Big Ditch Brewing Company is a craft brewery founded in Buffalo in 2014, making beer at production, innovation, and pilot brewery facilities. It began by selling kegs in Western New York and later expanded into canning and distribution across New York State and Pennsylvania; the company describes itself as Buffalo’s largest brewery.
Rusty Nickel Brewing CoRusty Nickel Brewing Co. began in 2013 when civil engineer Jason Havens and award-winning homebrewer and geologist David Johnson joined forces around a shared love of beer, science, and Buffalo’s hardworking spirit. In West Seneca, they turned a former daycare and dance studio into a rustic gathering place whose reclaimed wood and garden setting reflect the brewery’s strong community character. Rusty Nickel is also one of the first breweries licensed under New York’s Farm Brewery Bill, sourcing local agricultural ingredients for its house-made beverages.WEST SENECA, NY
Ellicottville Brewing CoEllicottville Brewing Co. brews a wide-ranging lineup of craft beer in Western New York and serves it through a multi-location brewpub operation. Its in-house beers include fruit-forward favorites and barrel-aged releases, along with what the company describes as Western New York’s only fruited nonalcoholic craft brew option. With locations in Ellicottville, Little Valley and Bemus Point, EBC also operates full-service restaurants and private-event venues, including a lakefront space on Chautauqua Lake.ELLICOTTVILLE, NY
Southern Tier Brewing CompanyFounded in 2002 on a wooded property outside Lakewood, New York, Southern Tier Brewing Company makes craft beer with an unusually experimental streak, from its pioneering dessert stouts to its expansive 2X lineup. The brewery has grown from a local small-batch operation into a producer distributing handcrafted ales in more than 30 states, while its Lakewood campus pairs a 110-barrel brewhouse with smaller systems for testing new ideas. Its quality team monitors fermentation, yeast, packaging, and sensory character in a dedicated laboratory.LAKEWOOD, NY
Gun Hill Brewing CompanyFounded by Bronx natives Kieran Farrell and Dave Lopez, Gun Hill Brewing Company makes fresh, unfiltered craft beer and helped bring production brewing back to the borough for the first time since the 1960s. The brewery began in 2014 after the longtime baseball teammates teamed up with an award-winning brewmaster, and it now operates from Brooklyn while keeping its Bronx roots and New York identity. Its beers include the award-winning Void of Light stout and the Hamilton-inspired Rise Up Rye.BRONX, NY