Drink Classic Beer Styles, Done Buffalo-Style

Prior to Prohibition, Buffalo had 29 breweries, and Iroquois Brewing continued to fill local mugs with high-quality lager until 1971. Today’s breweries are also adept at making quenching lagers and pilsners, plus traditional styles that sing with well-sauced chicken wings.

They’re done exceptionally well at Old First Ward Brewing (73 Hamburg Street, 716-855-8948; genemccarthys.com) where head brewer Bryan Kirchmyer turns out hugely flavorful, banana-scented hefeweizens and so-good-you’ll-sigh German lagers that are cold-aged for up to 12 weeks, including an unfiltered kellerbier. When the weather’s swell, we recommend enjoying a few on the patio.

Your next goal is Beltline Brewery & Kitchen (545 Swan Street, 716-402-1756; belt-linebrewing.com). It takes its name from the hard-working train line that ferried locals and freight around Buffalo in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Now, the namesake is a sunny, window-filled brewpub with a vegan-friendly kitchen which focuses on “good, clean craft beer,” according to head brewer Erik Greiner, including the brewery’s best seller: a German-style kölsch brewed with honey.

Lastly, make hay to the welcoming the Chandler Street Breweries (166 Chandler Street, 716-388-2664; [email protected]). The Chandler Street Breweries bring three local favorites Community Beer Works, Thin Man Brewery, and Smoldered Society, together under one roof in a shared, easygoing taproom. You’ll find a wide range of craft beer styles on tap, from classic lagers and IPAs to small-batch and experimental brews made right on-site. With a full kitchen, pizza, and a rotating draft list, it’s a simple, all-in-one spot to grab a drink, try something new, and hang out.