all be enjoyed in either their outdoor beer garden or their beautiful indoor taproom.

Other Half also has a location in Buffalo, making it also one of my favorite breweries in Buffalo, NY .

Heritage Hill Brewhouse near Syracuse

Located southeast of downtown Syracuse, Heritage Hill Brewhouse is one of the best Finger Lakes breweries, both for its beer and its great outdoor space.

Heritage Hill sits on a hillside with a nice view of the Syracuse skyline and serves up some of the best beer and food in the city. I had a chance to try four different beers during my visits, and quite enjoyed them all. I also loved their poutine.

For those with kids, it’s worth noting that this is one of the few breweries in the area that features a play area for kids.

K2 Brothers Brewing near Rochester

K2 Brothers Brewing is located a short distance east of downtown Rochester near the shores of Irondequoit Bay, and is one of the best Rochester breweries to check out.

This brewery makes the list because of its inventive beers. When I visited, I had everything from a Raspberry Lemonade Sour to a Red Velvet Stout. Of course, they also offer more normal styles for those looking for a classic taste.

I also really enjoyed this brewery’s outdoor space, which was quite large and well laid out.

Cortland Beer Company in Cortland

Located in the heart of downtown Cortland, you’ll find Cortland Beer Company .

Since 2010, this farm brewery has been offering some of the best beers in the eastern Finger Lakes out of their cozy taproom. What impressed me about this brewery was that, despite being relatively small, they had more than a dozen beers on draft during my visit. This ensures that just about anyone can find a beer that they’ll like.

As for me, I really enjoyed the Habanero IPA and the Bourbon Barrel Aged Flight Level 410 Old Style Ale.

Even better, for those who also like locally-made spirits, Cortland Farm Distillery operates out of the same building and offers some great options.

Liquid State Brewing in Ithaca

Located in downtown Ithaca, Liquid State Brewing is a nice spot to check out if you’re exploring the city.

They feature a variety of beer styles inside their beautiful beer hall. You can also opt for outdoor seating on their covered porch. When I visited, I was able to try a variety of their beers, including several delicious IPAs and Belgian-style beers.

If you’re looking for a great brewery in Ithaca, don’t miss this spot.

Buried Acorn Brewing Company in Syracuse

If you are looking for a great Syracuse brewery , Buried Acorn Brewing Company is a nice option.

Located in the northern reaches of the city near Destiny USA and Onondaga Lake, Buried Acorn specializes in sour beers and farmhouse ales, though they offer other styles for those that prefer something different.

While I’m not typically a fan of sour beers, I was quite impressed with the quality of these beers at Buried Acorn and was able to really appreciate how good they were. Of course, the other styles of beers that I tried were also quite delicious.

Peacemaker Brewing Co in Canandaigua

Located near the northern shores of Canandaigua Lake, Peacemaker Brewing Company is a great spot for a beer in the northern Finger Lakes.

Opened in late 2016, Peacemaker Brewing offers a nice selection of craft beer in their inviting and cozy tasting room in Canandaigua.  They also feature an outdoor patio for those looking to enjoy a beer outside on a nice day.

During my visit (on a very rainy evening), I was able to try their Moon Perfume Double IPA, which I quite enjoyed.

Fifth Frame Brewing in Rochester

Fifth Frame Brewing in Rochester is one of the most unique Finger Lakes breweries because they offer house-roasted coffee in the morning and craft beer in the evening. This makes it, to my knowledge, the only dual-purpose brewery/coffee roaster in the region.

During my visit, they had 11 different beers on draft, most of which were either IPAs or coffee-infused beers (using their own coffee, of course). The beers I had a chance to try were really quite delicious, and I can’t wait to go back to try even more.

And, while this article is focusing on beer, their coffee is worth stopping by in the morning to try.

Liquid Shoes Brewing in Corning

Located in the heart of downtown Corning, Liquid Shoes Brewing is a great spot to check out after exploring the nearby Corning Museum of Glass and one of my favorite Upstate New York breweries, even though I didn’t take any photos of the inside when I visited. (Whoops!)

Liquid Shoes is run by two brothers and opened to the public in mid-2018. Since then, they have developed a reputation for offering some of the best beers in the southern Finger Lakes.

During my visit, I especially enjoyed their Big Abe’s Brown Ale.

Prison City Brewing in Auburn

Prison City Brewing is located in a beautiful historic building in the heart of downtown Auburn, New York. This brewpub features delicious food in addition to their great craft beer, so make sure to visit for a meal if you can.

During my visit, Prison City had eight different beers on draft, most of which were some form of ales. While this brewery didn’t strike me as the type of brewery that takes big risks with unique flavors, I quite enjoyed the New England IPAs that I tried, and the ambiance made this a great spot for a meal.

Lake Drum Brewing in Geneva

Of all the breweries in the Finger Lakes, none have quite as much of an eclectic feel as Lake Drum Brewing in Geneva . That’s because the tasting room here is filled with books and art, making it almost look like a living room more than a tasting room.

Lake Drum offers a wide selection of both craft beer and hard cider and had 15 of their own creations on tap when I visited.

While they offer a wide variety of styles, they really seem to shine with their sour beers and ciders. I especially enjoyed the Upside Down Cake Sour and the Lavendar Tea with Elderberries Cider.

Swiftwater Brewing Company in Rochester

Located a short distance south of downtown Rochester along the Genesee River Trail, you’ll find Swiftwater Brewing Company .

Swiftwater Brewing features a well-designed tasting room with both indoor and outdoor space. When I visited there, were a total of 12 beers on tap, covering a very broad range of styles, including a nitro blonde stout with several infusions that was my favorite beer during my visit.

Interestingly, the owner’s family farm provides 80% of the malt used in their beer, so they do a great job keeping things local in their creations.

Willow Rock Brewing Company in Syracuse

Syracuse’s Willow Rock Brewing Company is a great spot to check out when exploring the eastern Finger Lakes.

Their tasting room is located in an industrial area a short distance south of the downtown area and features a nice space and a few ping pong tables.

During my visit, they had a nice selection of beers, including many very inventive ones that were only available in cans. For those that like classic beers, Willow Rock also produces Congress Beer, a historic beer from Syracuse’s past.

Aurora Brewing Company in Cayuga County

I stumbled across Aurora Brewing Company in Cayuga County while driving through the Finger Lakes, and I’m glad I decided to stop.

Unfortunately, their taproom was temporarily closed when I visited, but I took a chance and bought some cans to go because the descriptions sounded very delicious. And, I can say without question that Aurora Brewing had some of the best and most flavorful beers I’ve had in the Finger Lakes.

This is definitely a spot I’m looking forward to returning to again in the future so that I can try even more of their delicious beer.

Nine Maidens Brewing Company in Rochester

Nine Maidens Brewing Company is one of the region’s best breweries and is a perfect spot for those that love inventive beers to check out.

When I visited their small taproom on a beautiful summer day, they had many very interesting beers on draft including a maple habanero porter, a raspberry chocolate sour, and even a lemon turmeric lager. Of course, they also had some really delicious and more normal creations as well..

Battle Street Brewery in Dansville

Battle Street Brewery is located in a historic train station in Dansville, New York. This historic building might make this one of my favorite brewery locations in Upstate New York.

I visited Battle Street Brewery a little over a year after they opened, and I was blown away by the overall quality of the beers they had given their young age. During my visit, my two favorites were the O-Berry von Mordecai, a pale ale brewed with blood orange, cranberry, and raspberry, and DIPA Toe In, a double IPA brewed with mangoes.

While there, definitely take time to explore the tasting room and check out all the neat historic touches that can still be found in this renovated space.

Middle Ages Brewing Company in Syracuse

Middle Ages Brewing Company in Syracuse is one of the oldest Upstate New York breweries, having opened its doors in 1995. Their current tasting room dates back to 2017 and has some neat styling to really bring their “Middle Ages” name to life.

During my visit, Middle Ages had nearly 20 different beers on draft and featured nearly every imaginable style. In my flight of beers, my favorites were the Pineapple Milkshake IPA and the Strawberry Milkshake IPA.

Which of the many Finger Lakes breweries is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

Looking for even more things to do in the area? Check out the best waterfalls in Ithaca , our favorite things to do in Syracuse , Beer Tree Brewing near Binghamton , and the best breweries in Cooperstown, New York .

More nearby places worth exploring

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National Warplane Museum in Geneseo: Everything You Need to Know to Visit

How to Get to Tinkers Falls in the Labrador Hollow Unique Area

21 Incredible Things to Do in Syracuse, NY (and the Rest of Onondaga County)

Find more things to do in the finger lakes.

Jim Cheney is the creator of Uncovering New York. After spending 5.5 years exploring Pennsylvania, Jim discovered a love for New York and is excited to spend time exploring this great state and uncovering the best things to do here.

3 thoughts on “17 Fantastic Finger Lakes Breweries You Won’t Want to Miss”

Check out ONCO Fermentations in Tully sometime 🙂

Meier’s Creek Brewing in Cazenovia. Great beer, food, disc golf course. Neat sculpture park in town and the lake has a public beach in the summer!

🍻 Homer Hops Brewing 700 State Route 90 Cortland, NY

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Finger Lakes Beer Trail: Over 75 craft brewers spanning 210 miles

• Updated: Nov. 12, 2023, 8:49 p.m. |
• Published: Nov. 11, 2015, 6:30 p.m.
• Nick Canedo | [email protected]

Finger Lakes Beer Trail - Seneca Lodge

A flight of beer from Seneca Lodge in Watkins Glen, NY. Seneca Lodge is a stop on the Finger Lakes Beer Trail.

(Nick Canedo | [email protected])

The Finger Lakes region  is nationally recognized for its wineries , but its breweries are equally impressive.

The Finger Lakes Beer Trail consists of over 75 microbreweries, brew pubs, tap houses and brewing-affiliated businesses. Spanning roughly 210 miles, the beer trail includes breweries and brew pubs across the Finger Lakes region,  Rochester , Syracuse  and the Southern Tier cities of Corning, Elmira and Binghamton. The proximity of breweries to each other allows travelers to visit a number of tasting rooms in a one- or multiple-day trip.

What to expect

More breweries with tasting room charge a small fee for tastings, which usually ranges from $3-$5 per person. The number of beers you can taste varies by brewery. Most brew pubs offer tasting flights for purchase, but some only serve pints. For groups of 6 or more, many locations require a reservation.

The Finger Lakes Beer Trail reminds everyone to drive responsibly and use a designated driver. There are also options to hire a company  to drive you around via limo, town car or even a stretch Hummer.

Map of the Finger Lakes Beer Trail.

Plan your trip

Before heading out, it's wise to create a game plan of which breweries to visit during your day. The Finger Lakes Beer Trail offers 12 suggested itineraries , each of which can span one or two days. Of those 12, the following four are the most popular, according Theresa Hollister, founding partner of the trail. The descriptions are taken from the trail's website.

Spend a day or two driving among the picturesque scenery of Seneca and Keuka Lakes with this itinerary.

Starting and ending in the Rochester area, this 2-day itinerary takes you to breweries along the northwestern corner of the Finger Lakes Beer Trail. This itinerary can also be started at other points along the loop, such as Canandaigua  or Naples.

This itinerary can be done in either one or two days, depending on how much time you want to spend at each stop. You'll visit breweries along the eastern shore of picturesque Seneca Lake  and down into Horseheads and Elmira.

This one or two day itinerary can be started from any point and takes you to breweries around scenic Cayuga Lake and the charming, historic city of Auburn. For a longer trip, consider combining this itinerary with Ithaca or Seneca Lake itineraries.

For 2016, the beer trail is extending its passport program. Previously, the program only lasted for the winter. But based on feedback, the trail has decided to extend the duration for the entire 2016 year. Organizers are still finalizing the logistics for the 2016 passport, but it should be ready for people to start purchasing sometime in early December.

For more information about the Finger Lakes Beer Trail, visit their website .

5 best Finger Lakes wineries for great wines and outstanding tasting rooms

There are more than 120 wineries in the Finger Lakes. Here are five of the best.

>> Finger Lakes  wine reviews >> See more  Cayuga Lake destinations >> See more  Seneca Lake destinations >> See more  Keuka Lake destinations

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FINGER LAKES BREWERIES & BEER

There is no question that when it comes to visiting the Finger Lakes Region, we are – and always have been – driven by our Wine Country, boasting some of the best wines in the world. Just as we have solidified ourselves in the vineyards, local brewers are earning national recognition and putting Finger Lakes brewhouses on the map.

Across the eleven Finger Lakes, there are over eighty breweries and brewpubs offering a taste of the region’s outstanding beer scene. Enjoy a pint overlooking one of the pristine lakes, while supporting the region and the people that make it pour.

FEATURED FINGER LAKES BREWERIES

Ad --> Reinvention Brewing Co

Brewing craft beer using local ingredients from the Finger Lakes.

• 9 N Main St, Manchester, NY 14504
• +1 585-289-7309

Ad --> Liquid State Brewing Co.

Brewery & Beer hall in the heart of Ithaca

• 620 W Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850

Ad --> Seneca Lake Brewing Company

New York State's only dedicated cask ale brewery and traditional British pub.

• 4520 NY-14, Rock Stream, NY 14878
• +1 607-216-8369

Ad --> Climbing Bines Hop Farm

A Premier Farm to Table Brewery

• 511 Hansen Point Rd, Penn Yan, NY 14527
• +1 585-484-1397

Ad --> Wagner Valley Brewing Co

One of the oldest breweries in the Finger Lakes

• 9322 St, Brewery, NY-414, Lodi, NY 14860
• +1 866-924-6378

ADDITIONAL FINGER LAKES BREWERIES

Ad --> Sager Beer Works

• 46 Sager Dr Suite E, Rochester, NY 14607
• +1 585-417-5404

Ad --> Griff’s Brewery

• 5324 W Ridge Rd, Spencerport, NY 14559
• +1 585-617-3843

Ad --> Fairport Brewing

• 99 South Main Street Fairport, NY 14450
• 585-481-2237

Ad --> Lock 32 Brewing

• 10 Schoen Pl, Pittsford, NY 14534
• +1 585-500-8844

Ad --> Twisted Rail Brewing

• 169 Lakeshore Dr, Canandaigua, NY 14424
• +1 585-396-0683

Ad --> RG Brewery

• 1360 W Sweden Rd, Brockport, NY 14420
• +1 585-391-3569

Ad --> Genesee Brew House

• 25 Cataract St, Rochester, NY 14605
• +1 585-263-9200

Ad --> Fleur De Lis Brew Works

Seneca Falls only brewery using local grains & hops to create fresh craft beer- from grain to glassa

• 3630 NY-414, Seneca Falls, NY 13148
• +1 315-665-2337

CAYUGA COUNTY

Summerhill brewing 14408 ny 90 locke, ny 13092 607-591-6148, prison city pub and brewery 28 state street auburn, ny 13021 315-604-1277, good shepherd’s brewing 132 genesee st. auburn, ny 13021 315-406-6498, lunkenheimer craft brewery 8920 n seneca street weedsport, ny 13166 315-834-7027, aurora ale & lager 1891 state route 90 n king ferry, ny 13081, chemung county, upstate brewing co. 3028 lake rd elmira, ny 14903 607-742-2750, diversion brewing co. 729 wyncoop creek rd chemung, ny 14825 607-542-9168, cortland county, cortland farm distillery & brewery 16 court street cortland, ny 13045 phone: 607-662-4389, livingston county, mortalis brewing company 5660 tec drive avon, ny 14414 585-438-4200, rising storm brewing co. 5750 south lima road livonia, ny 14414 585-572-3009, silver lake brewing project 14 borden ave. perry, ny 14530 585-969-4238, monroe county, cb craft brewers 300 village square blvd. honeoye falls, ny 14472 585-624-4386, fairport brewing 99 s main st. fairport, ny 14450 585-678-6728, triphammer bierwerks 111 parce ave suite 3a-1 fairport, ny 14450 585-388-8281, ontario county, belhurst castle winery & craft beer 4069 west lake road geneva, ny 14456 315-781-0201, crafty ales and lagers 2 exchange st. phelps, ny 14532 315-332-1606, gael brewing 4180 ny-14 geneva, ny 14456 315-220-0190, lake drum brewing 16 e castle st. geneva, ny 14456 315-789-1200, naked dove brewing company 4048 state route 5 and 20 canandaigua, ny 14424 585-396-2537, new york beer project 300 high street victor, ny 14564 585-888-6927, other half brewing 6621 state route 5 and 20 bloomfield, ny 14469 585-617-0453, peacemaker brewing company 20 pleasant st. canandaigua, ny 14424 585-396-3561, reinvention brewing 9 n main st. manchester, ny 14504 585-289-7309, stumblin’ monkey brewing co. 61 school st victor, ny 14564 585-398-8189, the irish mafia brewing co. 2971 whalen road bloomfield, n.y. 14469 585-257-5172, three huskies brewing co. 401 lakeshore dr. canandaigua, ny 14424 585-396-0001, twin elder brewery 160 school st #4 victor, ny 14564 585-902-8166, twisted rail brewing company 2309, 169 lakeshore dr. canandaigua, ny 14424 585-396-0683, war horse brewing co. 623 lerch road geneva, ny 14456 315-585-4432, webe brewing company 796 pre-emption rd geneva, ny 14456 315-325-4834, young lion brewing company 24 lakeshore drive canandaigua, ny 14424 585-412-6065, schuyler county, grist iron brewing co. 4880 ny-414 burdett, ny 14818 607-882-2739, keuka brewing company 223 n franklin st. watkins glen, ny 14891 607-868-4648, luck hare brewing co. 6085 beckhorn rd. hector, ny 14841 607-546-2036, rooster fish brewing 223 n franklin st. watkins glen, ny 14891 607-535-9797, two goats brewing company 5027 state rte 414 hector, ny 14818 607-546-2337, seneca county, bandwagon farm brewery 3582 west ave. interlaken, ny 14847 607-229-5608, fleur de lis brew works 3630 ny-414 seneca falls, ny 13148 315-665-2337, lost kingdom brewery & fire house tap room 7160 main street ovid, ny 14521 607-403-4020, wagner valley brewing co. 9322 ny-414 lodi, ny 14860 607-582-6450, steuben county, steuben brewing co. 10286 judson road hammondsport, ny 14840 607-332-3000, brewery of broken dreams 8319 pleasant valley rd. hammondsport, ny 14840 607-224-4050, tompkins county, bacchus brewing co. 15 ellis dr dryden, ny 13053 607-844-8474, garrett’s brewing company 1 west main street trumansburg, ny 14886 607-209-4011, hopshire farm & brewery 1771 dryden rd freeville, ny 13068 607-279-1243, ithaca beer company 122 ithaca beer dr. ithaca, ny 14850 607-273-0766, liquid state brewing company 620 west green street ithaca, ny 14850 [email protected], scale house brew pub 23 cinema drive ithaca, ny 14850-1682, yates county, abandon brewing company 2994 merritt hill rd. penn yan, ny 14527 585-704-7989, climbing bines hop farm 511 hansen point rd. penn yan, ny 14527 607-745-0221, seneca lake brewing 4520 ny-14 rock stream, ny 14878 607-216-8369, things to do, food & drinks, lodging & real estate, cookie policy, privacy statement, about fingerlakes.com, fingerlakes.com is your complete guide to the entire finger lakes region of new york state--from wine trails to hiking trails and fishing to skiing..

Finger Lakes TASTING Tours

Creating Memorable Events

A Fingers Lakes Region tasting tour is a great way to celebrate friends, family, and special occasions. Sip Back and Relax Tours knows how to make your event one to remember. From the transportation to the tasting appointments and even lodging, we plan and book all the elements of your customized tour.  

Already booked transportation? Rely on us to design your itinerary and book tastings and reservations!

Expert Service

There are over 100 wineries, breweries, distilleries, and cideries in the Rochester and Finger Lakes region, and the options for planning a tour can be overwhelming. With Sip Back and Relax Tours, you get an expert in creating a tour to your specifications, without the headache of planning. Just show up, have a good time, and make memories! 

Interested in attending a special weekend event held by a wine trail association? We also plan weekend packages for these events that include tickets, transportation, and lodging. 

Planning Your Tour

Sip Back and Relax Tours customizes tasting tours for any occasion! We help you plan your corporate events, birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, friends weekends, couples getaways, or just a day to taste great wine and craft beer, cider, and spirits. 

Transportation options include:

• Luxury sedans
• Passenger-style shuttle van
• Stretch SUV
• A Professional, fully-insured designated driver to transport you in your own vehicle.

Award Winning Wine, World-Class Landscapes

There is no experience in the world like wine tasting in the Finger Lakes Region. With the region's award winning wines, from aromatic whites to cool season reds, there is a wine for everybody, even the occasional wine drinker!

Prefer craft beer, cider, or distilled spirits? The Finger Lakes Region offers these, too!

Services & Packages

Custom tasting tour planning.

Winery/Brewery/Distillery Tour Planning

Tour/Getaway Planning

 We can plan as much or as little as you need for your group. 

✅Tasting appointments

✅Booking transportation

✅Recommendations for lodging

✅Recommendations for meals and activities

Each tour/itinerary is customized to your interests and preferences. Options include wineries, breweries, cideries, distilleries, lunch stops, cheese tasting stops and ice cream stops! 

We can also provide recommendations for such things as a private chef, charcuterie classes, tiki boat tours and others!

Finger Lakes Event Weekend Packages

Seneca lake wine trail smokin' summer kickoff june 8-9.

We did all the planning so you can just go out and enjoy your weekend!  Packages include: 2 individual tickets to the event, a 2 night stay (Friday and Saturday) at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Geneva, Saturday and Sunday morning breakfast for 2 at the hotel, and 6 hours of transportation on Saturday (including tip). 

See below link for more details

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J2iMkiuGATbcQJTfd5XPsWqMe2aa6rDYH_aagwKKRGU/edit

Seneca Lake Wine Trail Deck The Halls November 22-24 or December 6-8

Packages include tickets to the event, a 2 night stay (Friday and Saturday) at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Geneva, Saturday and Sunday morning breakfast at the hotel, and 6 hours of transportation on Saturday (including tip). 

Packages with Couple's tickets:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19SIvuav3FLWCqYH0cOoDt3J3LqSDQMqJb0dEUTXHqko/edit

Pcakges with Single's tickets:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/176oQF3r-ZlWOffjgbrYdLctP-FSApfD4yK3B96_TIG8/edit

Keuka Lake Wine Trail Handcrafted Holiday - November 8-10

Check back soon for more detail!

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Welcome to the 2024 Season

Finger lakes preferred wine & brew tours, quality wine & brew tours.

Available 7 Days a Week, Year-Round*

Quality Wine Tours, a division of Quality Transportation Services, has been providing "Scenic, Fun & Tasteful" tours since 1996. Tours are available 7 days a week to some of New York's finest wineries located in the beautiful scenic valleys of the Finger Lakes including Seneca , Keuka , Cayuga and Canandaigua lake trails. One of our professional drivers will guide you through one of our standard winery tours or you can customize your own tour.

Interview A short video interview with two of our clients who were participants in the Seneca Wine Trail Cruisin' The Tropics Weekend.

In the Media (PDF LINKS)

Quality Wine and Beer Tours — the pioneers who invented the wheel . Quality Tours is all over the place! Based in Victor, they cover the entire region... FLX Libations The Getaway Guy: Road Trip Getaways with Mike O'Brian Vol. 2 . Mike features a review of Quality Wine Tours! The Get Away Guy On the Finger Lakes Wine Trails with Quality Wine Tours . When does a single request launch a new business? When you're Jim Havalack... and one of your regular customers asks you to take him on a winery tour instead of to the airport. Finger Lakes Travel Maven "Quality Wine Tours all year long, all around the Finger Lakes" . Questions abound. Which ones to visit? Where is that one? Are the wines any good? Who’s going to be the designated driver? Quality Wine Tours has the answers... Chronicle Express

©2006-2024 Quality Wine Tours. A Division of Quality Transportation Services . All Rights Reserved. Web Site & Hosting by The Gain Company

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Finger Lakes Countrysides

The Yates County Chamber of Commerce is the Tourism Promotion Agency for Yates County (Finger Lakes Countrysides) and manages the Keuka Wine Trail

Weekend Brew Tours in the Finger Lakes

As the temperature drops and the holidays draw nearer, take time to venture out and spend a weekend discovering the local breweries in Yates County. With gorgeous scenery and hopyard views, craft beverage tours, and comfortable lodging options, you will come to find that the Finger Lakes Countrysides is the place to be for a craft beverage getaway.

Savor the taste of the season with the Harvest Pumpkin Ale at Laurentide Beer Company , or the Hive Mind Braggot at Lyonsmith Brewing . Enjoy a wide selection of beers inside a restored 1800s barn at Abandon Brewing, and see what’s on tap as you sit outside, soaking up some late autumn sun at Tin Barn Brewing.

Whether it’s going on a tour with established companies or rounding up friends and crafting your own adventure, we have everything you’re looking for, right here, when it comes to crafting a perfect weekend brew tour in the Finger Lakes.

With over 100 wineries and breweries in the region, it’s no surprise that the Finger Lakes is a gold mine when it comes to craft beverages. Visit our  drink  page for the complete list of brewery and distillery stops in area.

Finger Lakes Tour Companies

There are a few established tour companies that specialize in brewery tours:

Barefoot in the Finger Lakes Tours

“Your Car, Our Driver” is the motto at Barefoot in the Finger Lakes. This tour company provides everything you need for a VIP craft beer experience. Experienced drivers guide you on your private, custom tour in the comfort of your own car, so you don’t have to worry about transportation or where to stop. They help you find all the best places to visit, sip, and explore those wineries and breweries that fit your group’s personal style.

Outdoor Adventure Tour with Laurentide Beer Company

Spend the day at your leisure with Adventure Pairings: Keuka Outlet Trail & Laurentide Beer Company. Start with taking in beautiful scenery on the Keuka Outlet Trail, where you can see the gorgeous New York State fall foliage as you hike, bike, and fish. Afterwards, enjoy a relaxing “Pale Ale Tour” at Laurentide Brew Company, closely located down the road.

Learn about Main Street Drivers , who will take you around on your tour in your own car.

Craft Your Own Self-Led Tour

Create your own brewery tour in Yates County. Round up your friends, pick a date, and take a look at the great breweries located here:

Abandon Brewing Company 2994 Merritt Hill Road, Penn Yan, NY 14527

Located in an early 19th-century farmhouse, Abandon Brewing Company crafts some of the finest brews in New York state with locally sourced, well fermented ingredients to create innovative flavors. This company is doing their share in using sustainable energy, only using geothermal energy during the entire processing of their brews! Check out their website for updated hours.

Climbing Bines Hop Farm and Craft Ale Company 511 Hansen Point Road, Penn Yan, NY 14527

Climbing Bines Craft Ale Company is one of New York State’s first farm breweries. This company specializes in small batch, hand-crafted ales brewed on site with the freshest estate-grown hops and barley harvested just a few miles down the road.

LyonSmith Brewing Co. 2597 Assembly Avenue, Keuka Park, NY 14478

LyonSmith Brewing Co. is a newly constructed brewery whose main focus is the beer styles of the United Kingdom: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The mission of this company is to make beers worth drinking, a company worth working for, and a community worth living in. Learn more about LyonSmith on their website.

Relative Risk Brewing Company 1166 Earls Hill Road, Penn Yan, NY 14527

Newly opened in Fall 2022, Relative Risk Brewing Company is a family-friendly craft brewery overlooking Seneca Lake. They produce beer for all palates, along with serving Finger Lakes wines, ciders and foods and even have a playground on site for young visitors to enjoy while their parents take in the local libations. For both the “comfort seekers” and the “risk takers,” this is one new stop you should put on your list.

Seneca Stag Brewing 1720 NY-14, Penn Yan, NY 14527

Seneca Stag Brewing Company is a new farm brewery located near the villages of Dresden and Penn Yan. Built in a refurbished hay barn not far from the shores of Seneca Lake, their mission is to satisfy Central New York’s growing thirst for hand-crafted beers, in a rustic setting that honors the heritage and culture of traditional German biergartens.

Tin Barn Brewing 5428 State Route 14, Dundee, NY 14837

The original location of Tin Barn Brewing was founded in 2015 by a father-daughter team as a farm brewery featuring Craft New England IPA’s and Fruited Sours. Enjoy their food menu featuring Mexican Street Tacos. Visit their website for up-to-date hours and scheduled events.

When you’re done exploring the craft beverage scene, head back to your hotel, rental, or bed & breakfast for a good night’s sleep. Discover all your accommodation options in Yates County here.

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Craft Beverages in The Finger Lakes

While many people think of the Finger Lakes region as just wine country , that isn’t quite the case anymore! Breweries , distilleries , and cider houses are popping up all throughout the area, providing a multitude of artisan craft beverages in addition to premium wineries. 

Follow the Rochester/Finger Lakes Craft Beverage Trail to craft your own itinerary – combining the best of wine, craft brews, cider, and spirits in the area. The creation of this trail, and the producers continuing to open new tasting rooms, has created an enhanced experience to allow you to tailor your Finger Lakes tasting journey to your taste.

How To Wine & Beer Trail

Wine is a Finger Lakes staple and with so many wineries, wine trails, wine centers and tasting rooms throughout the region, it can be a daunting task to know where to begin and how to best enjoy the...

Cideries & Distilleries

Roc/flx craft beverage trail, breweries & craft beer.

Finger Lakes Beer Trail

As it continues to grow, this fantastic beer trail encompassing the Finger Lakes region now boasts more than 100 craft breweries spread out among multiple counties. Three of Cayuga’s breweries won a total of seven awards in the 2023 New York State Craft Beer Competition, including Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing Co. in Weedsport, Prison City Brewing in Auburn, and Aurora Brewing Co. in Ledyard.

Beyond Finger Lakes Wineries

While wine may be a major selling point for many visitors, that areas that are home to the Finger Lakes wine trails offer so much more.

Up-and-coming beverage attractions, local breweries and beer tastings continue to put the Finger Lakes wine region on the map in a completely new way. The region is steadily expanding its brewery reach and quickly becoming a hot spot for beer lovers all across New York State and beyond. Following suit, the increase in popularity of cider as well as handcrafted spirits, has spurred the growth of Cideries and Distilleries in these areas as well.

Today, New York State boasts over 200 breweries, with its greatest concentration surrounding the Finger Lake region. Over 75 family-owned craft and farm breweries, brew pubs and microbreweries welcome beer enthusiasts to experience the beauty of the Finger Lakes in an unexpected way. From tasting rooms and beer flights to live music, the newfound beer culture in the Finger Lakes is only just beginning.

While the Finger Lakes region has long been a top destination for attracting wine lovers, it’s no longer a secret that the brew scene is quickly becoming an ideal getaway for beer drinkers as well. Similar to the wine trail, tours can be made from brewery to brewery if you so choose and there’s a large number of brewery locations to pick from.

Many craft brewers in the region take pride in their offerings, using locally grown hops and malt to concoct their unique brews. Locally-grown or sourced ingredients are oftentimes used to give these beers an edge that is unique to NYS. Like wine, beer lovers also recognize the importance of pairing beer with meals. In the Finger Lakes, any brewery you visit would be more than happy to offer their suggestions and teach you the basics about food and beer pairing – and even cooking with beer!

The brew emergence in the Finger Lakes continues to draw tourism in from all corners of the state. So come and experience a taste of the Finger Lakes wine region in a way that you never would’ve expected by exploring its ever-growing constellation of niche breweries.

It wouldn’t be the Empire State without apples, right? And since hard cider is the newest frontier of the agri-beverage region, this is where apples really shine for the Empire State, particularly the fruit driven Finger Lakes region. The delicious fruit and locally-grown products in New York State attribute to some of the Finger Lakes greatest cideries and distilleries.

Flavors ranging from sweet, dry, crisp, acidic, fruity and light, the palettes of ciders are similar to that of wine, which makes this up-and-coming cider re-emergence such a popular market in the wine region. Just like their beer and wine companions, hard ciders are more and more frequently becoming the perfect pair for meals, cheeses, hors oeuvres and fruits as well.

In addition to the scenic beauty you’d get visiting any trail here in the Finger Lakes region, you can also experience cider-oriented events and festivals throughout the year.

Distilleries

The Finger Lakes complements its endless offerings with homegrown, handcrafted spirits of a unique variety.

If you’re more interested in the distilling scene, many of the Finger Lakes’ award-winning spirits  and cocktails are also sourced from locally-grown ingredients. Due to the Finger Lakes convenient location, distilleries have immediate access to the crop of one of the best grape-growing regions in the state, as well as local farms for corn, rye, barley and other grains. So most of the regions distilled vodka, whiskey, brand, liqueurs and more are made from locally-harvested grains, grapes and other delicious refreshing fruits.

Show your appreciation for craft ciders and distilled spirits in the Finger Lakes by visiting one of the many cideries, distilleries or tasting rooms.

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Canandaigua.

Hammondsport

Unique Wine & Beer Tours

Finger Lakes wine and beer tours. Offering dynamic tours to all Finger Lakes wineries and breweries including artisanal spirits and modern ciders. Our experienced wine country guides will introduce you to new vintages and old favorites in the beautiful Finger Lakes wine region. We create unique and customized winery tours for 2-6 wine enthusiasts. Every tour is built around your individual tastes and preferences.

Discover the right wines for you!

Testimonials

“I just wanted to let you know we had a great time with Phil last Saturday. He was our same driver as last year and really stayed in tune with our wants. He was pleasant and sociable but also let us have our space when we wanted it. One winery was particularly busy so he stepped in to tell us about the wines while we were waiting for our tasting. It was the right touch.   “ -Carolynn

“J ust a quick note to let you know that we thoroughly enjoyed our tour and tour guide Phil. He was awesome and took us to some great wineries. Phil is very knowledgeable about the industry and the area. It was nice to be able to sit back and enjoy and not worry about driving. Thanks again for sending Phil for our tour, his service was the greatest. “ – Christine

“You did an awesome job pairing us with our driver Phil—who was absolutely wonderful! The first question he asked was what types of wines did we like. From there it was easy to determine which wineries we would best enjoy and taste. We left the choices to him. Phil was not only full of knowledgeable wine lore, but also about the surrounding area of Seneca Lake .” -Morris

“ Can’t wait to take another tour of Finger Lakes Wine Country. Phil was awesome. A total pro, with great local insights” -Justin

Farms, Flights: Finger Lakes Brewery Tour

While some may question the feasibility of exploring multiple breweries in a single tour, the Farms , Flights: Finger Lakes Brewery Tour offers a well-organized and immersive experience that ensures participants get a taste of the region’s vibrant craft beer scene.

As travelers embark on this journey, they will not only savor unique brews but also witness the craftsmanship that goes into their creation. The tour goes beyond just sampling beers, providing insights into the brewing process and the stories behind each brewery’s success.

This tour is a must for any beer enthusiast looking to expand their knowledge and palate in a picturesque setting.

• Expert-guided brewery tour with diverse selections
• Immersive experience in Finger Lakes’ brewing culture
• Interactive tastings and scenic routes for a memorable journey
• Well-planned logistics and high participant satisfaction

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• Boat Tour of Ortigia, Sea Caves and Snorkelling
• A Private, Full-Day Excursion to Mt. Etna From Syracuse
• Siracusa Food and Wine Tour (Small Group)
• Private Tour to Syracuse – Archaeological Park and Ortigia With Option of Food and Wine Tasting

Tour Duration and Start Time

The Finger Lakes Brewery Tour boasts a duration of 5 hours and 6 minutes, commencing promptly at 10:30 AM. Tour logistics are meticulously planned to ensure a seamless experience for participants. Timing considerations are vital to make the most of each brewery visit along the tour route.

Participants should be ready to embark on a flavorful journey through the Finger Lakes region, known for its rich brewing heritage and scenic landscapes. The itinerary is carefully curated to allow ample time at each brewery, balancing tasting sessions , guided tours , and opportunities to learn about the brewing process.

With expert guides leading the way, visitors can explore the world of craft beer production while savoring unique flavors at every stop.

End Point and Meeting Instructions

Nearing the end of the captivating Finger Lakes Brewery Tour, you will convene back at the meeting point to conclude the immersive exploration of the region’s craft beer scene.

Upon arrival, visitors should park in the designated parking lot and keep an eye out for the distinctive Crush Vehicle, which will signal the end of the tour. The meeting instructions will be clearly communicated by the tour guide to ensure a smooth transition back to the starting point.

Remember to gather any belongings and souvenirs you may have acquired throughout the tour before heading back to the meeting point. This final step ensures that everyone has the opportunity to bid farewell to newfound friends and reflect on the delightful experiences shared during the brewery tour.

Booking Information and Price Guarantee

As the Finger Lakes Brewery Tour nears its end point, participants are encouraged to take note of the booking information and price guarantee to ensure a seamless conclusion to their immersive craft beer exploration.

When considering the booking process , keep in mind the following:

• Lowest Price Guarantee : Rest assured that you’re getting the best deal available.
• Select Date and Travelers : Choose the date that suits your schedule and input the number of participants.
• Check Availability : Ensure there are spots available on the tour before proceeding with the booking.
• Non-refundable : Please note that cancellations are non-refundable and unchangeable once confirmed.

Reviews and Rating Overview

Upon delving into the reviews and rating overview, visitors can gauge the overall satisfaction and experiences shared by fellow travelers on the Finger Lakes Brewery Tour. The reviews summary reveals a 4.5 overall rating based on 17 reviews, showcasing positive customer feedback trends . Most travelers rated the tour highly, praising the knowledgeable guides and diverse selection of breweries visited. The interactive nature of the tour and the opportunity to sample unique craft beers were highlighted as standout features. Below is a table summarizing the distribution of reviews:

This breakdown illustrates the overwhelmingly positive reception the Finger Lakes Brewery Tour has garnered from participants.

Additional Tour Information

Visitors can explore the Finger Lakes Brewery Tour and discover the rich history and unique flavors of the region’s craft beer scene. When embarking on this adventure, they can expect:

• Brewery Selection: A carefully curated list of top breweries showcasing a diverse range of brewing styles.
• Tasting Experience: Expert-led tastings offering a deep dive into the flavors and brewing techniques of each beer.
• Scenic Routes: Travel through picturesque landscapes, passing by vineyards and rolling hills.
• Local Insights: Learn about the area’s brewing traditions and the passionate brewers behind each pint.

With these elements combined, participants are in for a memorable and immersive journey into the Finger Lakes’ vibrant craft beer culture.

Tour Operator Details

The tour operator, Viator , ensures a seamless and enriching experience for participants exploring the Finger Lakes Brewery Tour. Viator offers a 5-hour and 6-minute excursion starting at 10:30 AM, concluding back at the meeting point. Participants receive mobile tickets and English-speaking guides . The tour operates in good weather conditions and has a minimum traveler requirement.

Customers benefit from Viator’s Lowest Price Guarantee, but should note that bookings are non-refundable and unchangeable. With an impressive 4.5 overall rating from 17 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor, Viator travelers have praised the tour operator. Visitors can find additional information on Viator, Inc.’s copyright , Terms & Conditions, and operational details to ensure customer experience satisfaction .

Directions and How to Get There

How can participants reach the starting point of the Finger Lakes Brewery Tour for an exciting 5-hour and 6-minute excursion? Here are some detailed directions to get there and parking instructions :

• Merge onto I-90 E from your location.
• Take exit 42 toward Geneva/Lyons.
• Merge onto NY-14 S.
• Turn left onto Castle St, where you’ll find the designated parking lot. Park and look for the Crush Vehicle to begin your tour.

These simple directions will lead participants to the starting point of the Finger Lakes Brewery Tour, ensuring a smooth start to their enjoyable excursion.

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• Transfer From Fontanarossa Airport to Syracuse Ortigia
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Common questions

Can children participate in the finger lakes brewery tour.

Children can participate in the Finger Lakes Brewery Tour. The tour offers child-friendly activities and teaches brewery etiquette . It’s a great opportunity for families to explore and learn together in a fun and engaging environment.

Are Food and Drinks Included in the Tour Price?

Food and drinks are included in the tour price. The pricing details cover these inclusions. Visitors can enjoy a variety of refreshments while exploring. The tour offers a delightful culinary experience, enhancing the overall brewery visit.

Is There a Restroom on the Crush Vehicle During the Tour?

Yes, there is restroom access on the Crush Vehicle during the tour for comfort breaks . Guests can use the onboard facilities when needed. The tour ensures convenience by providing this essential amenity for all travelers.

Are There Any Opportunities for Souvenir Shopping Along the Way?

Opportunities for souvenir shopping along the way include local crafts and brewery swag. Visitors can purchase unique items to remember their experience. The tour offers a chance to support local businesses and take home special mementos.

Is There a Vegetarian or Vegan Food Option Available During the Tour?

If travelers have dietary restrictions , the tour offers plant-based alternatives. The culinary experience includes vegetarian and vegan food options. Guests can enjoy flavorful dishes while exploring the Finger Lakes Brewery Tour.

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Set out on a journey through the Finger Lakes region with the Farms , Flights: Finger Lakes Brewery Tour for a unique exploration of local craft breweries. With a convenient mobile ticket, English-speaking guides , and a minimum number of travelers required, this 5-hour adventure promises a seamless experience.

Explore renowned breweries, read glowing reviews , and book your spot for an unforgettable brewery tour with Viator Don’t miss out on this captivating experience in the Finger Lakes!

21 Best Things to Do in the Finger Lakes, NY: Wine, Waterfalls & More!

Wine tasting, waterfall hunting, alpaca walks — these are some of the fun things to do in the Finger Lakes of New York!

If you are looking for a romantic getaway destination, a great spot for a friend’s trip, or just a fun family vacation spot, the Finger Lakes region of New York has something for everyone, especially if you are interested in history, water sports, hiking, and agritourism. Picture long lakes surrounded by gentle hills, acres of vineyards, and charming farms. Imagine a mix of small towns, little cities, and state parks with stunning waterfalls.

Now you are getting the sense of the Finger Lakes. The region is known for its award-winning wineries and vineyards, producing some of the best Rieslings in the world. But did you know that this area also played a pivotal role in the Underground Railroad, commercial aviation, and the Women’s Rights Movement? Whatever your interest, this guide to the best things to do in the Finger Lakes will help you plan your trip.

What are the Finger Lakes?

The Finger Lakes are a series of 11 long, narrow lakes located in upstate New York. They are situated roughly in the center of the state, about a 4-hour drive northwest of New York City , a 2.5-hour drive southwest of Albany, and a 1.5-hour drive southeast of Buffalo . The main lakes are Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca , Cayuga, and Skaneateles, each with its own unique character.

The Finger Lakes region is also home to several cute towns and small cities, including Geneva, Hammondsport , Corning, Watkins Glen, Ithaca , and Seneca Falls, among others.

The Finger Lakes were formed by glaciers during the last ice age, which gouged deep channels into the earth and created long, narrow valleys. The lakes are all oriented north-south, with steep hillsides rising up from the shorelines. The longest of the lakes, Cayuga and Seneca, are each over 38 miles long, while the shallowest, Honeoye Lake, is just 30 feet deep. Seneca Lake is the deepest of the Finger Lakes, with a maximum depth of 618 feet.

Best Things to Do in the Finger Lakes

Note: I have visited the Finger Lakes many times, including on a few press trips where I have had complimentary accommodations and some activities were hosted. Whether I paid myself or not, all opinions are always my own.

Wine Tasting in the Finger Lakes

Wine may not be what you first think of when someone mentions New York State the way it might when you hear Sonoma or Napa — but the Finger Lakes region in New York State is actually the fourth-largest wine-producing region in the United States. In fact, the region has been producing wine for over 150 years and is home to over 100 wineries and vineyards.

The Finger Lakes are home to a number of wine trails, including the Keuka Lake Wine Trail , the Seneca Lake Wine Trail , and the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail . So what trail you explore often comes down to where you stay and which lake you are visiting.

Over the years, I have visited many, many wineries along these trails, sometimes with kids, sometimes on a girls’ trip , and sometimes on my own. These are some of my favorites:

Dr. Konstantin Frank Wine Cellars

Dr. Frank is a pioneer in the viticulture industry and his wines continue to receive awards and accolades. In an area known for its Rieslings, Dr. Frank’s Gewurztraminer also stands out.

Dr. Frank’s had to be on the list of wineries to visit in Finger Lakes wine country because of the rich history of this winery. Dr. Konstantin Frank came to the United States in 1951 from Europe, armed with a Ph.D. in viticulture. His growing and grafting techniques truly changed the course of wine growing in the United States, and he is recognized as elevating the quality of the New York wine industry to the point where today it receives world attention.

The winery is situated in the former home of Dr. Konstantin Frank, on a hill overlooking Keuka Lake. The main tasting room features large windows to enjoy the view, and there is also a separate tasting room for wine club members. The staff was very knowledgeable and welcoming, and very helpful in suggesting foods that would pair well with each of the wines I sampled.

In addition to the standard tasting, you can book the 1886 Food & Wine Experience , which is located within the beautiful historic Chateau Frank next door to the main winery.

Dr. Frank’s tasting room is located at 9749 Middle Road Hammondsport, NY 14840

Living Roots Wine & Co.

Living Roots started with a small winery in Rochester and has vineyards in Australia, but recently opened a gorgeous new tasting room on the Shale Creek vineyard in Hammondsport. The winery is owned by Seb and Colleen Hardy. Seb’s family has worked in wine since 1850 in southern Australia and in 2014, he and Colleen met while working the harvest at Hary Tintara’s Winery. Now they focus on producing reds in Australia and rich whites in New York.

Living Roots is located at 8560 Co Rd 87, Hammondsport, NY 14840

Ravines Wine Cellars

Ravines Wine Cellars is my local wine merchant’s favorite producer in New York State, and possibly the entire east coast, so I knew we were in for a treat! Ravines actually has two tasting rooms, one in Seneca Lake and the other in Geneva.

We visited the tasting room in Hammondsport, with beautiful views of Keuka Lake. This was the kind of place where I could stay for hours because they craft a very special tasting experience. It isn’t just about quickly pouring wine and dashing off a short explanation. Not at all.

Our attendant spent so much time with me explaining the different wines and their pairings. There isn’t anything I love more about visiting a tasting room than when someone takes the time to talk with you and understand your tastes. They get excited when they find what lights your fire and happily suggest something else from off the typical flight based on what you are enjoying. It makes for such a personal experience and you end up finding so many wines that you really love.

Ravines Wine Cellars is located at 400 Barracks Rd, Geneva, NY 14456, and 14630 State Route 54, Hammondsport, NY 14840

Weis Vineyards

Weis Vineyards is a boutique winery established by husband and wife team, Hans Peter (a native of Zell Mosel, Germany) and Ashlee (a native of Hammondsport) Weis. They utilize Peter’s German family winemaking traditions and techniques, to create award-winning wines. Weis was awarded New York Wine Classic’s Winery of the Year 2022.

Weis Vineyards is located at 10014 Day Rd, Hammondsport, NY 14840

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars

Located on the east side of Seneca Lake,  Lamoreaux Landing  offers tastings of four of their estate wines with a vintner in their outdoor tasting area on the East Lawn, with sweeping views of the vines down to the lake. When open, the indoor tasting room is also quite stunning, with floor-to-ceiling windows that maximize the view.

Instead of selecting a pre-set tasting menu, Lamoreaux Landing allows you to select which wines you wish to try in a guided tasting. The interactivity with a knowledgeable vintner, paired with my favorite dry red wines of the trip and the fabulous view make Lamoreaux Landing my top pick for wineries on Seneca Lake.

Lamoreaux Landing produces over 90 wines, many of which have received a 90+ point ratings from  Wine Spectator ,  Wine Enthusiast , or  Wine & Spirits .

Lamoreaux Landing is located at 9224 NY-414, Lodi NY 14860.

Chateau LaFayette Reneau

Chateau LaFayette Reneau  on Seneca Lake has produced estate-grown vinifera wines for 35 years on their 110-acre estate. Their wines consistently win awards like the highly acclaimed Governor’s Cup Awards and five Jefferson Cups.

Chateau LaFayette Reneau offers a tasting room with a back deck that overlooks the vineyard and Seneca Lake, with an awning to offer up shade from the sun. They offer up four wine-tasting options — white wine, red wine, semi-dry wine, and sweet wine flights. 

Chateau LaFayette Reneau is located at 5081 State Route 414, Hector, NY 14841

Lakewood Vineyards

Lakewood Vineyards  is a family-run winery with 14 grape varietals on 80 acres of vineyards overlooking Seneca Lake. In addition to an indoor tasting room and shop, Lakewood Vineyards has a beautiful covered patio with multiple tasting tables, as well as outdoor picnic tables to enjoy a glass of wine on the lawn before a stroll down towards the lake.

Lakewood Vineyards is located at 4024 NY State Route 14, Watkins Glen, New York 14891

Glenora Wine Cellars

Just up the road from Lakewood on the west side of the lake,  Glenora Wine Cellars  also offers beautiful views from its lakefront location. You can even stay on property at their Inn if you have ever dreamed of staying in a vineyard.

Glenora Wine Cellars is located at 5435 State Route 14, Dundee, New York, 14837

Six Eighty Cellars

Part of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, Six Eighty Cellars  combines ancient wine-making methodology with modern flavors, using a variety of cisterns and vessels for fermentation. We thoroughly enjoyed the wine and guided tasting at Six Eighty Cellars, including the personal charcuterie board paired with our tasting. Each tasting included a choice of five wines from an extensive list of options. We were lucky enough to visit during harvest and got to see the production of the Rosé of Pinot Noir in action.

Six Eighty Cellars is located at 3050 Swick Rd, Ovid, NY 14521

Buttonwood Grove Cellars

Also on Cayuga Lake, Buttonwood Grove Cellars offers a black glass blind tasting of four wines, paired with fresh bread and a delicious sharp local cheddar cheese. While I went 0 for 4, it was so fun trying to guess what we were drinking based on the tasting notes provided. This is a fun activity, especially for groups with some wine aficionados. The outdoor patio and live music adds to the atmosphere and there are even cabins on the property if you want to stay at a winery.

Buttonwood Grove Cellars is located at 5986 State Route 89 Romulus, NY 14541

Knapp Winery

Knapp Winery also offers a Vineyard Restaurant serving excellent food in a lovely setting (I’d recommend requesting to eat on the patio.) Pairing lunch with a wine flight is a perfect capstone to your wine tasting.

Knapp Winery is located at 2770 Ernsberger Road, Romulus, New York 14541

Cider & Beer Tasting in the Finger Lakes

It is not just about wine in the Finger Lakes! The Finger Lakes Beer Trail showcases 85 craft brewers and cideries across 210 miles from Rochester down to Corning.

Cider Creek Hard Cider

Cider Creek Hard Cider  is well worth the drive out to Canisteo for a day in the countryside. Started in Boston, head cider-maker Kevin Collins brought Cider Creek back to his home in the Finger Lakes, where they now service distributors throughout the East Coast.

The tasting room is everything you would hope it would be. Reclaimed wood, stylish design, large fireplace, casual seating, and a warm welcome from Rocky, the cider dog. Outside, Cider Creek hosts weekend events featuring music, food trucks, corn hole, and bocce — making it fun for the whole family.

Inside, you can taste a flight or stop in to pick up cans or growlers of your favorite flavors. With no sugar added, the Cider Creek ciders are clean and crisp, without that lingering sweet aftertaste that I sometimes get from ciders. They also don’t stop with just your standard cider. Cider Creek features a Saison Reserve, Cran Mango Saison with cranberries and mango, Hopricot with local apples and apricot puree, Blood Orange, and other seasonal flavors. They were all delicious and my only regret was not having a large cooler to bring some home with me.

Cider Creek Hard Cider is located at 6459 Cunningham Creek Rd, Canisteo, NY 14823

Finger Lakes Cider House

If you don’t want to drive out to Canisteo, another great cidery option on Cayuga Lake is the Finger Lakes Cider House . They offer cider flight tasting and a variety of lunch offerings (I’d recommend the pesto grilled cheese with local tomatoes and bacon.) Finger Lakes Cider House specializes in a wide array of sparkling ciders. They also offer u-pick fruit on-site and you can stay overnight in a yurt.

Finger Lakes Cider House is located at 4017 Hickok Road Interlaken, NY 14847

Brewery of Broken Dreams

There are over 80 breweries and brewpubs in the Finger Lakes, so you will never be able to visit them all. If you are in Hammondsport, the Brewery of Broken Dreams has been brewing craft beer for nearly 20 years using locally grown ingredients including 100% NYS hops and 100% NYS base malts. The tap room offers 10 – 11 standard and rotating ales and one occasional limited-release/specialty ale, along with some light snacks like cheese curds and cheese-filled pickles.

Brewery of Broken Dreams is located at 8319 Pleasant Valley Rd, Hammondsport, NY 14840

Railhead Brewing Company

When we visited the Finger Lakes during a NASCAR race weekend, we stayed one night a bit further out in Hornell, New York, and visited the Railhead Brewing Company . This is a small local brew pub, and the type of place where “everyone knows your name.” Each person walking in the door was greeted by staff or guests as they came in for their dinner, drinks, or just for a growler refill. If you visit at dinnertime, you’ll want to stop by early as it fills up quickly.

Everything is brewed on-site and the selection changes frequently — from Altbier to Saison to IPAs, Kolsch, and seasonal brews like Watermelon. Railhead Brewing also offers some delicious wood-oven pizza options like the Margherita and “Truffle Shuffle.” Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area!

Railhead Brewing Company is located at 40 Park Drive in Hornell, New York 14843.

Take a Boat Cruise

When visiting the Finger Lakes, I would implore you to get out on the water and get a sense of how long, deep, and beautiful these lakes truly are. Each lake offers various opportunities to explore through boat rentals, water taxis, and scenic cruises.

On Cayuga Lake, I would recommend taking an eco-tour with  Discover Cayuga Lake  boat tours and cruises. Discover Cayuga Lake is a non-profit organization that runs eco-tours for the community and visitors including a 90-minute evening sunset cruise on the southern part of the lake. In addition to these narrated cruises, Discover Cayuga Lake runs educational programs with citizen science programs, fall foliage cruises, and other special events. Cruises run from May through late October and proceeds from cruises support the organization’s community programs.

On Seneca Lake, the Seneca Legacy leaves from the pier in Watkins Glen and offers dinner and lunch cruises, along with cruises with live music. Captain Bill also offers narrated scenic on the Seneca Spirit, which go into the history of the region.

On Keuka Lake, the Pat II offers hour-long cruises for up to passengers.

Paddling Board or Kayak on the Lake

The Finger Lakes and long and often very deep, but toward the south or north end of the lakes, as well as along the sides, you can enjoy SUP and kayaking. On Keuka Lake, Keuka Watersports offers boat, jet ski, stand-up paddle boards, and kayak rentals, as well as private pontoon boat cruises.

On Cayuga Lake, you can rent paddleboards or kayaks from Paddle-n-More, which has three locations around the lake; or Paddledockers, with a location in West Ithaca.

Swim in the Lake

There are many places that you can swim in the Finger Lakes, including several state and town parks and beaches. On Keuka Lake, Just south of Penn Yan is Red Jacket Park, which has free admission and a designated swimming area. At the south end of the lake in Hammondsport, you will find Champlin Beach.

Seneca Lake State Park at the northern end of Seneca Lake has picnic areas, biking and walking paths, and a spray park, along with the swimming area. At the southern end of Seneca Lake in Watkins Glen, Clute Memorial Park has a swimming area on the east side of the park.

On Cayuga Lake, Taughannock Falls State Park and Cayuga Lake State Park both offer beaches for swimming, but you do need to pay an admission fee.

Visit the FLX Boating Museum

If you are interested in boat building, antique boats, or early lake life, be sure to include a visit to the FLX Boating Museum on your itinerary. The Finger Lakes Boating Museum is a non-profit dedicated to the education and preservation of the boating activities and boat-building heritage of the Finger Lakes. The Museum Collection has more than 200 boats built by many of the 40+ commercial builders who have built boats throughout the Finger Lakes Region during the last century.

Visitors can see canoes, rowboats, row outboards, outboard runabouts, inboards, hydroplanes, and sailboats. There are interactive exhibits for kids and workshops where you can see boat restoration at work.

See Waterfalls

There are over 100 waterfalls in the area, ranging from small cascades to towering falls. Some of the most famous waterfalls to visit in the Finger Lakes region include Taughannock Falls near Ithaca, which has a 215-foot drop and is one of the highest waterfalls east of the Rocky Mountains. Another popular attraction in the Finger Lakes is Watkins Glen State Park, which features 19 cascading waterfalls along a scenic gorge trail.

If you are staying near Keuka Lake, spend a day at Stony Brook State Park and splash in the waterfalls there. And if you are staying in Ithaca, Ithaca Falls is located right in the city, just a short walk from downtown. Other notable waterfalls in the area include Buttermilk Falls, Grimes Glen, and Hector Falls.

Visit a Goat Farm

There are many u-pick apple and fruit farms, local farm stands, apiaries such as the Bright Raven Farm & Apiary or the Ithaca Honey Works, and animal farms in the Finger Lakes. One that I’ve enjoyed stopping at a couple of times is the Lively Run Dairy Goat Dairy .

In addition to indulging in a generous cheese tasting, you can visit with and feed the sweet and adorable goats in the barn. Be sure to bring a cooler to take home some of the delicious Finger Lakes Gold Reserve or the creamy chevre.

Go to a Creamery

Shtayburne Farm near Seneca Lake is a family-owned dairy farm and a member of the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail. You can visit and sample their cheeses and freshly made ice cream.

Go Horseback Riding

The Mountain Rose Farm is a family-run business operated by two sisters with extensive experience working on dude ranches as horse wranglers before they returned east to purchase the farm. The farm offers one-hour or 1.5-hour trail rides through the farm for groups of up to six people. In addition to trail rides and riding lessons, you can even stay on the farm at one of the Mountain Rose Farm’s Airbnb properties.

Walk with An Alpaca

For a unique outing with friends or family, book a time to take a walk with an alpaca at Cabin View Alpacas . This family-run farm has a large herd of alpacas that they show and breed. You can also purchase hand-made items made from alpaca wool in the gift shop.

The walk with the alpacas takes about 20-30 minutes, followed by a tour of the paddock and barn, with a chance for an up-close meet and greet with some of the farm’s friendliest alpacas, donkeys, and goats.

Go Apple Picking

There are many places to go apple and berry picking in the Finger Lakes and in the fall, there are also pumpkin farms with apple cider and hayrides to enjoy. Near Watkins Glen, Apples and Moore (previously Reisinger’s Apple Country) have 12,000 apple trees and they are open to the public from mid-August through November with homemade apple cider donuts made every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Browse at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market

If you are staying in Ithaca or on Cayuga Lake, you must check out the Ithaca Farmer’s Market. This seasonal weekend market is one of the area’s top farmers’ markets, with 88 stalls filled with members who produce their wares within 30 miles of the market’s location. Offered Saturdays from April through December, or Sundays from May through November, the  Ithaca Farmer’s Market  vendors sell fresh produce, eggs, meat and cheese, specialty foods, baked goods, wine, cider, honey, and more.

There are also many stalls where you can pick up freshly-made foods from crepes to Southeast Asian cuisines and picnic tables nearby to sit and enjoy your treats.

Blow Glass at Corning Museum of Glass

The Corning Museum of Glass is a must-see when you are in the Finger Lakes Region. At first, I couldn’t imagine what would be so interesting about a museum of glass that the ticket would be valid for two days. As soon as I stepped inside and saw the gorgeous Chihuly sculpture in the lobby, I realized this wasn’t just a museum about glass, this was an art museum where the art is made of glass.

The contemporary art gallery’s interior is all-white with massive curvilinear concrete walls, bathed in a soft light from skylights and a wall of windows. Each gallery is thematically organized around nature, body and abstraction, history and material, and contemporary design. And each installation was visually stunning and some were emotionally moving. 

Another highlight of the new Contemporary Art + Design wing is the 500-seat hot-glass live demonstration theater. They offer live demonstrations of glass blowing and sculpting throughout the day and you may just be lucky enough to win one of their creations at the end. 

If you don’t catch a demo in the amphitheater, there are also hot glass demos in the Innovation Hot Shop and Courtyard Hot Shop during the busy season. It is fascinating to watch glass being blown, but even more fun to do it yourself.

At the Studio, you can participate in a number of glass-making projects. Some of the options include making a glass bead, ornament, flower, sculpture, frame, or paperweight. You need to be over 14 for some projects but options are available for kids four and up. 

It is important to sign up for a time slot before your visit as they fill up early, especially if you have something special you want to make. You are given a 20-30 minute time slot and provided with all the safety equipment required (but closed-toe shoes would be recommended.) 

Making glass isn’t the only way that the family can get hands-on with glass. Kids will also love the glass-breaking and flame-working demos in the Innovation Center. This section of the museum is extremely hands-on and more like a science museum than a glass museum…but then again, so much science goes into the development of glass.

In contrast to the Contemporary Art + Design Wing, the original museum building houses Centuries of Glass. You can see the development of glass from ancient Egypt and Greece through modern times. It was fascinating how intricate and beautiful these ancient pieces of art are, considering what rudimentary technology was available at the time. To help make glass-making techniques and history more accessible, the museum also staffs carts with volunteers to answer questions and host programs throughout the day.

Soar in a Glider Plane

Have you ever laid on the ground looking up at the sky and wondered what it would be like to have a gliding experience through the sky like a bird, floating on the puffy clouds? Now you can glide through the air with a ride in a glider plane in the  Soaring Capital of America . As excited as I was about this experience, I have to admit I found it a bit terrifying once we were up in the air. You will climb into the front seat of this tiny plane that is pulled by a larger plane by a cable up in the air and then the cable is released and you are gliding.

See me clinging to those straps? I’m not sure I fully let go until we were safely back on the ground. There is a reason why I don’t have that many pictures from the sky, I just couldn’t let go long enough to take the pictures. Sometimes I couldn’t even open my eyes. I remember the pilot asking if I wanted to take any pictures and I just replied, “yes…if I can let go long enough.”

Once we were gliding, it was actually very calm. It wasn’t as quiet as I thought. I guess I hadn’t thought about the wind rushing by as we moved through the air, but it was peaceful. If I could have made myself relax, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it. When the pilot offered to cut the usual 20-minute ride short, I waffled for a minute and then took the easy way out and asked him to land. I regretted that decision as I think if I had stuck with it, I could have found some inner calm as long as it wasn’t too bumpy.

Luckily my daughter is braver than I am and she was able to relax and enjoy her ride, as evidenced by her cheerful wave as she landed!

Visit the Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation Museum

The Finger Lakes, and Hammondsport in particular, played a critical role in the early development of the aviation industry. Hometown innovator Glenn H. Curtiss started off making motorcycles and soon was at the forefront of the invention of early airplanes using his powerful and speedy engines. The Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation Museum in Hammondsport tells his personal story through exhibits and an engaging documentary, but it is also home to numerous early airplanes, “flying boats”, motorcycles, and cars, including some Ford Model Ts.

Anyone that is interested in planes, classic cars, or motorcycles will thoroughly enjoy a visit to this museum. Allow about two hours for your visit.

Learn FLX’s Wine History

The Finger Lakes’ wine history goes back to the 1800s, making this a pioneering wine region in the United States. To learn more about this history, visit the Pleasant Valley Wine Company . Founded in 1860 and still in operation today, the Pleasant Valley Wine Company is U.S. Bonded Winery No. 1 and has eight remarkable stone buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The company produces a tremendous amount of sparkling, white, and private-label wines in this facility that has a 14-million-gallon capacity. The Pleasant Valley Wine Company visitor center has extensive exhibits about the early wine production in the area that are free to explore, or you could pay $5.00 for a guided tour or tasting.

Another spot to learn about the tumultuous history of the Taylor Wine Company is at Bully Hill Vineyards. The founder of Bully Hill Vineyards was part of the Taylor family and at one time was President of the Taylor Wine Company before it was purchased by Coca-Cola. He later had quite a feud with the massive beverage company and ended up back on Bully Hill starting a new winery. Today, Bully Hill Vineyards has an excellent scratch kitchen with stunning views of the lake, along with an art gallery of Walter Taylor’s artwork and the Greyton H. Taylor Wine Museum .

Visit Harriett Tubman’s House

The   Harriet Tubman Home and National Historic Site in Auburn is well worth a visit if you are in the area (just check the website in advance for hours and to book a tour.) If you have ever seen the movie  Harriet  or learned about Harriet Tubman in school, you probably know part of her story, but you may still be surprised by all the amazing things this woman accomplished in her lifetime.

Her achievements include saving 70 enslaved people over 13 trips as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, serving as a spy and nurse in the Civil War, leading a military mission that freed 750 enslaved people, and giving back to her community in Auburn by offering housing and food to those in need.

In downtown Auburn, you will find the  New York Equal Rights Heritage Center , which covers the New York residents who have played critical roles in civil rights, women’s rights, and LGBTQ rights.

Learn about the Suffrage Movement in Seneca Falls

Also plan to visit Seneca Falls, where suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, advocating for gender equality. You can explore the  Women’s Rights National Historic Park , visit the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House, and see the  National Women’s Hall of Fame . If you take a walk along the river, you can also take a picture of the bridge made famous in the Christmas classic movie,  It’s a Wonderful Life .

Snack your way along the Upstate Eats Trail

If you travel along the northern part of the Finger Lakes to visit Seneca Falls, you can also make some stops on the Upstate Eats food trail, which runs from Binghampton to Buffalo. Near Seneca Falls in Waterloo, Mac’s Drive-In is a traditional drive-in that serves up fast food, but it is most known for its root beer floats. Served in a chilled mug using Rochester’s sweet Richardson root beer and topped with delicious, creamy soft serve, this classic drink even won me over (and I’m not usually a root beer fan.)

Explore Downtowns

Both Ithaca and Corning offer great downtown areas to explore. There seems to always be something going on in the four-block, pedestrian-only Ithaca Commons . Home to many boutiques and restaurants, you will also find live entertainment and events, such as fall’s Apple Harvest Festival. You can also find many of Ithaca’s public art murals in this area (download and print a full  mural map  here.)

In Corning, the Gaffer District, a six-block area of downtown, is home to a variety of shops, restaurants, galleries, and annual events. Try FLX Provisions for a selection of local wines and spirits, as well as light bites, or pop into Poppleton Bakery & Cafe for breakfast or lunch.

For a true small-town feel, try quaint Hammondsport at the bottom of Keuka Lake. The restaurants and boutiques are centered around the town square, all within walking distance of the park and lake access.

How do you get to the Finger Lakes?

The main airport in the region is the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport (ITH), located just outside of Ithaca, NY. This airport offers daily flights to major hubs such as Philadelphia, Detroit, and Washington D.C. Other nearby airports include the Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC), Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR), and Elmira/Corning Regional Airport (ELM).

However, it makes sense to plan a New York road trip or pick up a rental car because you are going to want a car to explore while you are there. There are certain companies that offer wine tours, drivers, and even water taxis, but I still think it is best to have a car in the Finger Lakes.

What is the best time to go to the Finger Lakes?

A popular time to visit the Finger Lakes is in the summer or on a fall road trip , especially when the fall foliage is in full color from late September through mid-October. However, winter can be a beautiful time when the waterfalls ice over and the hotels are cheaper. Just keep in mind that you may need to call ahead to wineries, etc if you are visiting in the off-season.

Some other popular times to visit include during the Finger Lakes Wine Festival in July is one of the largest wine festivals in the East, featuring over 70 wineries, great food, and exciting entertainment. There are many other annual events including the Wine Country Classic Boat Show in July, Wings and Wheels of Hammondsport in September, Ice Wine & Culinary Festival in February, and more.

Unless you want to attend races, I would avoid NASCAR race weekends in Watkins Glen because the whole area will be more crowded and hotel prices will be higher, if you can find availability.

Where to Stay in the Finger Lakes

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. All opinions are my own.

Watkins Glen

If you are looking for convenience, views, and an upscale hotel, check into the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel . The hotel is located on a lakeside marina, just steps from the Seneca Lake Pier where sightseeing boats depart. Boaters can also dock in the marina and stay at the hotel or eat at the restaurant.

It is also right in the heart of downtown Watkins Glen, making it easy to stroll through the charming downtown and peek into the shops and restaurants. You can even walk about five minutes to Watkins Glen State Park, which avoids trying to find parking in their space-limited lots.

Hotel Ithaca  offers 170 guest rooms including double queen and king rooms, and king suites with fireplaces or large patios. The king fireplace suite is a perfect choice for a romantic getaway, especially in the colder months and even includes a built-in wine fridge and wet bar. It is located in the heart of downtown, within easy walking distance to the Ithaca Commons and many restaurants.

The Staybridge Suites in Staybridge Suites Corning is within walking distance of the Corning Museum Of Glass Welcome Center or downtown Corning and offers affordable, family-friendly accommodations.

Hammondsport

There are many lakeside vacation rentals available for families and groups. We stayed at the Gulfstream House in Hammondsport, which was just half a block from the Keuka lakefront or the town square. If you prefer a bed and breakfast, there are a few in town including the Pleasant Valley Inn just outside of town.

With all the things to do in the Finger Lakes, you will probably end up wanting to return again and again, just like I have.

Visiting New York? You may also be interested in…

• Things to do in Lake Placid, NY
• Planning an Adirondacks vacation
• New York City with kids
• 7 Scenic New York road trips

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Discover Canandaigua’s History with Walking Tour of Historic Bars

• June 20, 2024 11:00 AM / Updated: June 20, 2024 6:28 AM

Take a step back in time with a unique walking tour of Canandaigua’s historic bars and restaurants. Led by Benjamin Falter, the director of education for the Ontario County Historical Society, the tour explores the rich history of local watering holes and their significance during the Prohibition era.

Flannigan’s Restaurant, opened in 1866 by John Flannigan, was a popular spot known for its oysters and drinks. Flannigan played a key role in making Canandaigua a city to avoid the temperance laws that threatened local businesses. The tour highlights iconic spots like Peacemaker Brewing Co. and Green Front Restaurant, revealing stories of old taverns and speakeasies.

Tours are free but donations are welcome. They begin at Ontario County Park, across from Canandaigua City Hall. Upcoming dates include June 22, June 28, July 19, August 2, August 10, and August 16. For more information, visit www.ochs.org .

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