Any good beer in the vicinity of Niagara Falls

[Spiderbrewer]

Hey Bn'ers I am headed to the falls with the family. Are there any notable breweries/pubs or beer stores I should check out? Thanks in advance for the help.

[siwelwerd]

The best beer I had in Niagara Falls showed up in linuxelf's trunk. This was right around the time I started brewing (if I hadn't done my first batch already, it was within the next month). My second brew was a recipe from linuxelf that he brought). He was kind enough to let me take all the empties home with me (although this did raise some eyebrows with the customs people).

To answer your question, we did spend an evening at a brewpub in St. Catharine's. Maybe Elf remembers the name, although I doubt there are many (Merchant Ale House sounds right). Worth stopping in if you're up that way.

[Spiderbrewer]

The best beer I had in Niagara Falls showed up in linuxelf's trunk. This was right around the time I started brewing (if I hadn't done my first batch already, it was within the next month). My second brew was a recipe from linuxelf that he brought). He was kind enough to let me take all the empties home with me (although this did raise some eyebrows with the customs people).

To answer your question, we did spend an evening at a brewpub in St. Catharine's. Maybe Elf remembers the name, although I doubt there are many (Merchant Ale House sounds right). Worth stopping in if you're up that way.

Thanks. I figured it was a big tourist trap and there might not be anything great. But I always see what I can find when I'm out of town. We will be driving up from Rochester, NY and then back to the Finger Lakes area afterward. There are some fun Wineries around the Lakes but the wine is not so great. I was hoping to at least find some good brew.

[linuxelf]

Yeah, I can't say there were any stand-out Niagara Falls beers. The Unibroue and Dieu du Ciel stuff is really good, but I don't think we found anything we couldn't get in the states.

[Spiderbrewer]

Yeah, I can't say there were any stand-out Niagara Falls beers. The Unibroue and Dieu du Ciel stuff is really good, but I don't think we found anything we couldn't get in the states.

Thanks. Sounds like I better pack the cooler.

[dmtaylor]

I was just in Niagara Falls a few weeks ago. I did the research and.... came up empty. There's really not much for breweries or brewpubs around there at all. I even looked for cideries (cider being my latest fetish) and didn't see much.

But what you *can* do is memorize the acronym "LCBO" as well as "The Beer Store" because those are the only two places you can buy packaged beer up there -- apparently the government has tight controls of distribution of alcohol in Ontario. They do have a very interesting selection of Canadian brews and British imports, mostly in 500-ml cans (not so many bottles). That's a decent sized can of brew -- approximately 16 oz (I'm too lazy to do the math). But if you're looking for IPAs or craft brews with a selection similar to what you'd find in the USA, you might be disappointed.

[brewinhard]

If you hit up Buffalo there are three awesome beer bars to check out - Coles, Mr. Goodbar, and the Blue Monk (expensive, but great selection). You could also stop by the Premier Gourmet for a great selection of hard to find beers too! But in NF, there is not too much to brag about!

[Spiderbrewer]

Thanks for all of the insight. I will survive it at any rate my cooler has the 8.5 liters I am allowed to bring.