My excuse was the Seneca Lake Order of Brewers, or SLOBS. It’s a group of about 19 breweries around Seneca Lake, from Geneva down to Watkins Glen. Some are classic breweries making solid beer with good food alongside it. Others are doing something you won’t find anywhere else.
Why these places feel different
In a city, it can sometimes seem like people open a restaurant or brewery to build a business first and a great place second. Out here, after spending time with a lot of these owners, it feels like the opposite. They set out to make something unique and wonderful, and the business came second.
That’s no knock on anyone’s business sense. As someone who loves food, beer and a good experience, I have complete respect for someone who puts the place first.
A few of my favorites
Seneca Stag Brewing Company sits on a beautiful property near Penn Yan. It’s a German-inspired, family-run brewery: the son has been brewing since he was 16, his sister runs the front of house, and their mom cooks in the kitchen. Don’t expect an IPA on the list most days. Do order the schnitzel on a stick, the bratwurst, the fries and their incredible beer mustard.
Brewery Ardennes is Belgian-inspired and lives in a converted historic sheep barn on a picturesque property. The space alone is worth the trip. Add a Belgian beer, a pot of mussels and fries with aioli, and I’m in heaven.
Two Goats Brewing does one thing and does it right: beef on weck. They make everything in house, from the slow-roasted beef to the roll to the horseradish sauce. It might not be the best beef on weck I’ve ever had, but it’s top 10. Pair it with their maple brown ale and the historic barn it’s served in, and it becomes one of my favorites.
Lucky Hare Brewing Company in Hector is the definition of a hidden gem. There are a couple of signs, but you really have to know it’s there. It sits in what looks like an old house with a view of the lake in the distance. I love how small and close it feels almost as much as I love their coffee beer. Off to the side, Babe’s serves burgers, chicken sandwiches and fries from a window on the deck. Coffee beer, a burger and that view is hard to beat. They also have a second location in Watkins Glen right on the water.
There’s more.
Seneca Lake Brewing Company pours cask ales with traditional British food.
Seneca Lodge feels like stepping back in time, packed with racing history and nostalgia. It’s the kind of place I can picture bringing the family for a whole summer.
The festival
Here’s my pitch: buy a ticket to the SLOBS beer festival on Saturday, October 17 at the 41 Lakefront Hotel in Geneva.
General admission runs 2 to 5 PM. As a recently turned 40-year-old, a daytime beer festival is right up my alley. I can be done by 5, out to dinner and home by bedtime. If you’d rather enjoy yourself a little more freely than I will, the hotel has special room rates for festival guests.
Your ticket gets you unlimited samples from every brewery attending, plus games, live music and food trucks on site. Tickets are at senecalakebrewtrail.com, where you’ll also find an interactive map of every brewery on the trail with directions to their door.
I’ll be there. If you see me, come say hello and we’ll have a beer together.
