HAMMONDSPORT, NEW YORK
Overlooking beautiful Keuka Lake in a tan aluminum farmhouse with large back deck and picnic-tabled lawn, STEUBEN BREWING COMPANY is one of at least three Hammondsport brewpubs. Opened in 2014, Steuben seems to specialize in Bavarian pilsners and American IPA’s.
The main pub features a plank wood serving station, a few three-seated round tables, a green-walled blackboard beer listing, pendant lights and snazzy blue-stained concrete floor. Brewtanks are to the left behind the serving station and a TV, to-go refrigerator and shelved glassware fill out the space. Several local wines and ciders were available.
We grab a few seats at the cement-floored right side windowed room where several community tables crowd up on a cloudy Sunday afternoon, early December ’23.
Enjoyed all four German-styled pilsners upon entry. A zesty lemon spritz, pretzel-salted barley roast and musky herbal nip guided Cascade-hopped light body, The N.Y. Pils. Fizzy lemon sprayed the other yellow-cleared Bavarian, Premier Pilsner.
Softer, dryer, spicier Pederson Pilsner, retained doughy biscuit buttering. Dry lagered N.Y. Curtis Cyclocross snagged orange pekoe tea musk and wispy floral tangerine snips.
As for the IPA’s, tangy ‘clementine and peach’ brightened pine-salted Hopyard IPA, as did orange-peeled grapefruit zesting.
Sunshiny orange-peeled lemon rind bittering and salted green grape esters prodded the piney lupulin oiling of Harmonyville IPA, leaving floral daubs on its citric-spiced finish.
Tropical fruited New England IPA, Trail Town, plied peachy orange tanginess and lemony pineapple-grapefruit zesting to light evergreen pining.
Nutty dark chocolatey Hometown English Brown relegated its maple-glazed chestnut and walnut roast.
Dazzling bourbon-barreled Imperial Stout dangled bourbon vanilla pleasantries alongside fudgy brown chocolate richness, picking up sweet vanilla spicing, almond marzipan sugaring and chewy toffee nip.
