If you consider yourself a craft beverage connoisseur, Brew Central is the place to prove it. If you’re a craft beer buff, hard cider sipper, vodka devotee, whiskey aficionado or wine-meister, then welcome home. Our roots in rich hop history continue to grow with the baddest craft beverages out there made by the coolest people around. If you’re into endless craft beverage sampling, cool brew fests and killer concerts, we’ve got everything you need to plan the ultimate brew tour filled with over 100 places, tons of great events and some of the best times you’ll ever have.
It’s all set in the adventurous outdoors and agricultural bounty of Central New York, the craft beverage oasis in between Niagara Falls and New York City. It’s easy to get here from many major U.S. and Canadian cities.
Why wait to visit? Learn more about the people and places that make Brew Central America’s Craft Brew Destination right now in our award-winning “Stories on Tap” YouTube series. Meet some of the colorful personalities behind the stories, traditions and tastes that make a trip to Brew Central a memorable journey and incredible experience. Each episode features a different brewer, distiller or vintner dedicated to making great drinks and building communities around them.
Hidden Springs Brewhouse started as an idea for a hop farm that Krista Porter-Moore and her husband, Mark Moore, would maintain in retirement – a hobby operation. They wanted to supply the growing number of breweries in the region, but instead decided to join them. What Hidden Springs became was a craft beverage beacon in the rural town of Norwich, New York, with beers worthy of awards.
Get a taste of and start planning your trip to America's Craft Brew Destination with our interactive map.
The pubs of Central New York take pride in offering the best brews from New York state and beyond. Enjoy a pint from the carefully selected, craft-centric taps awaiting you in Brew Central, where the only tradition stronger than making beer, ciders, spirits and wines is serving them.
Just over 125 years ago, Central New York growers made the 12-county region the hop capital of the country. The fertile soils of Brew Central produced 90 percent of the nation’s hops in the late 1800s and the state was the No. 1 beer producer in the U.S. for decades.
Brewery Ommegang beers are distributed coast to coast and a favorite among craft brew fans, especially the popular and much-sought-after “Game of Thrones” series that has placed them more prominently on the map in recent years. That came about when HBO approached the brewery about putting together beers inspired by characters.
Back in the 1950s and ’60s, Utica Club was the big beer coming out of F.X. Matt Brewing Co. The premier upstate brew was promoted by two talking steins, Schultz and Dooley, a beloved pair who appeared on local television. Utica Club is still produced by F.X. Matt and the steins are still coveted by collectors from around the world.
This baseball decanter from Cooperstown Distillery is as authentic as it gets, right down to the 108 stitches it mimics from the real thing. The top is made from ash wood like a bat. Flip it over to find a baseball diamond bottom. These are so popular, owner Eugene Marra even sells them empty.
Founded in 1978, the Boilermaker 15K Road Race draws elite runners from around the world, but it’s also known for its legendary post-race party at F.X. Matt Brewing Co. in Utica, New York. Saranac beer flows cold and plentiful for more than 17,000 runners along with friends, family and locals.
Beer Tree Brew Co. has a healthy obsession with the Northeast region’s signature style: the New England IPA. Hazy, juicy and just plain delicious, the young Binghamton-area brewery has produced dozens upon dozens of variations they constantly add to their rotation.
Erica and Brian Weiss welcome you to their backyard ... which also happens to be a one-of-a-kind biergarten.
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If you walk into Wayward Lane Brewing as a craft beer newbie, they’ve got something you’ll like. If you’re a more seasoned craft connoisseur, you might reach for a wild ale fermented with various fruits or even foraged material from the farm. Either way – or at many points in between – Wayward Lane in the idyllic community of Schoharie, New York, has you covered.
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Chuck Williamson took his hard-earned expertise from a kitchen in Queens to a bucolic brewery in the heart of upstate New York, where Butternuts Beer & Ale has grown national recognition. He was one of the first craft brewers to use aluminum, but the catch is not only his cans.
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Keith Redhead has something to teach you about beer. In fact, you’ll learn there’s some kind of craft beer you like even if you’re a newbie when you visit his brewery in Marcy, New York. Woodland Farm Brewery Brewer/Owner Redhead started out as a teacher/homebrewer, putting just as much time into brewing as he did his lesson plans.
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Cream, red and pale. The gentlemen behind Stump City Brewing Co. will tell you just make beer. It’s a philosophy as humble as their surroundings: a barn-like structure located behind co-founder Matt Sherman’s house.
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Craft brew fan? Then you’re probably into the trivia nights, live music and release parties that craft beverage producers and pubs tend to host. Stay up to date on the latest games, local artists and new beers right here.
