Greetings, Great Beer Now fans and followers! This is the second entry in a multi- part series of blog posts relating to the Great Beer Now Country Bales and Autumn Ales Beer Tour 2018, which took place in west central New York. I made my way from Syracuse to Binghamton and back, stopping along the way to visit some of the best breweries, wineries, and distilleries the area has to offer. Grab a beer and follow along on my journey through this scenic section of New York State. Cheers!
Binghamton, New York is known mostly as a college town. Home to SUNY Binghamton, the university figures prominently into local life and culture with more than 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students combined. All of those students share one thing universally in common: They have to eat and drink. And one place that brings the universe of fine beer and food to the college crowd is Galaxy Brewing, located at 41 Court Street, Binghamton, New York.
Reach for the Stars
Galaxy Brewing is located conveniently in downtown Binghamton and it’s an establishment known for both food and beer. The brewery occupies a space in one of the downtown buildings and is easy walking distance to most any city center attraction.
The outer space theme is evident every place you turn at Galaxy Brewing. Some guests might choose to eat and drink in the Lunar Lounge while others might prefer to bask in the Hitchhiker’s Nook while listening to tunes from live bands performing on the Galaxy stage. The walls are decorated in a galactic manner, with interesting artwork that is certain to place you in an space expedition frame of mind.
Galactic Brew
Galaxy Brewing serves a large number of beers, both on tap and in bottled form. Here is a listing of the beers I tried, listed alphabetically by name, followed by the style and my Untappd rating on a five point scale:
- ABNQEU, Coffee Stout, 4.5
- Andromeda, American IPA, 4
- Brut Down Under, Brut IPA, 4.25
- Far Star, Farmhouse Ale, 3.75
- Galactic Nova, Double IPA, 4.25
- Panic, Russian Imperial Stout, 4.5
- Turning Pages, New England IPA, 4.25
Average Rating: 4.21
I loved the beer I sampled at Galaxy Brewing. If I had to select a single favorite, it would be a toss- up between ABNQEU Coffee Stout and Panic Russian Imperial Stout. There are some tasty IPA varieties in the bunch also, but these two dark brews are tops in my book.
Time for Liftoff
Galaxy Brewing is an out- of- this- world establishment in downtown Binghamton, New York and one of my favorite stops on my Central New York beer tour. This brewery is one of dozens that comprise Brew Central New York, a region in the mid- section of the state that is home to many excellent breweries, wineries, and distilleries.
I visited Galaxy Brewing later in the day and considering the outer space theme, this proved to be a good decision. The interior tends toward the dark side and this fits in perfectly with the stars, planets, moon images, and other space- related items that can be seen on the walls. Some of this artwork will have you gazing longer than you might think and the theme does get your imagination going as you picture yourself traveling through outer space or reliving a memorable moment from your favorite Star Trek episode.
Galaxy Brewing is co- owned by father/son duo Mike Weisel and Seth Weisel. I spent a good deal of time chatting with Mike when I visited here, learning about the brewery, its theme and inspiration, and the direction it is headed. I also learned about several of the beers and I was quite impressed with many of them, especially the stouts, like I mention above. I love a great stout and it was a pleasure to discover a brewery with not one but TWO solid offerings in this style category.
One other fact about Galaxy Brewing that got my attention was the special offers. If certain sporting events are taking place, like a local hockey game, Galaxy Brewing slashes prices significantly, reducing them to levels not usual witnessed on this planet we inhabit. I was actually on my way to a hockey game later in the day when I visited and I was shocked to discover a special offer for $1 beer before the game! I haven’t seen prices like that since my own college days, back in the 1980’s.
College towns can always be counted on for a nice variety of food and drink. The students at SUNY Binghamton are fortunate to have several noteworthy places for food and brew and Galaxy Brewing is undoubtedly one of the best. Avoid the other establishments that may turn out to be black holes and make your way to the shining star known as Galaxy Brewing the next time you’re in the Binghamton, New York area. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.
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