There are lots of reasons to be excited about the opening of the Good Nature Farm Brewery in Hamilton. For starters, the farm brewery brings the production of Good Nature beers and the pleasure of enjoying them under one roof. Brewery tours will be offered eventually and the outdoor beer garden promises to be a great place to kick back this summer and have a super-fresh cold one.
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Hungry? There’s a locavore restaurant on site, and a chef on board with a passion for farm-driven ingredients. It’s a perfect match for a craft brewery with a mission to brew “farm to glass’’ beers, made with as many local ingredients as possible.
Alicyn Hart, best known for her eight-year run as chef and co-owner of Circa New American Bistro and Market in Cazenovia, leads the culinary team. The brewery has a small open kitchen with a wood-fired oven and seating for more than 80 people inside and considerably more outside as summer weather and temperatures arrive. Good Nature co-founder Carrie Blackmore describes the outdoor area as a fenced beer garden, where long picnic tables will be set up for guests to enjoy a beer and a snack or meal and play lawn games.
The tap room and restaurant opened April 20, and Hart says things are running smoothly. The menu is short and sweet, featuring “shareable’’ items like a meat and cheese platter; wood-fired flatbread pizzas; hand-cut fries with your choice of condiments such as hoppy beer mustard, American Brown Ale gravy and bourbon maple ketchup; grilled cheese sandwiches starring Jewett’s cheddar, Two Kids Goat Farm chevre and Utica Bread; and a couple salads. Food is ordered and picked up at the bar.
Check the Good Nature website and Facebook page for updates to the menu. It changes a bit from week to week, depending on the availability of ingredients. Last week, for example, Connecticut clams steamed in Good Nature’s Blight Buster IPA and swirled with Kriemhild Dairy butter took the place of Prince Edward Island mussels on the menu. Ramps are in season so Hart and company added on a wild ramp and walnut pesto flatbread pizza, topped with gold bar zucchini, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a farm egg. And the salad options expanded to include an Asian Slaw, with shredded red cabbage, pickled Asian radishes and pea shoots, tossed with a sesame chive vinaigrette.
As the weather warms, Hart will have a bounty of herbs and produce grown on site to work with. The Good Nature property, formerly owned by Colgate University, is home to the Colgate Community Garden. The garden will also supply produce to be used in beers.
The Good Nature Farm Brewery, 1727 State Route 12B, Hamilton, is open Thursdays through Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m. The Good Nature Tap Room, 8 Broad St., is open Tuesdays through Thursdays, 3 to 11 p.m.; Fridays, 3 p.m. to midnight; and Saturdays, noon to midnight. The downtown tap room doesn’t offer food, but visitors can order takeout food from neighboring restaurants. For information, call (315) 824-2337 or visit goodnaturebrewing.com/home.
Humble Beginnings For New Brewery
Over in Nelson, a few miles east of Cazenovia, Humble Harvest Brewing will have its grand opening on Saturday, May 6, 2 to 8 p.m.
Humble Harvest is a small farm brewery specializing in American and English inspired ales. The grand opening, which is strictly for adults 21 and older, will include several beers — one IPA and several pale ales — to sample. Growlers and growler fills will not be available at the event. There is no charge to attend the event, but the first 50 people through the gate will have the option of purchasing a VIP voucher that includes a Humble Harvest T-shirt, a pint glass and their first beer, for $25. Or simply stop in for a pint, and a game of horseshoes or corn hole.
Humble Harvest Brewing is at 3258 Route 20 East, Nelson. For information, call (315) 404-5686 or visit facebook.com/humbleharvestbrewing.
Margaret McCormick is a freelance writer and editor in Syracuse. She blogs about food at eatfirst.typepad.com. Follow her on Twitter, connect on Facebook or email her at [email protected].
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