Rochester Real Beer Expo 2025 preview!
I decided one look at my favorite night of the year wasn't enough.
Not sure if I’ve shared this one before, but it’s still one of my favorite local beer memories from my 11 years chronicling the WNY beer scene:
(Quick aside: Yesterday was the 11th anniversary of my first-ever beer byline for the D&C — what a wild ride.)
Curating and helping to organize the Rochester Real Beer Expo for two years stands as one of my proudest accomplishment. We managed to sell a combined 4,500 tickets and feature more than 150 beverage vendors.
One moment from my first year in 2023 still stands at the forefront of my memory:
This random guy walked up to me and said, “Hey, I know you don’t know, but I’m enjoying this event. And I just wanted to share that I really needed to take a shit and found a quiet toilet with no issue. Then I was able to take care of business and get back to partying ASAP.”
Or something like that. I’m probably paraphrasing. The 2025 Real Beer Expo, the 13th in the illustrious history of Rochester’s best beer event, takes place Saturday at Innovative Field. And beautifully, there will be plenty of bathrooms to use, because the infrastructure at Innovative Field, home of the Rochester Red Wings Triple-A baseball team, is perfect for a large-scale event like this. You won’t ever have to wait in line to use the bathroom and there will be an almost overwhelming amount of craft beverages to enjoy during the four-hour event (or five, if you secure VIP tickets, which I heartily recommend).
Photo: Here’s me and Conehead at last year’s event.
The details
The 2025 Rochester Real Beer Expo returns for its 13th edition on Saturday, June 7. the event takes over Innovative Field from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (VIP access starts at 5:00 p.m.). Tickets are on sale now.
Organized by the Business Association of the South Wedge Area (BASWA) (it also benefits BASWA), this year’s expo boasts a list curated by BrewBuddies founder Rob Richenberg (who we recently profiled in the newsletter) and features 75 breweries, cideries, and craft beverage producers. It’s a lineup that celebrates the depth of Rochester’s local brewing scene while welcoming some top names from the regional stage. You can explore the full brewery list and stay updated here: rochesterrealbeer.com/the-beer
More on tickets: VIP tickets are $75 and get you early access at 5:00 p.m., a special tasting glass, and exclusive beers available in limited quantities. That extra hour is clutch. I wholeheartedly recommend taking advantage of it. Plus, those 600 VIP tickets have never not sold out. And then there’s general Admission, which costs $55 and gains you entry at 6 p.m. Each ticket comes with unlimited tastings. Food is not included but will be available for purchase from an excellent slate of Innovative Field food vendors.
The beverages
I spent an inordinate amount of time studying this tantalizing vendor list and I tried to narrow down the stuff I’m most excited about to five or six standouts. But I ultimately failed and there will be stuff I neglected to highlight that will probably become my favorite of the night. So this is a rundown of spots I won’t miss. It includes a list of spots that participated in my last two events, some newcomers, and some local standouts.
Trophy Brewing: If you’ve followed this space, you know how much I love this North Carolina brewery. Brewery co-founder Chris Powers is a Henrietta native, so it’s always cool to have him pour his beers in his hometown. And I never miss a chance to drink Trophy beers. We even got the chance to visit the Raleigh last year for my bday. It doesn’t even matter what Trophy brings, because the brewery excels at every style and the beer is guaranteed to be excellent. I am giddy.
Okay Beer Co. and Frequentem Brewing: As the father of two kids under the age of 3, my schedule is (rightfully and awesomely) dictated by nap and sleep schedules. There’s an unofficial official 7 p.m. curfew in the Cleveland household, because the bedtime routine is sacred and must be followed. Because of that, I don’t get to some of the places on the outskirts of Rochester as much as I’d like. That list really starts with Honeoye Falls-based Okay and Canandaigua’s Frequentem. Both of these breweries rock. They’re both making some of the best beer in this region (and beyond). And the Expo is a prime time to enjoy some beer from these two spots.
Endless Life Brewing: There are a few intriguing newcomers. This Brooklyn brewery is among the ones I am most excited about. I’ve never had a single Endless Life beer, but I’ve heard fantastic reports from nerdy friends who know. And I love how Endless focuses on NYS ingredients in all of its beer, which skew toward sessionability and nuance. Any time a brewery describes its beers as rustic, I am instantly intrigued.
Counterpart Brewing: Simply put, I am in love with this Niagara Falls-based brewery. I look for excuses to cross the border every month or two so I can eat at Counterpart (the food is just as good as the beer) and load up on goodies to bring back to Rochester. I was so stoked that this crew came to party with us in 2023 and then again 2024. I am very, very excited Rob reached out to them again and to see that Counterpart will be at the upcoming Expo. Prepare to get spoiled, all.
Kent Beer Co.: As I stated above, I don’t often leave the house (and when I do, it’s usually for a concert/show after each of the kids is asleep and my wife is encouraging me to get out of the house for sanity’s sake). So this next pick is all about convenience. I’ve known Ed Kent for well over a decade now. He opened a brewery a few years back on his family farm in the Southern Tier. And I’ve long been impressed with how Ed crafts beer that showcase his property. That’s why I am particularly excited that Kent beers will be available in Rochester this weekend. He’s saving us the trip to the Southern Tier, but we should all definitely visit in the near future.
Aporia Coffee, Katboocha, and Happy Gut Sanctuary: These Rochester-based producers are the places you need to hit up when your palate is fatigued and you need a refreshing reset. Wade at Aporia roasts incredible coffee (trust me, I’m no expert and Wade is the type of person who can educate you while you get to enjoy something delicious). We have an embarrassment of riches in Rochester when it comes to craft beverages. Katboocha and Happy Gut are two of the key reasons for that assessment. Each spot delivers incredibly tasty (non-alcoholic) kombucha and they do so quite differently. Katboocha offers a bit more whimsical flavor combos. Happy Gut (not to say that it doesn’t produce some truly imaginative stuff) skews a bit more traditional as it often showcases really cool teas as the baseline for its beverages.
Please, please don’t miss out on this one. I hope we cross paths. I’m really excited to experience and enjoy this one as a patron.
A final note: It’s pretty wild to think I’ve been working on this independent publication for over two years now. In that time, I’ve published more than 250 newsletters, highlighted some of my favorite people in the industry, curated two beers festivals (that featured 150 participants and 4,600 attendees), and continued to break all the biggest news in the region (closures, consolidations, openings, etc.).
The Cleveland Prost remains the preeminent source for regional beer news. If you own a brewery, bar, or beer-adjacent business, this is the best place to reach the nerds you wanna be in front of. So I remain open to sponsorships, advertisements, and sponsored content. Feel free to reach out to me at clevelandprost@gmail.com for more. And more than anything, thanks for all the support. None of this would be possible without the devoted (and thirsty) audience.