Mark Neumann from Upstate Brewing

I remember first discovering your canned beers in Wegmans a few years ago. When did you first open?

We opened our doors in the spring of 2012. Our first beers were Common Sense, a Kentucky-style Common Ale, and IPW, our India Pale Wheat. Since then, we have undergone two expansions with the opening of this latest brewhouse at the end of last summer. We got a couple of new tanks since then which increases our capacity. We acquired a Rolec DH-45, which helps in dry hopping. It improves the flavor and aroma of the beers, allowing us to dry hop for a shorter period of time but giving us more contact with the beer in the tank. We hired a new person to run the tap room, and a new assistant to help Mike in the back. We have food trucks here Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, including Global Taco. 

You have a lot of great beers. Do you have any new ones?

We switch things up a lot. This week alone we’ll have three new beers on tap. Last year we did 53 beers. There’s usually a new beer every single week. The 2019 IPA will be out Wednesday.

If you were going to recommend one beer, what would it be?

It depends what you like. If you like coffee, the Vanilla Roasted Brown Ale has been flying out the doors. If you like IPA’s, we always have a few hoppy options to choose from. We post our latest offerings at upstatebrewing.com and on social media.

Are you attending any beer festivals this summer?

We’re doing the Rochester Real Beer Expo this weekend. We’re also hosting Collab Fest here on July 13. It’s a mini brew fest with the dozen or so breweries we have brewed beer with. We sold all 250 tickets already so if it’s a success maybe we’ll do it again next year. 

What other local beverages do you appreciate?

We are fans of Finger Lakes Distilling. I like the guys up there, and we use their barrels for aging beer. We’re fans of pretty much all the breweries in the area. Like I said, we’ve done collaborations with a bunch of them, which is always a fun time.

How about food?

My wife and I love Stonecat Café. They use tons of super local ingredients. We love that the menu changes all the time. They’re not open all year, so it’s a small window to enjoy a really eclectic place. We try to go up as much as possible. There’s a back way from where we live so we get to take some back roads. They do a Jazz Brunch which I highly recommend. You see a lot of the same guests and employees year after year, which really says a lot about the place.

What is your favorite outdoor activity? 

We like to do a lot of boating, fishing, and hiking in Watkins Glen State Park. We go apple picking in the fall at Reisinger's Apple Country in Watkins Glen.

What would you say is the best kept secret of the Finger Lakes?

I’m going to say the FLX Wienery. That guy is doing some crazy shit up there. One of the best parts is it’s located in a complete no man’s land. The food is amazing, his beer and wine list is phenomenal. As far as a cool local spot, that is definitely my top pick.

Photo: Upstate Brewing

Lost + Found is a series of short, standardized Q+A interviews with people involved in the Finger Lakes community. We sit down with the seekers, artisans, crafts people, and enthusiasts of the region, searching for food & drink, entertainment, culture, nature – everything that makes The Finger Lakes great. We invite you to get lost with us, and maybe find yourself along the way.