Gordon Biersch Destiny USA Syracuse, NY

Have you ever been to Destiny USA? When I lived in Syracuse 20 something years ago, it was called Carousel Mall and a destination for shoppers in N Y.  With hand carved horses and nostalgic organ music, kids and adults were found prancing up and down, round and round on this fabulous, nostalgic memory maker. And the carousel is still there!
 We arrived at 9 am to walk Destiny. They have a Wonderworks there with rope bridges and an IMAX Theater.  You could spend a whole day and lots of money but what a day it would be! There are so many stores and fun attractions for everyone. After walking the mall for a few hours, we decided to check out Gordon Biersch which is actually a chain with over 30 locations including Buffalo, NY and one a few hours from us in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Of course, one of the reasons we wanted to try it is because we were told they brewed on site and the beers were really good. They also have a beautiful restaurant.We were there the end of June and there was a lot of rain which is common in central New York. We walked in and sat down at the 5 sided bar by the taps looking out at the mall. They have a garage door they open for cooler days.

 Their head brewer Guy Hagner does a wonderful job.  With over ten beers on tap, there is something for almost every one. We sampled most of their beers but our favorites were the swartzbeir, the marzen maibock, their Belgian Triple and a beautifully crafted scotch ale. An added pleasure was the food. We have eaten our share of bar food so when we ordered, we were really surprised at how fresh and well prepared the food was. Chef Adam Grizzle, their executive chef rose through the ranks. He loves to create pairings of beer and food such as their Lemon Grass Ginger Saison paired with spicy Buffalo Wings. Being home brewers ourselves, we were asking about the brewing equipment so he took the time and showed us through which was really great of him.

Our barkeep Sara was equally engaging. Sara, a single Mom of two beautiful daughters went to school for aesthetics. However, she loves working at G.B. because of their flexible hours and family like atmosphere.  She loves Belgian Ales and her company's Winterbock.

I especially enjoyed stories of their company's philanthropy. At tapping parties, they have a wooden keg they tap. They put out jars and all money raised goes to charity. Their first grand opening, they tapped for the food bank. Representatives from the food bank came by and told the guests about
the charity's plight. Gordon Biersch and their staff raised over $12,000 that day.
They also give back to their employees. Called The Hope Foundation, most employees give at least $1. per paycheck. This money goes for employee emergencies like sickness, fires and tragedies.
And last but not least, we met GM Kimberely Petite. She put herself through college by working in restaurants. She was on her way out to a baseball tournament with her children. Her passion for her job and her employees showed.  According to every employee I met, they said the people they worked with are their family.We spent two delightful hours talking.
In an age where employees complain about their jobs and their managers, it was so fantastic to talk to three people who had so much enthusiasm for each other and their company.  Great food! Yes! Exemplary employees? Second to none!  Family friendly. Go!

Warhorse Brewery in Geneva, NY

Whoa! Warhorse Brewery has expanded from a small clapboard building to a massive space in their former storage building. Decked out in military memorabilia with a Quonset hut feel, this brewery has come a long way.

They had five beers on tap so we ordered a sampler with 5 -5oz pours for $10.
Also on tap were a Bombshell Raspberry Hard Cider and a Bombshell Red Apple Hard Cider. For those who like light beer or white wine, they offer  a riesling ale called Peace Bomber. They also brewed  a Lt. Dan IPA. My favorite beer was A Night in Geneva Oatmeal Stout and Tim again chose Royal Kilt Scotch Ale as the beer to enjoy. This is my second time at this brewery and I enjoy their beer and the friendliness of their staff.

Speaking of staff, this brewery has lots of Woman Power. Our barkeep, Kim Ashburn has worked at Warhorse for about 3 years. Kim brings an army of exuberance and fun to the bar. She left home at 18 to indulge her desire for adventure. She traveled down the east coast to Daytona, then out to Las Vegas for 10 years where she worked as a casino host.  She has now come home and is a perfect fit for this up and coming brewery.

Kim really likes dark malty beers. She drinks their oatmeal stout and scotch ale, but not at work.

Where the old brewery was, they installed a new restaurant. Currently they offer pizza but one of the owners is a woman and a vegan so the new menu should feature meat and vegetarian options. A little something for all. I am a wee bit disappointed of the only choices on a menu being salad and french fries for this vegetarian. I look forward to trying some of their fare next year. And yes, there will be yummy food for carnivores as well.
 
Warhorse is spacious with a long bar and several tables. We found a small family who stopped in with their twins, Elizabeth and Charlotte.

They also offer Root Beer for those who desire something delicious but non-alcoholic.


They have a beautifully stocked gift shop in the brewery with tee shirts, hats, gadgets and beer as well as another one in a building close by. This property is also host to  an interesting array of  creatively decorated and noteworthy wineries so check it out!

The Brewerie at Union Station in Erie, PA

Even if you don't drink beer, you need to go see this place. It really is a train station for travelers with the platform upstairs. They host the red-eye express from NYC to Chicago. This was the first raised platform train station on the east coast circa 1925. Famous guests included Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and past presidents. Like an old museum, you can wander from room to room imagining yourself as a traveler back in the days of your grandparents.  There is a Haunted History Tour halfway to Halloween in April and one in October that takes you down to the basement with a fallout shelter and dark tunnels that travel to the post office and other places. I'm told it looks like something out of Freddy Kruger's Nightmare.

As for the beer, they brew plenty of good beer on site most days as well as offer other beers from local breweries. And they lager beer down in the tunnels.They also have a full menu, and have party rooms for private events. I have three pages of interesting notes but I think you should just go and check it out for yourself.

Before you look at the pictures you need to know a few more things. The Brewerie hosts a lot of charity events upstairs. They play host to The Humane Society Fundraiser, support local artists at their Arts and Drafts event, have an Open Mike Night, a Bocce Ball League, a Home Brewer's Fest in February, a Microbrew Fest in the spring and they host bands. I really love that they serve the community. I can't wait to go back!

 They say a young girl fell down these stairs and her ghost still haunts the station.

                                   Area on the platform for enjoying food and beverage.

Erie Brewing Company Erie, Pa

We were on our way to Buffalo, NY when we were waylaid by a massive storm north of Charlotte continuing into West Virginia which caused floods, mudslides and traffic jams. I had driven through a majority of the rain Thursday evening ending in a jam of tractor trailers and travelers around Summersville,WV. We love to travel at night because there's usually less traffic but we were at a stand still at 2 am Friday with a flooded bridge up ahead. After five hours of trial and error on the back roads, we had only gone as far at Charleston, WV. Our original plan was to go to Darien Lake Amusement Park in Batavia, NY at noon with five of our nine grandchildren and our son and daughter but by twelve, we were still hours away. Not wanting to hold them up, we promised to catch up later.

 We googled breweries in Erie and decided to stop at Erie Brewing Company at 1213 Veshecco Dr. The front door leads to a view of the office and ẃe were greeted by Emily who agreed take us to the tasting room. They had six beers they named the Erie Series on tap at $1. each for a four oz pour.
 
Their Railbender Scottish Ale garnered a  bronze medal in 2008 and a gold medal in 2009 from the Great American Beer Festival. They had a malty Hawt Boxx Stein Beer which was brewed over smoked rocks which I thought was good and different. Their Misery Bay IPA is an actual place named after the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. It is their tribute to Misery Bay and Graveyard Point, the final resting place for many soldiers. I thought they brewed some very good beers. You can go on line and check out all their selections at:
eriebrewing.com or call them at 814-459-7741

The tasting room is small with three tables of four. Located in the same room is a gift shop with t shirts, hats, other beer items  and a really nice ceramic flip top growler. Also, they have a variety of bottles you can combine into a six pack. Chips are available but no meals are served. Good place for a date or to hang with friends but no room to hang with kids for an extended period. I liked this brewery and they do distribute their beers locally.

               This is Emily. She loves live music, the great outdoors and malty beer.