Well, I write about beer and finding a good one in Syracuse. I was asked by Alan from A Good Beer Blog to give a synopsis of the scene for a tourist. So I sent him a message and realized that I ought to just post it here. Please bear in mind that I don't get out like I used to - between my own responsibilities (read: child!) and the responsibilities of my drinking buddies (more children!), it's hard to find a good time to get together just for fun. So if you have a correction, addition, or complaint, send me email!
The article follows:
If you have ever been to Syracuse or talked with the locals, you know there are two places that are must-stops for any beer lover, The Blue Tusk and Clark's Ale House. The Tusk is a little more upscale, with probably 50 beers on tap if not more, including one or two hand-pulled ales at any given time. Clark's is a short walk away and is a more straightforward place - just about 20 draughts and a very knowledgeable staff, much quieter, no TV's, and a no-nonsense adult crowd. Both bars are located in the Armory Square neighborhood - a gentrified part of the city that was formerly a warehouse district centered around a state military armory (now a science museum).
Syracuse has a proud brewing history; Clark's pays homage to it with many photos and articles of the old breweries, long since closed. The new kid in town is Middle Ages, a craft brewery located a few blocks from downtown that makes absolutely incredible - and varied - beers. They make everything from "White Knight", a light beer, to "Druid Fluid", a brash barleywine with a very funny name. Middle Ages does tastings and you can take home growlers of whatever you like. They also are the ones who make the cask-conditioned ales that you find at the Tusk and at Clark's. We are truly fortunate to have such a world-class brewer right here in town.
For what it's worth, Beer Advocate has a list of their beers; as far as I know, all of them are in production though some are seasonal.
Another place to go when you're in town in Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Dinosaur is a local institution, making amazing barbecue chicken, ribs, and beef, all done on the premises. They have a decent bar too, with "Ape Hanger Ale" (also made by Middle Ages) on tap. This place doubles as a biker bar, with the patrons and staff to prove it. Don't expect a yuppie hangout, that's for sure. Dinosaur has another location in Rochester, and just opened a third in Manhattan.
There's just one brewpub in town, Syracuse Suds Factory. Their beers get wildly divergent reviews from people I know. I fall on the disapproving side. While they have a nice facility and it's a good generic pub, their beers are average at best and don't have the balance or nuance of the beers you'd find in a higher quality brewery.
Awful Al's is the place to go for whiskeys and bottled beers. They have a very good selection and a hip atmosphere and clientele. It's a bit of a meat market, so be warned - it will be crowded and is filled with the yuppies that you didn't find at Clark's or Dinosaur. One of the reviews on PubCrawler.com called Al's "the best place in Syracuse to vomit." But if you are looking for a dram of Balvenie PortWood or a Laphroaig, this is your place. It's also the only place I know of in Syracuse that have a waiver from the smoking ban in bars and restaurants - it's very smoky as a result.
Kitty Hoyne's Irish Pub is the place for Irish music, pints of Guinness and Murphy's, or a dram of Power's or Black Bush. It's a gorgeous place with live music on weekends and a pretty good restaurant too. Once I was there with friends and the local pipe & drum corps stopped by and played a few standards to a packed house - unannounced. It was a lot of fun, as you can imagine.
The Suds Factory, Awful Al's, and Kitty Hoyne's are all in Armory Square, too.
Away from downtown there are a couple of places to find good beer. Shifty's is east of downtown on Burnet Avenue, not far from the Teall Street exit of I-690. Shifty's has great wings, cheaper draughts than most places, and solid selection of about a dozen beers on tap. They also are home to a good music scene, including an open mic night at least once a week. They also have a decent jukebox, and one of my all-time favorite Frank Zappa posters on the wall.
On the Syracuse University Hill is Faegan's, a fairly large place that's perfect for a pint before a Syracuse football or basketball game (if you can get in). It's on Crouse Avenue in the "M Street" area ("M" stands for "Marshall", which ends right at Faegan's). They have a solid menu of good food - more than just pub food, for sure - at their restaurant, and about 20 beers of very good quality on tap, from local brews to Guinness to Lindeman's Framboise. Faegan's is special to me as it's the first place I had a meal (and a beer) after my daughter was born, as the hospital is adjacent to it.
There is one more part of Syracuse that deserves mention. On the west side of the city is Tipperary Hill, otherwise known as "Tipp Hill". Tipp Hill is home to Coleman's Irish Pub and many, many other Irish bars and businesses. I've heard that Syracuse is supposedly the second-most Irish city (by percentage of people who claim Irish ancestry) in the United States, behind only Boston. The neighborhood is proudly Irish: the streets are named for Irish authors, there are small streetcorner parks everywhere, and there is a traffic light with the green on TOP - supposedly the only such light in the United States. I don't get over to Tipp Hill much, so I will leave it to someone else to describe and rate the bars.
The only decent place I know of to actually buy beer to take home is The Party Source on Erie Boulevard East in Syracuse/Dewitt. They stock a few very good beers, including beers from Middle Ages, Ommegang, , Cooperstown Brewing Company, Smuttynose, Rogue, Unibroue, and Stone.
It turns out that I have been woefully underinformed. Galeville Grocery in Liverpool apparently has a great selection and significantly lower prices than Party Source. I'm planning to check it out this weekend and I'll report back on what I find!
So there you have it. I hope this has been entertaining and useful. Happy Beer Hunting!
Posted by jimj at February 23, 2005 10:51 PM | TrackBack