Finger Lakes Breweries, Cideries & Distilleries Worth Visiting
Wine may be what the Finger Lakes is famous for, but the craft beverage scene here goes well beyond the vineyard. A thriving collection of breweries, cideries, and distilleries has taken root across the region, many of them on working farms just a short drive from our hotel. Whether you’re a beer drinker, a cider enthusiast, or a spirits explorer, there’s plenty to taste your way through on your next visit.
There's More than Great Wine in the Finger Lakes
Craft beer lovers will feel right at home in the Finger Lakes, where a growing collection of small, family-owned New York breweries adds another layer of flavor to the region. The area has quietly become a favorite destination for beer enthusiasts, with tasting rooms and brew pubs scattered throughout the countryside, many of them built around farms and historic spaces that reflect the character of the lakes.
The Finger Lakes Cider Trail showcases the region’s rich apple-growing heritage and thriving hard cider scene, inviting visitors to taste a wide range of handcrafted ciders right where they are made. The Trail spans orchards and cider tasting rooms clustered between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, making it easy to explore these scenic lakeside spots.
Distilleries add another flavorful layer to the Finger Lakes craft beverage experience. Local distillers invite guests to sample thoughtfully crafted spirits, from smooth bourbons and whiskies to aromatic gins, vodkas, and fruit brandies, all made with the same care and creativity found throughout the Finger Lakes.
The Best Finger Lakes Breweries Nearby
- Garrett’s Brewing: Minutes from our Inn, this local brewery is a casual spot to drop in for fresh-brewed double IPAs, pale ales, or wild hop stouts.
- Liquid State Brewing: This Finger Lakes brewery has two locations, one in downtown Ithaca and a newly opened outpost on the North shore of Cayuga Lake. It offers beer styles ranging from dark to light, Belgian to sour.
- Lake House Brewing: Visit this brewery by car or boat on the shore of Cayuga Lake for house-brewed ales with local ingredients. They share the lakefront property with Goose Watch Winery, so you’ll have the best of both worlds in one stop.
- Ithaca Beer Co.: A long-standing Finger Lakes brewery known for its creative, approachable beers that reflect the region’s character. With a welcoming taproom and a wide range of seasonal and flagship brews, it’s an easy stop for relaxing with a pint after a day of exploring the lakes and countryside.
- Two Goats Brewing: For a laid-back lakeside brewery on Seneca Lake, known for its small-batch craft beers and relaxed outdoor setting. It’s a favorite stop for enjoying a fresh pint, live music, and sweeping lake views that capture the easygoing spirit of the Finger Lakes.
Explore the Finger Lakes Cider Trail
- Black Diamond Farm and Cider: The focus here is on hand-crafted ciders made from heirloom and European bittersweet apple varietals. Make an appointment to taste these bright and refreshing drinks at the Cider Shack on the farm.
- Bellwether Hard Cider: Since 1999, this cidery has created French-style apple-based ciders in the Finger Lakes region. It offers ten varieties of hard cider, from very dry to semi-sweet.
- Finger Lakes Cider House: Along the scenic Route 89 on Cayuga Lake, this cidery is partnered with Good Life Farm to produce fresh and complex hard apple ciders—head on in for tasting flights and pours, as well as farm-to-table dining options.
- Redbyrd Orchard Cider & Kombucha: For a modern, creative approach to cider making, blending traditional apple fermentations with unexpected flavors and techniques. Set on a working orchard, it’s a relaxed and flavorful stop where you can taste thoughtfully crafted ciders.
- Blackduck Cidery: This family-run orchard-based cidery in Ovid crafts small batches of wild-fermented cider, perry, vinegars, and fruit beverages using fruit grown right on their Finger Lakes orchard.
Distilleries in the Finger Lakes
- Myer Farm Distilling: This Finger Lakes distillery makes vodka, gin, and whiskey with grain from its organic farm. Enjoy a spirits tasting or a cocktail at its distillery, which is modeled after a Scottish-style malt house.
- Finger Lakes Distilling: Visit this Seneca Lake distillery, home to the McKenzie Brand spirits label, known for its whiskey, rye, gin, and vodka. From the tasting bar, you can observe the production room and sip some hand-crafted spirits made from local grains and produce.
- Alder Creek Distilling: Find a cozy spot by the fire or out in the fresh air on the deck for a tasting of spirits distilled on-site. If wine is more your speed, they have that too, from their label, Idol Ridge Winery.
Worth Minimum Stay Requirements!
Highly recommend for the comfort, the breakfast, and the host; it’s worth any minimum stay requirements. This is a place of comfort, from the living area to our room to the welcoming host. Keep in touch with her about your arrival time, preferred breakfast times and limitations, and she will take good care of you. It was a REALLY good fresh local breakfast. I would love to stay again, either to explore the area more or just to set up my laptop and work from there between outings.