Notebook: A satisfying Syracuse visit

Audie and Will visit two Syracuse-area breweries and leave happy; Plus, exciting news about an upcoming lager-focused brewery in Syracuse.

My wife Cassie had to work on a random Saturday. That meant I faced a daunting and fun day of solo parenting.

And that meant we could either hang out in and around Rochester in some familiar settings or we explore some new breweries. The car has become a secret parenting weapon.

Audie seemingly falls asleep instantaneously once he’s secured in his car seat and the wheels are in motion. Plus, I wanted to make an overdue visit to Underground Beer Lab. After touching base with a Syracuse friend, the decision was made to head that way for the afternoon.

I’ve enjoyed getting to know the Syracuse-area beer scene more over the past two or three years. I’ve tried to visit as many breweries in that region as possible, while also returning to some favorites.

Underground Beer Lab

In just a year, one of Onondaga’s smallest breweries has become one of its best. Brewer/owner Keith Lindner, the East Syracuse’s Underground Beer Lab, produces some of the best hazy and New England-style IPAs in this region.

(And if you really want to get weird, just ask Keith, who holds a doctorate in some nerdy field, the difference between the two styles or why he labels his beers with both monikers. I say this with love btw.)

I’m a huge huge fan of Keith’s IPAs, because they are expressive, balanced, and drinkable. You’ll never get bludgeoned over the head with hop burn, chalkiness, and heaviness. Sometimes it can feel like these IPAs are packaged too fresh and would benefit from more time in the Brite tank or in the can. That’s not the case with UBL. The beers are at peak-drinking condition when packaged.

And for its recent first-year anniversary, UBL released three new IPAs, a yeast-driven saison with NYS-grown hops, a citrus-forward barleywine, and a great black lager. I’ve also had some really, really nice wood-aged lagers from UBL.

I’m a big, big fan and I can’t wait to visit again soon.

Local 315 Brewing

The name really says it all: Local 315 Brewing. Located northwest of Syracuse in Warners, Onondaga County, Local 315 is a true farm brewery. The brewery is in a barn. There are goats. And you’re surrounded by fields. It’s a perfect place to enjoy a sunny spring day. (Which is exactly what we did.)

(I can even confirm that the bathroom is baby-friendly, because Audie decided to puke all over me while we were there. Twice.)

Local 315 is a great place to hang out and have a conversation with a friend. It’s one of those places where it feels like life can slow down. The beers were straightforward and solid. I enjoyed a really refreshing Kolsch and a classic NYS pale ale (one with locally grown hops) while hanging out there. We’ll be back. Probably to visit the goats again.

Brewery Novalis

If I was any more excited for Chris Deapo and April Morovich to open Brewery Novalis, it would be illegal. (And yes, I use this line quite a bit, including the lede of my initial newsletter. But you’ll have to trust me, because I’m really THAT excited.)

Chris and April, who are married, spent the previous three years leading brewing operations at New Hampshire’s Schilling Beer Co. At Schilling, Chris and April produced some of the finest domestic-brewed lagers and traditional styles anywhere. (In the Rochester area, we actually see limited distribution of some of Schilling’s flagships. And they are worth seeking out.) Schilling went from a brewery on no one’s radar to one of the most lauded lager breweries in the country.

I’m hoping Chris, a Liverpool native, and April can bring that same excitement to central New York. (There’s no question they will.) They plan to open Novalis later this summer in the city of Syracuse.

Chris, who has also brewed and blended at Vermont’s Magic Hat Brewing (now part of the same company as Genesee) and California’s Phantom Carriage Brewing, has turned into a quick friend. We’ve spent a ton of time chatting and texting about beer and life. I’ve been struck by his easygoing nature, candor, and willingness to share unfiltered beer knowledge. He’s one of those folks that I feel has made me smarter and more discerning about beer.

With the pendulum seemingly swinging back toward balance and traditional styles, at least anecdotally and from my observations at many Rochester-area breweries like Swiftwater, Sager, and Nine Maidens, I think there is plenty of space available for Novalis to thrive. I envision many drives to Syracuse in my future to pick up cases of fresh local lager.

Other Syracuse spots I love

Here’s an incomplete list of Syracuse breweries and bars I really enjoy. (This is delivered with the realization that I’ve yet to visit many spots in Syracuse.)

Favorite breweries: Talking Cursive, Buried Acorn, and Middle Ages (the original and still the best).

Bottle shops/taprooms: All Who Wander and Now & Later.

Still high on my list to check out: Willow Rock Brewing, ONCO Fermentations, and Heritage Hill Brewhouse.

News and notes

• The man I affectionately refer to as my beer dad, Naked Dove co-founder Don Cotter, texted me today from Birdhouse Brewing in Honeoye, Ontario County, and reminded me I’ve been remiss. (Don served as the officiant at our wedding.) I need to revisit Birdhouse ASAP. The space is cozy and the beers have always been well crafted. So this note is just a reminder to myself to get down to Birdhouse in the coming weeks. It’s hard to beat sitting on that wraparound porch or the grassy area along the creek with a great beer. And if you haven’t visited, remedy that.

• Like Birdhouse, this is a reminder that Audie and I need to visit Geneva’s Brewery Ardennes in the very near future. It’s hard to think of another spot in the state that is so breathtakingly cool, paying so much attention to the smallest details (in both the restoration of the historic sheep barn and Belgian-style beers). Plus, it is just around the corner from Big aLICe Brewing and minutes down the road from the rest of the vibrant Geneva brewing scene.

  

• Beer is meant to be shared. And that’s precisely why I love all the work that’s currently being done to make it even more inclusive. Kelly Guilfoyle and her Drink Like A Girl group is pushing to include more and more women in beer locally. Drink Like A Girl just held its latest festival and fun run this past weekend on the Pont de Rennes bridge overlooking High Falls in downtown Rochester. It has also hosted events in Geneva and Auburn. “We create events around craft beer and woman empowerment,” the group boasts on its site. So like the two notes above, this is a reminder for all of us to support this awesome group and attend its events in the future.

One final note…

Thanks for tuning in again and again. I’ve been blown away with the level of engagement in just the first month. The level of subscribers and engagement has far exceeded even my most optimistic projections. (Paid subscriptions are on the horizon.)

I’ve got some more fun stuff planned. And I’m also open to sponsorships. For more information, feel free to drop me a line at clevelandprost@gmail.com.

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