Today is the day … we have waited 2 years to
attend this event! 2nd Annual Hops in Hemlock, Craft Beer, Cider and
Wine Fest!
The first year of the event, we were traveling on our Yankee
RV Northwest Expedition. This year, it is earlier and we are here! Even though,
the weather has not cooperated, we still find it very cold!
Is Hops in Hemlock, all about the beer? Yes, basically! But,
oh … what a selection we had!
Dublin Corners Farm Brewery – York NY – What started
with a pumpkin patch and roadside stand has grown into much more on their
little homestead in Linwood, NY. Pumpkins somehow led to hops and that of
course led to beer. It is a 5th generation family farm. They proudly
proclaim that they were the first craft brewery operating in Livingston County.
Visit their farm for a country experience full of fresh craft brews made with
hops grown right outside the door. Their on tap varieties include York Pale
Ale, Linwood Lager, Better Red than Dead, Sunrise Saison and Devil's 1/2 Acre.
They all sound so good!
Deer Run Winery – Lakeville NY – They are oldest
operating winery on beautiful Conesus Lake. They have a father and son team of
winemakers, masterfully creating handcrafted Finger Lakes wines. Deer Run
Winery is a family owned farm winery whose humble beginnings grew from one
man's love of making wine. Wine making
has long been a passion of George Kuyon, who built Deer Run Winery in 2003 on a
20 acre parcel of farmland, after his retirement from Kodak. Upon hearing the
news that his father was planning to open a winery, his son, Scott, who was
working as a marine mechanic in Florida at the time, decided to move home &
help his Father fulfill his dream. Deer
Run Winery grows about 30 percent of the grapes used to make their wines, the
remainder of the grapes needed are purchased from other Finger Lakes
vineyards. In the 5 acre vineyard they
grow Vidal, Valvin Muscat, Noiret, Corot Noir, Traminette, Marechal Foch &
Frontenac varieties. They press their own grapes, too.
No BS Brew Company – Lakeville NY – They just
opened this past spring and have some great varieties. The B and the S behind
No BS Brew Company are Benjamin and Steve. Some of their varieties include The
North End Cream Ale, Turtlestone Oatmeal Stout, Strawberry Kolsch, Grounds
Keeper Willy Scotch Ale, Hoppy Hour Pale Ale, Unconventional Path Flipa, Coffee
Porter (featuring Evening Star Roasters coffee, a locally owned company based
in Avon), Sig IPA, Blonde Ale, Dos Dogos DIPA, Black & Blue Berlinger
Weisse and Sheila Nesbitt’s favorite, Raspberry Wheat! We have enjoyed the
outside area at the No BS Brewery. It is a great atmosphere with fire pits,
corn hole and square picnic tables that seat 10 comfortably!
Rising Storm Brewing Company – Livonia NY - Their
mission at Rising Storm Brewing Company is simple — make exceptional beer,
deliver the most memorable craft beer experience, and have fun doing it! Housed
in an old train depot adds to the charm of the venue! Like many other pro
brewers, they started as home brewers. They upgraded equipment, tried out a
bunch of different recipes, and soon were producing ridiculous amounts of tasty
brew. From their roots as hop head IPA lovers, they expanded into stouts,
porters, wheats, saisons, and the list goes on. In 2014 the conversation about
taking their passion to the next level began. In July 2016, Livingston County's
Economic Development office organized this unprecedented competition to create
a beer trail in an area that at the time had no breweries. Both being SUNY
Geneseo Alumni, they knew Livingston County was the perfect location. They had
seen other local breweries do extremely well in smaller towns because the
community embraced them. That, paired with grant money and support from the
county, made this an amazing opportunity. They made it to the semifinal round
of the competition with 14 other finalists. After a five week business boot
camp sponsored by Brew IN Livingston, they submitted our business plan for
review. Two weeks later they participated in the competition's public pitch
night, which gave them a chance to connect directly with the community that
they wanted to be part of. It was a sold out event that was a huge success for everyone!
Then came two long weeks of waiting...and waiting...and waiting. It was only
two weeks, but it seemed like forever! Finally they got THE call...They were
selected as one of the lucky winners!!
Lakeland Winery – Syracuse NY – They have 30
different varieties of wine, however they did not bring all 30 with them! They
offer custom wine making opportunities and all their wines have zero added
sugars! In 2005, Syracuse wine enthusiast Andy Watkins established Lakeland
Winery. Formerly known as Vine 2 Wine, they had the distinction of being the
first custom winemaking facility in the state of New York. You can sample and make
your own wine at Lakeland during wine-making parties. Spend an hour sampling
many delicious wines, then make your own batch of 30 bottles in about 15
minutes. Return in seven weeks to bottle, cork and label your own wine.
Fruit
wines are a delicious alternative to everyday wines. Combining the crisp
freshness of distinctive varietal wines with full fruit flavors, they make a
fun, refreshing wine-based beverage to enjoy any time. Some of theirs are Black
Cherry (a Pinot Noir), Raspberry Dragonfruit (a Shiraz), Peach Raspberry
Sangria, Pomegranate, Green Apple, Coconut Yuzu, White Cranberry (a Pinot
Grigio), Cucumber Melon, Fresh Blueberry (a New York wine), Red Cranberry, Wild
Berry (a Shiraz) and Pineapple Pear (a Pinot Grigio). The flavor that intrigued
me the most is the Belligerent Bastard. They did not have any to try, wrong
time of the year. What is it you ask? It is a crisp, New York Diamond white that
is mischievously tinted green by a leprechaun just in time for St. Patrick’s
Day. I am going to get friends of ours, some next year!
Arbor Hill Winery – Naples NY – Actually, Arbor Hill
Winery is located in South Bristol just north of Naples at southern end of
Canandaigua Lake in the famous Finger Lakes Region. In 1987 Arbor Hill opened
in just one building. Now it sits in a complex of vintage buildings (including
the original), in a wonderful warm New England country setting. The Brahm
family takes great pride in the fact that they produce their products on the
premises. In their country complex they have several buildings; one is the
retail shop, another is Brew & Brats (we will talk about them next), and
two barns serve as the wine cellar and the food production area. In the early
1900’s, Anna and Elmer Standish started a Naples grape-growing tradition that
has spanned 4 generations. Today, John & Sherry French continue that
tradition. Sherry’s father, John Brahm III,
started the business with the introduction of Brahm’s Wine Syrups. A year later
in 1987, John and his wife, Katie, opened a farm winery to showcase the
experimental grape varieties which have become the trademark of Arbor Hill.
Sherry’s husband, John French, joined the family business in 2011, as they
started a new venture with the opening of their restaurant, Brew & Brats.
The restaurant, housed in a historic carriage barn, serves Bristol Springs
brand craft beer, locally made brats, and a full complement of house wines.
You can’t talk about Naples, without talking
about Grape Pie. One of the area’s most popular attractions is the Famous
Naples Grape Pie! The rich tradition began sometime in the 1960’s with Al
Hodges, who commissioned Irene Bouchard to make this unique grape dessert for
his historic Redwood Restaurant in Naples. Each year, during the Annual Naples
Grape Festival, held the last weekend of September. Thousands come to celebrate
the harvest and sample the grape pies. Today, dozens of bakers produce more
than 30,000 grape pies during just six weeks of the year. If you are interested
in making a grape pie, but don’t want the hassle of making your own filling,
you’ll want to get some Healthy Purple Topping and Filling. It is a luscious
grape product that contains the natural juice pulp and skin of the grape for
the highest concentration of heart-healthy compounds. This versatile product is
great as an “out-of-the ordinary” topping for cheesecake or vanilla ice cream.
It’s also the perfect filling for coffee cake or any other fruit-filled
desserts. And, of course, Grape Pies! Ok, that has nothing to do with the Hops
in Hemlock, oh how I digress! LOL!
Brews & Brats – Naples NY – They did not bring
any food samples, but the menu looks appealing! It is the on-site eatery and
brewery in the Arbor Hill village. Come as a Stranger, Leave as Family is their
tag line. They live up to their tag line. Fun, casual atmosphere with the
family owners ever present to make sure you are having a good time. The brats
are excellent, the brews are great, and mustards, sauerkraut, German potato
salad – yummy! The local musicians add so much to the atmosphere that is open
air in the summer months. Friday night is open mic and Saturday’s is the best
for the local musicians. A nice cozy experience to sample the Finger Lakes.
Custom BrewCrafters – Honeoye Falls NY – Twenty
years ago, craft beer was not terminology known to most Western New Yorkers. In
1991 Mike Alcorn moved to Rochester from Southern California to work with
Kodak. Interestingly enough, Mike was here in Rochester to start a totally
different revolution, one focused on beer rather than pictures. In 1997 Mike
left Kodak and changed the landscape of craft beer in Western New York. He felt
there was a lack of quality craft beer in the area, so Mike decided to open a
brewery in Honeoye Falls. He brewed private label beers for area bars and
restaurants. He named the brewery Custom BrewCrafters to reflect the company's
core business model. Within a few years, Mike began to brew a few craft beers
under their own brand "CB." In 2008 CB Craft Brewers went from a
1,500 square foot facility in Honeoye Falls to a 10,000 square foot building. The
brewery has no current plans to expand distribution out of NY State. In 2011 CB
Craft Brewers opened a brew pub at the brewery called the Pint & Goblet
Tavern, serving food and pints of their CB brand and custom beers. It has grown
to be a key part of the brewery’s retail and Tasting Room experience.
All these breweries manned their own booths. Hops in
Hemlock, purchased the following breweries beers from Lake Beverage and manned
the taps with volunteers.
Rohrbach – Rochester, NY - Founded in 1991, they first operated in
the German House on Gregory Street in Rochester NY. Now they have two
locations. Step into our century-old beer hall and craft brewery located in the
heart of Rochester at the downtown public market. The wood-fired beer hall menu
features locally sourced ingredients from our neighboring market and craft
beers tapped right from the brewery–it doesn't get any fresher.
Their second location is a brew pub on
Buffalo Road, where the welcome is a little warmer, the crowd is a little
kinder, and the beer is a little better. Cozy up with a pint and a variety of
German and American pub fare. With a wide selection of their own craft ales
& lagers to pair with your meal, everyone can find something to hit the
spot at our brewpub restaurant. Many of our ingredients are made in-house or
locally sourced from Rochester gems like Swan Market German Deli. Enjoy your
meal with a view of our 7-barrel brewery system in the back of the restaurant,
where brewer Joel Will is working on the next best Rochester beer.
They are proud of the team of brewers at Rohrbachs
and their small-batch series celebrates their abilities to push the envelope on
both skill and creativity. These brews are done in limited 7-barrel batches at
the brewpub brewery and rarely leave Rohrbach locations. We were lucky to get a
small batch brew of Neapolitan Scotch Ale, which was a popular choice of
patrons!
Ellicottville Brewing Company - Ellicottville, NY - It was established in 1995 by a
beer-loving founder after a ski trip. Create an authentic craft brewery that would
be the perfect match for the village of Ellicottville, located in the heart of
New York ski country, also known as “The Aspen of the East”. This pairing of
Old World brewing and winter-worshiping ski culture proved to be a success
ahead of the trend, with them helping to lead a then-fledgling craft beer
market. Over the years, they have seen fantastic growth to both their brews and
the facility. Their slogan of, “Brewed To Entertain”, intertwines the spirit of
the company, the beer, the food, the decor to on-site events like concerts,
festivals, and tours. We had Crisp Summer Pale Ale and a Blueberry Wheat Ale on
tap. Sheila Nesbitt manned the Blueberry Wheat Ale, as it is her favorite!
Southern Tier Brewing Company - Lakewood NY - It has grown into one of
the largest craft brewers in the country. The hand-crafted ales are now
available in more than thirty States and points beyond. The brewery started with
the vision of reviving the practice of small-batch brewing to a region rich in
brewing tradition. In 2002, the Southern Tier Brewing Company began production
in the woods just outside of Lakewood, New York. By 2003, select varieties of
small batch ales were locally distributed, and by 2005, sales to a rapidly
growing base of fans covered the majority of New York State and Pennsylvania.
The brewery produced Pilsner, Mild Ale, and India Pale Ale before adding a
successful roster of seasonal beers to the menu. Southern Tier immediately
garnered regional attention and demand quickly outgrew what our modest facility
could handle. In 2009 a new 20,000-sq-ft building was added to the property. The
Brewhouse Tasting Room, which is also the ending point of our Saturday
afternoon tours. With 14 taps, a fireplace and a cozy vibe, it
is a pleasant place to enjoy samples of our many beers. Nu-Juice, an IPA and
Citrus Punch were their two featured brews. The Citrus Punch was a popular
choice and Jane really enjoyed pouring it!
Three Heads Brewing - Rochester, NY - How do you name your craft brewery, Three Heads …
when it was four friends that got together, decided to try to make their own
beer? They experimented in the kitchen of one of the guys, they entered a local
contest, won several awards and decided to open the brewery. The origin of
Three Heads Brewing involves many beers, tunes, sports and rowdy games of
foosball. It came into existence out of
a Brighton neighborhood in the early 2000’s. It occurred to this crew that no
one in the Rochester area was making beers of such distinction that the West
Coast boasted and the idea to open a brewery was launched.
They decided that if
they were going to open a brewery, they better learn how to make beer. Thus began an odyssey of home brewing in a
basement and kitchen. The men quickly honed their craft. After only a few
months of experimentation, they were creating solid homebrews. On a lark, they
decided to enter five of their offerings in a local competition. They fared
very well and garnered 3 gold medals and 1 bronze medal. They entered more beers into a few other
competitions and had similar success.
The crowning moment was when they captured a “Best of Show” award over
420 entries at the Amber Waves of Grain competition in Buffalo. It was then
that the guys realized it was time to take the next step. The thought of building a brewery from the
ground up and soliciting the necessary capital might be tougher than finding
someone to brew the Heads’ recipes for them. In the spring of 2010 Three Heads
Brewing Inc. was incorporated. After
interviewing and exploring various brewing scenarios, the Heads created a
partnership with CB Craft Brewers in Honeoye Falls. They have a reputation of producing fine,
flawless ales. In 2016, we moved into our new, state-of-the-art brewery at 186
Atlantic Ave in Rochester’s neighborhood of the arts. We poured Strong Arm Pale
Ale and Cucumber Sour Ale. Strong Arm was Charlie’s favorite!
Resurgence Brewing Company - Buffalo NY - They have worked hard to create flavors that lie outside the realm of
the ordinary. There’s a Loganberry Wit, with that Crystal Beach and Aunt
Rosie’s flavors we all remember from childhood; a vanilla cappuccino pumpkin
ale that’s reminiscent of a nice, spiced pie; and we can’t forget the Sponge
Candy Stout, made with real sponge candy from Watson’s. Their brewers are
creative guys, and they love playing with tastes to see what translates into
pints. That’s where our experimental brews come from, many of which become
favorites. Sometimes they discover a hit, sometimes they head back to the
drawing board. They give official tours of the brewery, to get the full picture
of what they do.
Big Ditch Brewing - Buffalo NY - It was named after the Erie Canal
which was at first thought to be something of a joke and therefore dubbed the
big ditch. The Erie Canal opened in 1825, connecting the Great Lakes with the
Atlantic Ocean by way of the Hudson River.
When the plan for the Canal was presented, skeptics never thought it
would materialize. They jokingly
referred to it as “Clinton’s Big Ditch” after the New York State governor who
championed the project. But when it was
filled with water, the Big Ditch changed Buffalo forever and marked the
beginning of more than 100 years of prosperity for the City of Buffalo. The Big Ditch remains a part of Buffalo
today. Big Ditch Brewing embodies the
spirit of the men that built the Canal with their bare hands, with the
prosperity that followed the completion of the Canal and for those who are
shaping the next 100 years of prosperity. Big Ditch beer is a beer that
celebrates their roots and serves as a reminder that the Buffalo of the future
is being built with the same strength, pride and ambition that created the Erie
Canal nearly two centuries ago. Made from the best ingredients available, and
crafted with just the right balance of art and science, Big Ditch beers are
innovative, flavorful and drinkable…glass after glass. Hayburner American IPA
and Berry Vision Sour Fruit Beer were their selections. I enjoyed the Berry
Vision.
1911 Cider - Lafayette NY - It is a 5th
generation apple farming family, who decided to branch out and create hard
cider. In 1911 George Skiff and Andrew Beak founded Beak & Skiff Apple
Orchards among the rolling hills and valleys of Lafayette. For over 100 years, their
families have put quality and innovation first, and their 1911 brand is no
exception. The state-of-the-art facility was built in 2014 they believe that to
have legs in this business, you must constantly innovate, adapt and change. They
are always looking for ways to push the envelope with their hard ciders, and
the Cider House is at the forefront of this innovative spirit. With an “office”
overlooking a valley full of apple trees, our head distiller, Ed O’Brien, uses
state-of-the-art equipment combined with old world techniques to produce the
small-batch spirits. Almost all 1911 spirits begin with fresh pressed apple
cider from the Beak & Skiff Cider Mill. Their distillery is located along
Route 20, among the hills of the apple orchard.
There was a vast selection of food vendors too! Hopp’d
and Brew’d was the most unique. All of their offerings had sauces created from
hops.
Mojo’s Tacos is a local staple in the area. It had a
“food trailer” long before food trucks were all the rage!
Roc City Sammich offered unique sandwich and
traditional offerings.
Johnny B’s BBQ started early and stayed busy all day!
He rubbed and wrapped slab after slab of ribs and ohhhhh, were they tasty!
Twisters is a hometown favorite that offers Red Osier
Roast Beef and ice cream. Who does not love ice cream!
It was an awesome event with exceptional friends! Save the
date, we are looking at June 6th 2020!
