A Beer Man in the Middle of Wine Country NY…
By jason on Jul 22, 2008 in Fun, Messages to Readers
This past weekend my wife and I hopped in the car with a couple of friends and took a drive out to the Finger Lakes area of Western NY, otherwise known as NY Wine Country. Our specific destination was Watkins Glen, where the Finger Lakes Wine Festival was being held this weekend.
This was truely a massive affair. Running on both Saturday and Sunday, about 90 or so wineries had some mammoth tasting booths setup. If you like wine and are anywhere within driving distance, I would highly recommend attending at least one of the days. Despite the massive crowds you never really had to wait for a tasting, and the purchasing transit system they had in place assured all of your purchases greeted you on you way out - no carrying heavy bottles around all day.
There were even options for a beer lover. Ithaca brewery had their own little area, and it sure looked like they were doing a hell of a business. I grabbed a pint of their Cascazilla, and it provided a well needed switch from all of that wine. I was able to purchase a few bottles of their tenth anniversary ale, which I’ll be reviewing soon. Wagner winery also brews their own beers, and I was able to sample a very tasty dopplebock there. I’ve been eyeing their triplebock over at Oliver’s Beverage in Albany, I might just have to get it now!
Anyway, the true highlight of the weekend for me was the Friday light festival kickoff even - the toga party! I can’t even begin to describe the craziness at this thing. Every sort of toga imaginable was there. The wife and I went as caveman and cavewoman - and a shot of us even made the local paper!
Hope your weekend was as fun as mine!
Jason
Ithaca makes some really great beers, especially the Flower Power and their Excelsior series.
Troy | Jul 22, 2008 | Reply
Every year I swear that I will get to the wine festival and yet again I miss it. It’s been a few years since I’ve been to the Finger Lakes but my wife and I have always had a great time there. It’s cool to hear that there was good beer amongst all the wine . I just had Ithaca’s 10th Anniversary Ale last week and if you are a hop fan you will love it. I guess I will just have to wait until next year to enjoy the festivities.
Brian P
http://www.iambeerwise.com
Brian P | Jul 24, 2008 | Reply
Brian - If you do get there next, year be sure to drop me a line! I haven’t tried the Ithaca brew yet, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to love it!
Troy - I’m definitely going to have to try more of the brews, the one’s I’ve had in the past have been excellent. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any of the Excelsior series here in the Albany area. I’ll have to check out the Flower Power, though.
jason | Jul 30, 2008 | Reply