A guide to Buffalo breweries

The Buffalo area is brimming with great breweries, bars, and bottle shops. Plus, news and notes.

Note: This newsletter is supported by Donnelly’s Public House, a wonderful canal-side establishment in the village of Fairport.

Buffalo has really become one of my favorite cities. We’ve made some incredible friends there and have really enjoyed visiting many of the city’s sites and attractions.

And like Rochester, the beer scene has really grown, evolved, and matured over the past 10 years. It’s not an understatement to now say both cities boast brewery scenes that attract visitors from all over.

We like to visit whenever we can. And because my wife is truly amazing, that typically means a chance to visit some breweries. So here’s some thoughts, recommendations, and insights on my favorite spots in and around Buffalo.

Community Beer Works

CBW, 520 7th Street, which opened in its original location in 2012, really kicked off the second wave of Buffalo craft beer. (I like to think of CBW as the Roc Brewing of Buffalo. Roc Brewing opened around the same time and helped kickstart the brewery resurgence and renaissance we’ve experienced in Rochester.) Throughout its history, CBW has earned a reputation for quality beers and for its forward-thinking, community-oriented outlook.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a brewery with more variety on draft and the kitchen offers a nice range of options. (We love the carrot dog.) CBW is just a wonderful place to hang out, especially on a sunny day when the patio is buzzing and the garage door is open.

Favorites: CBW has earned a number of medals, including a gold medal at GABF for The Snow imperial stout. The brewery makes some of my favorite lagers in this region. During our recent visit, there were four (4!!!) Pilsners on draft. The Whale, a roasty, toasty brown ale, stands as one of my favorite flagships in western New York. If I could, I would always stock it in my fridge.

Advertisement: For exemplary takes on traditional styles and the best pretzel in town, make sure to visit Sager Beer Works in Rochester.

Big Ditch Brewing

It’s really impossible to top Big Ditch Brewing’s downtown location. A visit to this Huron Street establishment and you feel like you’re in the center of it all. The tasting room is huge and wide open.

Big Ditch features a great combination of food and beer. The Big Ditch fries, served with the malt vinegar aioli, are worth the drive down the Thruway. And there are few greater pleasures than fresh Hayburner IPA on draft. (It’s still pretty crazy to me that Hayburner, along Three Head’s The Kind, has become the quintessential WNY IPA. It’s almost always fresh and is a great value.)

Favorites: Like I wrote earlier, it’s pretty hard to top fresh Hayburner at the source. I’m also a big proponent of seeking out whatever small-batch releases are on draft. And I’ve loved pretty much every entry I’ve had from the brewery’s Lock IPA series.

Resurgence Brewing

Resurgence Brewing, like its old neighbor CBW, has grown up a ton during its lifetime. It moved from its original Niagara Street spot to a palatial, awe-inspiring location on Chicago Street in the booming Old First Ward neighborhood in 2019.

It’s not an understatement to call the Chicago Street location palatial. I can count on one hand the number of breweries I’ve visited on one hand that made my jaw drop to the ground upon entering for the first time.

Favorites: Resurgence has done a wonderful job of capturing Buffalo in its beer. Whether it be the IPA dedicated to legendary stadium vendor Conehead or the iconic “Dallas is going down” declaration from Bills superfan Marc Miller, Resurgence does wonderful work in embracing the Buffalo zeitgeist. When I visit, I like to see what’s newest in these Buffalo-style IPAs and give those a shot.

Thin Man Brewing

Mike Shatzel is a towering figure in Buffalo beer. (He’s also tall.) He’s a pioneer. And through his curation, he’s responsible for introducing WNY to so many incredible breweries through his bars, Blue Monk (RIP), Moor Pat, Coles, and so many others. He also helped bring the Shelton Brothers Festival to Buffalo in 2019. It’s still the best beer fest I’ve ever attended.

So it should be no surprise that Shatzel has taken that worldly focus and brought it to his brewery, Thin Man. The Buffalo spot, which now features multiple locations since it opened its original Elmwood Avenue spot in 2016, has collaborated with breweries across the country and world. Head brewer Rudy Watkins, the original head brewer at CBW, is certainly one of the most adventurous brewers around. Thin Man has gained attention for its hazy IPAs, but through Watkins, the brewery has also resurrected older styles and produced some incredible traditional lagers. Thin Man can do it all.

Favorites: The brewery’s Minkey Boodle, an incredibly vibrant raspberry kettle sour, is an all-timer for me. It’s hard to pass up whatever hoppy beer is freshest at And increasingly, I’ve gravitated toward the freshest Thin Man lager. Thin Man made an incredible Czech dark lager in collaboration with Other Half recently and I still dream about the brewery’s oak-aged Pilsner from early 2021. Hope both of those return soon.

Pressure Drop Brewing

Karl Kolbe is one of my favorite people in the universe. He’s also one of the most talented brewers in this region. And his hoppy offerings are truly some of the best I’ve ever had. From dank West Coast IPAs to juicy hazies, Karl doesn’t miss. I’ve been equally impressed with his rich barrel-aged stouts, too.

Pressure Drop recently opened its first standalone taproom on Elmwood Avenue. And I can’t wait to visit. People have been raving about the brewery’s new food menu, too.

Favorites: Just order something hoppy and you’ll be happy. But don’t overlook the quick sours.

42 North Brewing

East Aurora’s 42 North Brewing is one of the coolest destination breweries in our area. The brewery is known for its attention to detail and range of festivals and gatherings. It was one of the first breweries around to open a dedicated barrel-aging facility. 42N also operates an on-site AirBnb called the Lofts at 42 North. (It purchased a neighboring apartment building and converted into these really cool loft-style hotel rooms where visitors can stay overnight at the brewery.)

Favorites: I’m a huge fan of the brewery’s Asylum Porter and also love the White Oak Borderland IPA.

Other Buffalo highlights

My favorite bottle shops: Brewed and Bottled in Lewiston (also features a great draft list to enjoy on premise); Premier Gourmet in Amherst and Cheektowaga; Aurora Brew Works in East Aurora (also with a great draft selection; Magic Bear Beer Cellar in Larkinville; The Beer Keep in Elmwood Village (also killer draft selection).

My favorite bars: Mr. Goodbar; Coles; Moor Pat and its sister establishment Moor Room; Founding Fathers Pub; Electric Avenue.

Other notable breweries: 12 Gates Brewing in Williamsville; Old First Ward Brewing at Gene McCarthy’s in Buffalo; Belt Line Brewery in Buffalo; West Shore Brewing in Clarence; Flying Bison Brewing (the Buffalo OG) in Buffalo; Froth Brewing in Buffalo.

News and notes

1. One of my favorite breweries in Ontario County, Manchester’s Reinvention Brewing, is turning five this weekend. Brewer/owner George Aldrich does a really nice job with classic, approachable beers. The brewery in the old ice cream shop has become a true gathering place. And to celebrate, Reinvention is planning stuff for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/684315506193479.

2. Genesee Country Village & Museum is bringing back one of its coolest events, History on Tap. This year’s version will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, June 3. Tickets include a chance to tour the museum’s 1800s-era working brewery, one of the few of its kind in the country, and sample beers from title sponsor Rohrbach Brewing. Rohrbach actually produces two historic beers for the museum. The event will have huge range of local breweries, too. Vendors will be set up throughout the property, allowing attendees to see many of the museum’s sites.

3. Three Buffalo spots, The Beer Keep, Jack Rabbit, and Breezy Burrito Bar, are teaming up to host the first Elmwood Summerfest on Sunday, June 26 in the city’s Elmwood Village neighborhood. At its core, the Summerfest is a celebration of beer, food, community, and music, according to organizers. There will be a hot dog-eating competition, live music, and a beer tent. Tickets are on sale now.

Title sponsor: Donnelly’s Public House

This work is made possible through support from Donnelly’s Public House, 1 Water St. in Fairport. So make sure to get out to Fairport and support one of the best establishments in our area.

I remain open to sponsorships, sponsored content, and advertisements, especially if it’ll keep the newsletter free for readers. And if you have information about upcoming releases, events, or happenings, don’t hesitate to reach out. For more information, feel free to drop me a line at clevelandprost@gmail.com.

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