Eat, Drink and Be Murphy: Your passport to great craft beverages of Finger Lakes

Mike Murphy, MPNnow

February 4, 2022 at 5:01 AM·5 min read

For many, this is the time of year when folks are thirsting for a vacation.

Forget Margaritaville; there's plenty of places around here for a good, locally crafted beverages to quench your desire for something new and to forget about work for a while. So why not embark on an epic journey through Ontario, Monroe, Wayne and Livingston counties? There are good reasons for it and if you do, you’d better get a passport.

That will help you to ensure you pay a visit to each of the 37 breweries, wineries, distilleries and cideries throughout the area by joining the 2022 ROC/FLX Craft Beverage Trail Passport program.

“This is an amazing collaboration that showcases our local craft beverage producers as well as a great way to expand your palate,” stated Jennifer Newman, owner of Young Lion Brewing Co.

The Canandaigua craft brewery, which is a participant in the passport program, and the other participating ROC/FLX Craft Beverage Trail members offer a special deal inside the passport, which costs $25.

That could be a free wine flight, a half-priced pint, a buy-one get-one free flight, percentage off on purchases and so on.

The passport is stamped during each visit. Once all 37 passport stamps have been collected, the passport holder will mail the completed passport to the ROC/FLX Craft Beverage Trail office to be entered in a drawing for a prize package valued at $250.

Passport holders must be 21 years or older.

Valerie Knoblauch, president of the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, said this is a great opportunity for locals and visitors to the region to immerse themselves in the craft beverage experience and enjoy the scenic landscapes throughout the area and specifically on the ROC/FLX Craft Beverage Trail.

Here are the wineries participating: Arbor Hill Grapery, Billsboro Winery, Casa Larga, Deer Run Winery, Finger Lakes Wine Center, Heron Hill’s Tasting Room, Inspire Moore Winery, JD Wine Cellars, Living Roots Winery, New York Kitchen, Song Hill Winery and Young Sommer Winery.

And the breweries: Brew & Brats at Arbor Hill, Copper Leaf Brewing, Heroes Brewing Company, Irish Mafia Brewing Co., Little Lake Brewing, Naked Dove Brewing Co., Naples Brewing Company, New York Beer Project, New York Kitchen, No BS Brew Company, Noble Shepherd Brewing, Peacemaker Brewing Company, ReInvention Brewing Co., Rohrbach Brewing Co., Sager Beer Works, The Farmhouse Brewery, WeBe Brewing Co. and Young Lion Brewing Co.

And the cideries: Blue Toad Hard Cider, Embark Craft Ciderworks, New York Kitchen, Original Stump Blower, Rootstock Cider & Spirits and Star Cider.

And last but not least, the distilleries: Black Button Distilling, Hollerhorn Distilling, Iron Smoke Distillery, Rootstock Cider & Spirits and Smokin Tails Distillery.

To purchase the 2022 Passport, visit rocflxcraftbevtrail.com. For more information regarding the ROC/FLX Craft Beverage Trail and Passport program, call 585-394-3915.

Brunch is served

One of the stops on the trail is offering regular Sunday brunches.

Star Cider, along with Neno’s Gourmet Mexican Street Food (inside the cidery) and Dainty Donuts, are teaming up to ensure a hearty weekend meal.

Every Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., brunch is served. Here’s a combo suggestion from tasting room manager Kevin Lewis.

They like to experiment at Star Cider in Canandaigua in a big way. Perhaps a cherry old-fashioned will have you seeing red.

Select from a choice of three: Chilaquiles, which is chorizo, salsa roja, salsa verde, queso fresco, crema Mexicana and two eggs over easy served over tortilla chips; breakfast burrito, which is chorizo, scrambled egg, queso fresco, salsa verde, pico de gallo, and Mozzarella cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla served with tortilla chips; or huevos rancheros, which is chorizo, two eggs over easy, pico de gallo, guacamole, queso fresco, black beans, and salsa roja served over two fried tortillas with a side of home fries.

Of course, you could order two or all three if you're that hungry.

Wash it down with a choice of a cider mimosa or hot apple toddy. Mimosa flights and coffee also are available.

Save room for dessert, because it comes with six Dainty Donuts from the pink Canandaigua-based food truck.

And if you can’t make it out Sunday, every Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. visitors can try a flight of four ciders paired with four Dainty Donuts. Lewis said the selection rotates weekly, so no Saturday pairing is the same.

Great Tastes, coming right up

The Kiwanis Club of Farmington-Victor is hosting “An Evening of Great Tastes,” from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, at Ravenwood Golf Course, 929 Lynaugh Road, Victor.

Visitors can enjoy samples from local eateries, wineries, breweries and distilleries. Visit kiwaniscluboffarmingtonvictorny.org for tickets.

While there’s no NFL playoff football Sunday, reservations are required by Sunday, Feb. 6, for the Super Bowl Sunday pulled pork barbecue, which will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 13 at First United Presbyterian Church of Sodus, 31 W. Main St., Sodus.

Each takeout dinner includes pulled pork, coleslaw, a roll, chips and dessert. Cost is $10.

To place an order, call 315-483-6284 or email gailheimberger37@gmail.com or lisadatthyn@gmail.com.