The good news is that there are plenty of places in Rochester to get great beer. Here are some of my favorites:
MacGregor's is a paradise made of beer. German beer, Belgian Beer, American Beer, Irish Beer, English Beer: it is all there for the taking. The taps are clean, and the bartenders know the right way to serve each type of beer, so you get your Dunkel in a tall glass with a lemon, and they use a knife to cut the head off of your Belgian wheat beer. The food is greasy bar food, but it comes to your table hot and fresh. Oh, MacGregor's, you are a sweet little slice of heaven.
Beers of the World is the round-the-world of beer: no mere beer bj here. Sweet Jesus, there is a lot of beer in this place. There are also brewing supplies and beer paraphernalia crowding the shelves. This is a destination worthy of a pilgrimage from far-off lands, yet those of us who live in Rochester can get there in 20 minutes or less. Truly, we are blessed by its presence.
Rohrbachs in Gates makes some wonderful beer, and the restaurant serves good German food. They also supply Frontier Field, and if there is a more pleasant way to spend a sunny afternoon than watching a Red Wings game while drinking Rohrbach's beer, I have yet to find it.
Custom Brewcrafters in Honeyoye Falls is a hidden treasure: a little hole-in-the wall tasting room where you can sample their brews before filling your growler. CBC also supplies a number of area bars with custom beers on tap, and they're a welcome alternative to the
major labels.
There's also The Old Toad, Bru, and probably a bunch of others that I've forgotten. This town is swimming in good beer for you to toast your hero or drown your sorrows.
