Cafés, Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries Near Watkins Glen to Visit for a Drink
Last updated on August 14, 2024.
The Finger Lakes region is renowned for its incredible craft beverage industry. It started with wineries, but breweries, distilleries, and cideries have been joining the scene. And it’s not all alcohol, many of these places have great selections of NA beers and mocktails too. Then there’s the incredible locally-roasted coffee at quaint cafés. So here’s a list of wineries and breweries near Watkins Glen – and other watering holes too.
Seneca Sunrise Coffee
The best way to start your morning in Watkins Glen is by getting a fresh cup of coffee at Seneca Sunrise Coffee Company. Owned by Mindi Beheydt, Seneca Sunrise is an artisan coffee roaster, creating single-origin roasts made exclusively from Fair-Trade coffee growers. In addition to ordering fresh cups of coffee and espresso at the café, customers can also purchase bags of coffee and other locally made goods to take home. The café also serves bubble tea, fruit smoothies, and frappés.
Mindi partners with other local businesses to create signature blends of coffee. Like the McKenzie Distiller’s Blend, made with Finger Lakes Distilling. Or the Dean Lane Breakfast Blend for a local bed & breakfast.
The Beerocracy & Seneca Lake Brewing Co.
If you wish you could take a trip to London, but don’t have the time or budget, head to Watkins Glen instead. Just north of the village you’ll find The Beerocracy & Seneca Lake Crewing Company. Bradley Gillett, a British expat who settled in the Finger Lakes, opened the brewery in 2014. From the photo of King George hanging above the bar to the well-stocked shelves of British snacks and drinks, this is the closest you can get to an authentic British pub anywhere around.
Bradley specializes in cask ales, unfiltered with more complex flavors and stored/served at cellar temperatures. He brews them on an 8-barrel system that was imported from the UK. In fact, Beerocracy has more beer engines (the special tap handles for cask ales) than any other place in the United States. So it’s also no surprise that the brewery hosts an annual Cask Ale Festival every May.
Visitors to the brewery can also purchase traditional meat pies (frozen) to go. Or enjoy a pot of noodles or bag of crisps at the bar. PS – when you visit, be sure to check out both bathrooms. One is filled with Doctor Who paraphernalia (Bradley’s favorite). The other is filled with Spice Girls memorabilia (from one of Bradley’s birthday bashes).
Grist Iron
Located along the eastern shores of Seneca Lake, Grist Iron Brewing Company is more than just a brewery. It’s an entire beer campus. It’s a full experience.
But let’s start with the brewery first. Grist Iron was established in 2015 by a partnership of 6 friends. (Hence the six spokes in the logo.) Each partner brings a different skillset to the company, whether it is brewing beer, creating a delicious menu, marketing, managing, or something else crucial to their operations.
The brewery and taproom is open every day of the week except Wednesday, serving ice cold beers and smoking hot food for happy customers. Grist Iron prides itself on offering a wide variety of beer styles. From fruited sours to hoppy IPAs and rich stouts to wheat ales, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy. Including nonalcoholic options. The accompanying kitchen serves up a mix of pizzas, burgers, appetizers, and barbecue. Plus they cater to vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets.
The Lodge at Grist Iron
In addition to the brewery at Grist Iron, the beer campus also has a both a lodge for guests to spend the night. When visitors check into the hotel, they are greeted with a welcome pint of fresh beer. Each of the 9 guest rooms features beer-themed yet minimalistic design that has all the amenities you could need. And yes, some of the rooms are even dog-friendly!
If that’s not enough, there’s also a large farmhouse for rent on the property. The farmhouse can fits groups up to 16 people.
Additionally, visitors to Grist Iron have access to most of the 150 acres. Up on the hill above the main buildings are miles of trails and a disc golf course. The venue also has multiple spaces to cater to large events, both indoor and out.
Two Goats Brewing Company
If you’re looking for a delicious pint of beer with great views of Seneca Lake, look no further than Two Goats Brewing in Burdett, NY. The brewery, owned by Jon and Jess Rodgers, is located in a restored 19th century barn. And since its opening in 2010, it has been making a name for itself. For all the best reasons.
Let’s back up first. Where did the name come from? Well, two goats of course! Okay not just Jess’s childhood goats. It also comes from their shared love of dopplebock beer (a literal translation of ‘two goats’) and their Capricorn tendencies.
The brewery features goats everywhere. In the artwork, the door handles, and even the beer taps. I just wish there had been an actual goat to pet… Alas, I settled for drinking some delicious beers instead! Two Goats has a humble amount of space inside the barn, but a sprawling deck and large outdoor music area more than make up for it.
Two Goats’ Charitable Giving
When you visit the brewery, you’ll notice dollar bills tacked all over the wooden beams and ceiling. What started as a fun bar trick has turned into thousands of dollars in charitable donations. It has become a pastime, even a rite of passage, for guests to stick their dollars to the barn structure. Ask the bartender to help you! And every year they take down all the dollars and donate them to local charities.
Finger Lakes Distilling
Looking for something a bit more upscale than beer in a barn? (Even though it’s awesome…) Head over to Finger Lakes Distilling. Established in 2009, it is the second oldest farm distillery in New York State. Over the past fifteen years, they’ve perfected their craft and now serve several award-winning spirits. I was quite surprised to discover that those spirits include soju and brandy, rare finds in New York. But my favorites? Their gins, of course.
The venue is gorgeous and the staff is phenomenal. They are happy to share stories about the distillery and the spirit making processes. (Shout out to Scott who handled my tasting.) In addition to their spirits, they are known for their fabulous Kentucky Derby parties. And the stills have some of the best views of Seneca Lake. This is definitely a place that should be on your itinerary of wineries, distilleries, and breweries near Watkins Glen.
Atwater Vineyards
In addition to the distilleries and breweries near Watkins Glen, it’s no surprise that there are some great wineries too. After all, that’s the industry that started it all in the Finger Lakes. First up is Atwater Vineyards. The tasting room for the winery is located in a beautifully restored historic building with stunning views of the lake. And while ownership of the winery has changed hands over the years, their dedication to creating unique, flavorful wines has not faltered.
In addition to standard tastings, Atwater also hosts a variety of live events. Live music, food trucks, wine pairing dinners, virtual tastings, and mocktail nights are just some of the events on their calendar.
Barnstormer Winery
There’s something about historic barns in the Finger Lakes that make for great tasting rooms. Like Two Goats Brewing in Burdett and Abandon Brewing in Penn Yan, Barnstormer Winery is also housed in a 19th century barn. The aviation-themed winery was established in 2013 in a barn from the early 1800s in Rock Stream, New York – just north of Watkins Glen. The stunning tap room features replica planes flying from the ceiling, and two separate tasting areas.
Customers can order wine by the sample or by the glass at the 360-degree bar in the front room. In the summer months they open their Hangar Bar outside along with 3 cabanas. As a bonus, the winery is dog-friendly.
Lakewood Vineyards
Lakewood Vineyards is a family-owned winery established in 1989. Now, as they celebrate their 35th anniversary, they are on their third-generation of family members operating vineyards that span 100 acres. Through the grapes they harvest, they create wines that cover the range from sweet to dry, fruity to earthy, still to bubbly. There is truly a style for everyone.
Throughout the year, Lakewood Vineyards is host to several events. Most notably, they hold a fundraiser for the local Humane Society in the summer. In the winter, their tasting room and tank room transform into a winter wonderland for Seneca Lake’s Deck the Halls.
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