Beyond Wine Country

The Finger Lakes built their reputation on Riesling, and the wineries still dominate the tourism conversation. But over the past decade, the region’s craft brewery scene has grown into something worth planning a trip around on its own. The farm brewery license that New York introduced in 2012 requires at least 60 percent of ingredients to be grown in-state, which means Finger Lakes breweries are tied to the land in ways that most craft breweries are not. Several grow their own hops. Others source grain from farms within a 30-mile radius. The result is beer with a sense of place — and taprooms that range from converted barns on working hop farms to casual lakefront hangouts where the parking lot view includes Seneca Lake.

This guide covers the breweries worth visiting, grouped by the three main corridors: the Seneca Lake loop, the Ithaca area, and the Keuka Lake area. Each entry includes what they brew, whether they serve food, and the practical details that determine whether a stop fits into your day.

Seneca Lake Corridor

Two Goats Brewing (Watkins Glen)

Two Goats sits on the Seneca Lake waterfront in Watkins Glen, about a quarter mile south of the village center on Route 414. The setting is the draw: a casual indoor-outdoor space with picnic tables, string lights, and a direct view across Seneca Lake. The beer lineup rotates but typically includes six to eight options on tap — IPAs, wheat ales, stouts, and seasonal releases. The brewing leans approachable rather than experimental. The Goat Boy IPA is the mainstay, a West Coast-style IPA that stays in the rotation year-round.

Two Goats does not serve a full food menu, but food trucks park on-site during summer weekends, and the brewery welcomes outside food. Families are welcome; dogs are allowed on the patio. Open Thursday through Sunday in the off-season, daily in summer, typically noon to 8 p.m. The location makes it an easy end-of-day stop after a day in Watkins Glen — walk from downtown in 5 minutes.

Lucky Hare Brewing (Hector)

Lucky Hare occupies a renovated former mechanic’s shop on Route 414 in Hector, on the east side of Seneca Lake about 15 minutes north of Watkins Glen. The taproom is compact and no-frills, with a bar, a few tables, and a small outdoor patio. What distinguishes Lucky Hare is the brewing: owner and brewer Dharma Tamm focuses on traditional European styles — German lagers, Czech pilsners, English bitters, Belgian ales — executed with technical precision. The Hector Helles, a Munich-style lager, and the Seneca Stout are consistent standouts.

Lucky Hare does not serve food but allows outside food, and the nearby Hector restaurants (including the Stone Cat Cafe, a 2-minute drive north) fill the gap. Open Wednesday through Sunday, typically noon to 7 p.m. This is the brewery for visitors who prefer traditional craft over the hop-heavy IPA trend.

War Horse Brewing (Geneva)

War Horse is the brewing arm of 3 Brothers Wineries and Estates, located on Route 14 about 5 minutes south of Geneva on the west side of Seneca Lake. The property houses a winery, a brewery, and a coffee roastery under one roof, which makes it a practical stop for groups with mixed drink preferences. The brewery side pours eight to ten beers at any given time, with a focus on IPAs, ambers, and seasonal ales. The Riesling Ale, brewed with Finger Lakes Riesling grape juice, nods to the region’s wine identity without being a gimmick — it drinks like a light, slightly tart farmhouse ale.

War Horse has a full food menu including burgers, flatbreads, and pub fare, served in a large indoor dining area and an outdoor patio. Open daily, typically 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The scale of the property — three tasting experiences plus food — makes it a good two-hour stop rather than a quick beer.

Climbing Bines Hop Farm and Craft Ale Company (Penn Yan Area)

Climbing Bines is a working hop farm and brewery on Stever Hill Road, about 10 minutes east of Penn Yan in the rolling farmland between Seneca and Keuka Lakes. This is the Finger Lakes brewery where the connection between agriculture and beer is most visible: the hop bines grow on trellises that you can see from the taproom, and several beers use hops harvested within eyeshot of where you are drinking them. The Bines IPA and the Cascadian Dark Ale showcase their estate-grown hops. Seasonal releases change with the harvest.

The taproom is a converted barn with a large outdoor deck overlooking the hop yard. No kitchen, but food trucks appear on weekends in summer, and the brewery allows outside food. Bring a picnic. The setting — working farm, open sky, no nearby commercial strip — is the most distinctive of any brewery in the region. Open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 7 p.m. in season. Hours reduce in winter, so check before driving out.

Ithaca Area

Bandwagon Brewery (Downtown Ithaca)

Bandwagon occupies a small storefront on the Ithaca Commons, the city’s pedestrian downtown. The taproom is compact — maybe 30 seats inside — with a handful of outdoor tables on the Commons when weather permits. The beer focuses on session-strength, drinkable styles: pale ales, cream ales, brown ales, and wheat beers that sit in the 4 to 5 percent ABV range. Owner Nick Wager keeps the lineup intentionally restrained, brewing beers designed for a second pint rather than a single tasting pour. The Bandwagon Blonde is the flagship.

No food menu, but Ithaca’s downtown restaurants are within a two-block walk — grab a sandwich at any of a dozen spots and bring it back to the taproom. Open daily, typically noon to 9 p.m. The downtown location makes Bandwagon the easiest brewery stop in the region if you are already spending a day in Ithaca.

Liquid State Brewing Company (Ithaca)

Liquid State is on Pier Road, in the same waterfront area as the Ithaca Farmers Market, near the southern tip of Cayuga Lake. The taproom is a bright, industrial space — concrete floors, high ceilings, garage doors that open to an outdoor patio in warm months. The beer lineup runs broader than Bandwagon’s: IPAs (hazy and West Coast), sours, stouts, pilsners, and rotating experimental batches. The Finger Lakes Pilsner is the gateway beer, clean and straightforward. The rotating sour program draws a more adventurous crowd.

Liquid State serves a food menu of tacos, grain bowls, and snack plates — enough to make a meal. Open daily, typically noon to 9 p.m. (10 p.m. on weekends). The waterfront location pairs well with a Saturday morning at the Farmers Market (April through December) followed by afternoon beers.

Ithaca Beer Company (Ithaca)

The largest brewery in the Finger Lakes by production volume, Ithaca Beer operates a full-scale brewpub on Route 13 at the southern entrance to Ithaca. The space is big — a 200-seat taproom and restaurant with a beer garden that holds another 100 when the weather cooperates. The beer lineup includes their flagship Flower Power IPA, a floral, citrus-forward IPA that distributes across New York State and beyond; Apricot Wheat, a fruit wheat beer that has been a regional bestseller for two decades; and 10 to 15 additional taps including seasonal releases and taproom-only batches.

The kitchen runs a full restaurant menu: burgers, wings, salads, pizzas, and entrees priced in the $12 to $22 range. This is the Finger Lakes brewery where you can eat a full dinner while sampling the complete lineup. Open daily, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Families welcome. The scale and menu make it the safest choice for groups that include non-beer drinkers — cocktails and wine are also available.

Keuka Lake and Southern Tier

Steuben Brewing Company (Hammondsport Area)

Steuben Brewing operates out of a small farmhouse brewery in the hills above Hammondsport, the village at the southern tip of Keuka Lake. The setting is rural — vineyards and farms on all sides — and the brewery leans into that identity with farm-brewed ales that use local ingredients wherever possible. The taplist is small, typically four to six options, with a focus on English and Belgian-influenced ales. The Pulteney Pale Ale is a reliable session beer; seasonal releases often incorporate locally grown fruit.

No food service, but Hammondsport’s village square — with restaurants, a bakery, and a deli — is a 5-minute drive downhill. The outdoor seating overlooks farmland, and the pace is deliberately slow. Open Friday through Sunday in season, typically 1 to 7 p.m. Check their social media for current hours, as they shift seasonally. This is the smallest and most intimate brewery on this list — a good match for visitors who want a quiet beer in a rural setting.

Keuka Brewing Company (Hammondsport)

Keuka Brewing sits closer to Hammondsport village, on the road connecting the village to Keuka Lake’s west branch. The taproom is larger than Steuben’s, with a bar, tables, and a covered outdoor area. The lineup covers more ground: IPAs, lagers, stouts, and a rotating seasonal tap. The Keuka Gold, a golden ale, and the Eastside IPA are the regular pours that locals keep coming back for.

Food is available — a menu of pizzas, nachos, and pub snacks. Open Thursday through Sunday, typically noon to 8 p.m. The combination of food service, a reasonable beer range, and proximity to Hammondsport’s lakefront makes this a practical stop when visiting Keuka Lake.

Planning a Brewery Day

How Many Breweries in a Day

Three to four breweries is a comfortable day, mirroring the same logic that applies to wine tasting. A tasting flight at a brewery typically includes four to six 4-ounce pours, so each stop amounts to roughly one to one-and-a-half pints. After four stops, you are at four to six pints equivalent — enough to require a designated driver or a ride service. Eat between stops. Every brewery on this list either serves food or sits near a restaurant.

Combining Breweries and Wineries

Several of the best brewery days in the Finger Lakes pair a morning winery visit or two with an afternoon brewery stop. The Seneca Lake corridor makes this easiest: visit wineries on Route 14 or 414, then finish at Two Goats in Watkins Glen or War Horse near Geneva. In Ithaca, a morning at the Farmers Market flows into afternoon beers at Liquid State without moving your car.

Seasonality

Summer is peak season, when all breweries run full hours and outdoor seating is open. Fall brings seasonal releases — pumpkin ales, Oktoberfest lagers, wet-hop IPAs brewed with fresh hops harvested that week. Winter hours contract at the smaller operations (Climbing Bines, Steuben), so call ahead between November and April. The larger breweries (Ithaca Beer, War Horse, Liquid State) maintain year-round hours.

Designated Drivers and Transportation

The same rule applies as with wine: plan your driver before the first pour. Uber and Lyft have limited availability in the Finger Lakes outside of Ithaca — wait times of 20 to 45 minutes are common in rural areas. In Ithaca, rideshare works. On the Seneca Lake loop and the Keuka Lake area, a designated driver or a pre-arranged tour service is the practical solution. Several of the wine trail tour companies also run brewery-focused itineraries.