Welcome back everyone! The next stop on our brewery journey is at Woodland Farm Brewery just outside of Utica, NY. Unlike the bigger breweries in the area like Ommegang and Saranac, Woodland Farm is a very small micro brewery but it is tons of fun. I’ve been to Woodland Farm twice now and both times my friends were just looking for a place to meet up and Woodland Farm immediately came to mind. This brewery is a really great place to just hang out, have a couple beers and enjoy each others company. Today for example my friend and I needed a place to plan an upcoming trip and Woodland Farm is where we landed. They have plenty of activities to keep you occupied such as a summer corn hole league, trivia nights, and local music filling their calendar. There is also a really cool pay ahead system here where if you know somebody that frequents the brewery you can pay for their next drink. The bartender will write their name behind the bar and then write who bought their next round. All of these things make Woodland Farms such a relaxing and friendly place to visit. Relaxing and friendly until I join the corn hole game of course, then it becomes a war zone.
Of course visiting well established breweries like Ommegang or Saranac are kind of the pinnacle of what this process is all about but micro breweries like Woodland Farms have a quality that make them special in my opinion. Woodland Farm is roughly the size of your local Mcdonalds and they manage to fit a bar, kitchen, seating (inside and out), bathrooms, brewery merchandise and their whole brewing process in that space. Naturally that means their brewing process is right in your face. Here at Woodland farm that is especially true; the entire brewing floor is just to the left of the bar and is lined with windows. Whatever beer you decide to get at the bar was made less than twenty feet away and that just brings an extra element of familiarity to your visit.
Alright its time we got to the beer which is really why we’re here right? Todays flight included four of Woodland Farms beers including “The Old Main”, “Alexander the Great”, “Pioneer 10” , and “Sagey.” Okay lets dive right into it with beer number one!
The Old Main is Woodland Farms staple beer and its made with 100% NY ingredients. Its nothing too crazy, The Old Main is a good, refreshing, simple beer that goes down easy. Perfect for anybody including people that might be on the fence about beer.
Second on the list is Alexander the Great which is a farmhouse ale that they ferment twice which gives it a slightly stronger and fruitier flavor than The Old Main. Its kind of close to a sour beer like the Pale Sour Ale that we had at Ommegang. Overall like The Old Main this one is easy to drink and worth a try for sure.
Coming in third on todays flight is Pioneer 10 which was my favorite I’ve had so far at Woodland Farm Brewery. By now you’re probably seeing a correlation between how much I enjoy a beer and how dark it is. Pioneer 10 is a porter thats brewed with NY hops, english malts, alongside cherry and peach malts that are supplied by a local restaurant called Nail Creek Pub. Its those cherry and peach malts that really make this one for me. They give this smokey porter a subtle sweet taste that reminds me of barbecue. I can definitely imagine putting a few of these down while enjoying some pulled pork and corn bread. Pioneer 10 is one I would 100% add to your flight at Woodland Farms.
The last beer I had today at Woodland Farms was their Sagey ale which i’ve had a couple times and man is it interesting. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing either, I honestly haven’t made up my mind yet. It is a farmhouse ale that is brewed with actual sage and you can really taste and smell that sage. Sagey tastes like the inside of a Rainbow Zen or crystal store; something for the witch or wizard in your life would enjoy. The first time I had it about a month ago I really liked it and this time I wasn’t quite sure but its certainly interesting which I think warrants a try. Its truly something I haven’t had anywhere else and I would be intrigued to know what you guys thought!
Thats all of the beer I had to try but if you happen to visit Woodland Farm with somebody who absolutely doesn’t want beer then they could order a wine from the Thousand Island Winery or a spirit from Black Button Distillery. I’ve actually visited the Black Button Distillery and if you get the chance to try their Bourbon Cream it is incredible. I had a discussion with the bartender while we were waiting for our flights about what recipes you could use it in. I suggested putting some in your french toast and she said they make bourbon cream whipped cream for their weekend brunch. There is also a full food menu to choose from and every item is themed after The Office such as “The Dwight” which is a salad with roasted red peppers, carrots and beets of course. Another whimsical touch that makes Woodland Farms Brewery such a great place to hang out.
Before we conclude our stop at Woodland Farm Brewing I want to share todays “view from your beer.” One of the things that draw me to breweries is the passion and creativity these brewers are putting into everything they do. Brewing is becoming and art and sometimes that creativity spreads outside of just the brewing process and thats evident with their menu here at Woodland Farms. I’m not sure if this is chalk or marker but whoever they have drawing their menu items is incredible and they work fast. I was here at Woodland about a week earlier and I swear they had three or four new beers that had this amount of detail put into their sign. So kudos to the artist behind these because it really adds to the good times that are had at Woodland Farm Brewery.
Alright, that is the end of our trip to Woodland Farm Brewery! If you’re in the area and looking for a good drink and good times then Woodland Farm Brewery is always a good idea.
You can check them out for yourself at 6002 Trenton rd, Utica, NY 13502 or at woodlandbeer.com. Thank you once again for reading and I’ll see you at the next stop!
Cheers,
Austin Davis
The Brewery Boy.