brewery – Page 4 – The Brewery Boy

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.

Fun home improvement tip from The Brewery Boy and Woodland Farm; just add used grain bags to your ceiling to add depth and character to any room. This will also let everyone know that you live for brewing.

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.

Todays flight, “The Old Main”, “Alexander the Great”, “Pioneer 10”, and “Sagey.”

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.

Hello everyone! Today I spent the afternoon in the hills of Cooperstown, New York having a drink at one of my favorite places, Brewery Ommegang, “where heaven met earth and stayed awhile.” Their words not mine but you’d be pretty stubborn to not agree with them. Not only is the drive through the Cooperstown hillside stunning but as soon as you pull into the brewery, up the hop lined driveway and past the giant Ommegang arches it feels like you’ve left NY and gone to a whole new destination. Somewhere like a belgian, beer filled heaven on earth?

The beautiful, newly renovated tasting room at Brewery Ommegang.

The first thing you should do during your visit of Brewery Ommegang is sign up for a tasting. For a really low price ($7 I think) you get a tour, a tasting of 5-6 of the beers you see above the bar, and you get to keep the glass (which I have at least 5 of at this point). You also get the insight behind each beer you’re trying and maybe even a little back story from your guide/bartender who are always incredible at Ommegang.

Now Ommegang focuses on big, bold, Belgian beers but there is something here that everyone will enjoy. I recently took my family to a tasting last week and every single person found a beer that they really liked and probably wouldn’t have thought about trying on their own. My uncle loved the Witte which the brewery describes as their “lawn mowing beer.” The Witte is a nice wheat beer that is probably the easiest for those beer lovers that are more familiar with lighter american style beer: think Blue Moon or Shocktop. My cousin found her first sour beer that she has ever enjoyed in the Pale Sour Ale. In my opinion this one is sour in the same way a lemonade or a cider is sour. It has just enough tang to make it super refreshing and it’s honestly one of my favorites. If you or somebody in your party is more a wine person then don’t worry there is something for them as well. You might finally be able to turn them over to the beer side of life with a trip to Brewery Ommegang. They have been experimenting a lot lately with grapes, wine mixtures, and wine barrel aging in several beers including their Saison Rose, For the Throne, and Hand of the Queen. The Saison Rose especially was a huge hit with everyone including my wine loving mother.

Todays flight that includes, Pale Sour Ale, Hopstate NY IPA, Abbey Ale, and the Mother of Dragons.

On my visit today the weather was perfect so I figured that I would just enjoy a flight out on the patio and as you can see I couldn’t wait long enough to take a picture before diving in. Beer before blog I guess. I had five different beers at Brewery Ommegang today so I’m just going to run through them all and give you guys a quick little idea of what I thought.

First up is the Pale Sour Ale that we talked about earlier. This particular ale is actually brewed off property at one of Ommegang’s sister breweries in Belgium where its open fermented in copper vats before making its way back home to Cooperstown NY. Once again I really love this one and if you’re on the fence about the idea of a “sour” beer please give this one a try, you won’t regret it.

Hopstate NY IPA (limited time only while supplies last)

Coming up second was the limited release of their Hopstate NY IPA which I couldn’t resist ordering once I saw it was back. This IPA is brewed exclusively with hops and malt that are grown in New York State and I’m absolutely crazy about this one. Its fruity, floral and it just tastes great. They only make it once a year and I buy a pack or two (or three) every year. Its just a really good all around IPA and the idea behind it is something I get excited about.

The third beer in todays flight was the Abbey Ale which you can tell by the already vacant glass in this photo is one of my absolute favorites. Not just one of my favorites at Brewery Ommegang but one of my favorite beers period. Abbey Ale is brewed with a bunch of different spices that include orange peel, cumin, star anise, licorice root, and coriander. The combination of these spices along with hops and barley gives Abbey Ale a bold fruity flavor with a really subtle candy taste. It also packs a nice big alcohol punch which can be nice if thats what you’re into. Like I said it is my absolute favorite so it is a must try although it could be a little too much for people that prefer lighter beer or people that just really really hate licorice.

Finally we have The Mother of Dragons which is one of Brewery Ommegang’s “Game of Thrones” beers. Yes you read that correctly, by some chance of fate this brewery in Upstate NY has the sole brewing rights to the “Game of Thrones” brand. They make a wide array of themed beers for the show including the Hand of the Queen and For the Throne that I mentioned early. The Mother of Dragons is a bold smoked porter and Belgian kriek blend which is basically a sour cherry beer from Belgum. This beer surely packs a punch like Daenerys Targaryen herself.

Of course the beer is always the main event at any brewery but that doesn’t mean thats all there is to a visit at Brewery Ommegang. If you’re hungry you could get food as a side to your beer from their newly renovated restaurant/patio area and man is it good. They serve everything from bratwurst and fries, to poutine and pizza. I’m very partial to their “crispy brussels sprouts” which are crunchy, savory and delicious. Believe it or not brussel sprouts are one of my favorite foods; catch my other blog at The BrusselSproutBoy.com. While you’re enjoying your beer and brussel sprouts you can also challenge your party to an intense game of giant connect four, corn hole or Jenga. Brewery Ommegang also has several events throughout the year such as grandstand concerts, a Christmas tree burning party, and their fire pit fridays every week.

Alright so I am relatively new to the blogging world but something I would like to do with every brewery is have a “view from your beer” picture. Which is pretty much what it sounds like, its something interesting that you’ll see while enjoying your time at the brewery. The photo below is actually from just to the right of that patio where I had my flight today. Brewery Ommegang is surrounded by a beautiful forest that really shines in the fall. I may be color blind but even I can tell you that fall in upstate New York creates some of the best views in nature. During the fall months the foliage surrounding Brewery Ommegang explode with color and its incredible if you get the chance to see it.

This weeks “view from your beer” here at Brewery Ommegang.

Brewery Ommegang really is a place where heaven met earth and stayed for a while. Nestled in the beautiful hills of Cooperstown there is no better place to sit back, have a beer, and enjoy the day.

You can visit Brewery Ommegang at 656 County Highway 33 Cooperstown, Ny 13326 or check them out at www.ommegang.com. Alright guys that was our first brewery! Thank you for reading and I’ll see you at the next one!

Cheers,

Austin Davis

The Brewery Boy

Tag: brewery

#2. Woodland Farm Brewery (Beers, beets, battlestar galactica.)

#1 Brewery Ommegang (Big Belgian Beer Heaven)