Beer, Breweries,
and Breweriana
of Upstate New York


 
WELCOME

Welcome to my Web Site dedicated to the history of some of the legendary breweries of upstate New York, particularly the regions around Buffalo and Rochester.

My interest in these breweries dates from 1968 to 1972, when I lived in Ithaca.  During that period, the large national breweries were consolidating their hold on the market and many small regionals bowed to the market pressures and folded.  I was fortunate in that I had an opportunity to sample some of the distinctive local beers from that region, including Topper, Iroquois, and Simon Pure, all of which closed shop prior to 1973.   Another regional favorite, Genesee, was sold in late 2000 to an investor group and reorganized under as the High Falls Brewery.  And Utica Club, another local that I enjoyed, is still in operation as a craft brewer, marketing the popular Saranac brands. 

During that same period, I began collecting regional breweriana and, over the years, have amassed quite a number of items from upstate New York breweries.

On the following pages, I will present brief histories of some of the more historically significant breweries of the region, as well as photos of some of the more interesting breweriana from my collection and from the collections of some of my friends and fellow collectors.

So sit back, relax, and drink a cold glass of one of your favorite local brews.  Thanks for visiting and have a good time. 

Tony Pompa
Rockville, MD
heritage575@lycos.com
27 December 2000
 
Iroquois Beverage Corporation
(Buffalo, New York)
Rochester Brewing Company
(Rochester, New York)
Standard Brewing Company
(Rochester, New York)
Standard-Rochester Brewing Company
(Rochester, New York)
William Simon Brewery
(Buffalo, New York)
West End Brewing Company
(Utica, New York)
Magnus Beck Brewery
(Buffalo, New York)
Gerhard Lang Brewery
(Buffalo, New York)
Genesee Brewing Company
(Rochester, New York)
Some Other Upstate New York Breweriana
Some Pennsylvania, Maryland, and District of Columbia Breweriana

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Copyright 2000, 2001, 2002 - J. Anthony Pompa
Last Revised - 18 February 2002