By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Ithaca Beer Company will break ground today on the construction of a new brewery directly behind the current location on Route 13 in Ithaca, New York. The new brewery will triple Ithaca Beer's current capacity; the brewery announces that it will have the capacity to brew and bottle half a million cases of beer, up from 180,000 this year. Most exciting for visitors, the new facility will feature an expanded tasting room and a brewpub specializing in wood-fire pizzas — an ideal pairing for Ithaca's dynamic, often-hoppy lineup. An outdoor beer garden will allow visitors…
Posts Written ByJulia Burke
Ellicottville Brewing Company Black Hops
By Julia Burke, Beer Editor A "dark pale ale" — sure, why not? Ellicottville Brewing Company has a competent hand with sessionable, balanced, and tasty pale ales, so I had high hopes for this latest example of the dark-and-hoppy trend. Black Hops is hoppy enough on the nose, with just a hint of roast to back it up, but overall the aromas are quite understated. It's an appropriate black walnut color in the glass with a one-finger head and some short-lived lacing. On the palate, a reasonable balance of roasty dark malt and citrusy hops but no real body or…
Adventures in Home Winemaking: Finger Lakes Oak
By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Yesterday I bottled a Niagara Escarpment 2010 cabernet sauvignon made with New York oak — specifically, oak from the Cayuga Lake area of the Finger Lakes. I’m psyched about the incorporation of one more local ingredient into my wine, and since my source is supplying Finger Lakes oak to both commercial wineries and home winemakers with great success, I thought I’d report on my own experience. Shortly after the 2010 harvest I made a trip to Sheldrake Point Vineyards, where I had a wonderful tasting and conversation with winemaker Dave Breeden. When I asked about…
Brewery Ommegang BPA (Belgian Pale Ale)
By Julia Burke, Beer Editor In honor of the beloved upcoming beer festival Belgium Comes to Cooperstown, I decided to ease the pain of missing the event (not that I
Community Beer Works Prototype American Sour Ale
By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Buffalo's Community Beer Works received its TTB approval this month, taking the fledgling brewery one step closer to legit beerdom. Brewer and founder/owner Rudy Watkins was kind enough to send some prototype suds my way — technically homebrews for now, but previews of the recipes to be brewed when CBW finally opens later this year. One of the hottest nights of the summer seemed perfect for cracking a sexy sour, and knowing Watkins to be as passionate about sours as I am, I had a feeling I'd be in for a sensory treat. Watkins explained…
Custom Brewcrafters Signature Series “Pierre” Saison Farmhouse Ale
By Julia Burke, Beer Editor The Signature Series is Custom Brewcrafters' higher-end line of beers, allowing the brewers to stretch their wings outside the regular CB flagships and contract brews. This saison pours a gorgeous three-finger head with perfect lacing, a beautiful pale gold haze glowing from the glass. The nose shows orange zest and meringue, pillowy yeast esters and a twinge of coriander, high-toned lemony minerality, and just a hint of earthy musk. There
A First Impression of the Hudson Valley Wine Country, Part 2
The tasting room at Benmarl Winery. By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Day two of my Hudson Valley adventure was all about wine tasting, but before wine there has to be coffee, and we kicked off the day with a trip to Strongtown Organic Coffee Roasters in Hudson. There I had the best cup of coffee in my life (I
Buffalo Beer Week Invades WNY
By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Residents of the City of Buffalo may have noticed a strange phenomenon last week: all beer-loving residents suddenly became completely unavailable at work, at home and in their social lives. Every craft beer enthusiast in town went off the societal radar for seven days of the beer extravaganza known as Buffalo Beer Week. When I described Buffalo Beer Week to a friend he replied,
A First Impression of the Hudson Valley Wine Country, Part 1
By Julia Burke, Beer Editor I had absolutely no expectations as I drove east on the thruway on my very first trip to the Hudson Valley wine country. David Jackson of Hudson-Chatham Winery and his wife Kathy were kind enough to invite me to their home and show me around, and I could think of no better way to spend one of the first beautiful weekends of summer than exploring a new wine scene. What was in store was a fascinating, vibrant and diverse region with a young-but-exciting quality wine industry, gorgeous farmland, exciting local beer and spirits, an amazing…
Chatham Brewing 8-Barrel Super IPA
By Julia Burke, Beer Editor I made my first visit to Chatham Brewing recently and based on what I tasted I know it won’t be my last. This small, neighborhood-friendly brewery has a dynamite lineup with balance and great flavor across the board. Craving hops, I brought home a growler of this baby. This double IPA pours a rusty amber-copper haze into a pint glass with a fluffy one-to-two-finger head and good lacing. The nose surprised me at first with intense citrus, as in someone-just-peeled-an-orange fresh citrus fruit. As the beer warmed up slightly it reveals an elegant malt profile;…