Southern Tier Brewing Company

Bighead6365

New York

5/5  rDev +15.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $

I've been here 3 times for tours, and every time is AMAZING. Make sure you bring lots of growlers, because buying it fresh off their tap saves you money! It's been amazing to see how the company has grown over the years. The first time I went was in 2006 and they were so small and tiny. Now the place is beautiful with a wood cabin, stage, and a HUGE brewing room.

If you are ever around Lakewood, make sure to stop by.

05-11-2013 01:22:09 | More by Bighead6365

RyFikes

New York

4/5  rDev -7.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 2.5 | $$

The tour was cheap. Maybe $5, and you got your own glass to keep. The guy who did the tour was great and let you drink all the beer you wanted. I even got to sample the 2X Stout directly from the vat at the end, amazing! The bar and gift shop shared the same area and it got pretty cramped; but it was winter and I think they have a patio area for warmer months. The beer selection was legit, they served everything they brewed, including their Chautauqua Brew (its pretty generic) which you can't find anywhere else. They don't have a food menu. I think they just sere snacks. Overall, it was a good afternoon and it didn't cost much money. Try the Back Burner Barley Wine, delicious!

01-03-2013 17:15:35 | More by RyFikes

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.08/5  rDev -6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 2.5 | $

Was lucky enough to be on a week long shoot just 15 minutes from this brewery.
It's in a nice country setting, off the beaten path. Looks like their adding on from the construction outside. The have plenty of space inside and the patio outside is very nice. There's a covered section and an open section. People were playing Frisbee and chilling out on the grass. They have about 4 to 5 different glassware to buy and several shirts (boys and girls). The selection was good I think they had about 12-14 different taps. Some of the beers were Pumking, Iniquity, Unearthly, 2xIPA 2XStout, Creme Brulee, Phin n Matts, 422, IPA, Hopsun, Oak Aged Backburner. The atmosphere was great and the prices were pretty good. A growler fill up of Imperial beer was $15. They had several oz. option as well as pitcher pours. They only serve pulled pork sandwiches, which they had ran out of when we were there so I can't comment on those. I will say they gave us free homemade potato chips that were from the day before and not very crisp. Didn't get a chance to tour the brewery but the tap room is top notch and worth a stop if you're in the area.

09-07-2012 23:09:46 | More by StaveHooks

DWolf

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 2.5 | $

I've been a fan of Southern Tier's brews for quite a while, and have always wanted to visit this place. Having the opportunity of being in the area, I jumped at the chance. I have to admit. I was disappointed by the "pub food description". It's more of a bag of chips and a take it or leave it type of place. So, my advice is to not come hungry ... which likely affected my rating. But, DO COME for the beer. The tap selections are pretty broad, and they also have a very nice selection of guest bottled selections (i.e., Firestone), as well as some nice wine choices. The staff is friendly and helpful. Southern Tier also sells a pretty wide selection of carry out stuff - bombers, sixes, glassware, and t-shirts, etc. Lastly, this place is a bargain. $5 for bombers, $8 for mixes sixes, and growler refills for $7??? Awesome. The tasters are VERY reasonably priced too. While its tasting room size, format, and layout makes it a place I wouldn't make a special trip for, when in the area, I am definitely stopping in again (especially now that I have a growler to refill).

02-02-2012 00:43:53 | More by DWolf

NODAK

Tennessee

4.78/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

It's a bit out of the way outside the city of Lakewood, but it's certainly worth the drive if you happen to be in the area. The tasting room itself is pretty small, and so I docked it somewhat slightly for that simply because there was barely anywhere to sit due to lack of seating. The ambience though, was pretty good. It had a log cabin type of feel to it. Very homey.

The selection of taps was solid, around a dozen or so offerings. Prices varied from 3 dollars to 6 dollars for pints of their beers, which I'd say is pretty fair when you consider just how expensive bombers of some of those beers are. Growlers were also available, of course, and I picked one up of Oak Aged Pumpking for 20 bucks (13 for the beer, 7 for the growler).

I also liked that they offered select other beers that were not brewed by them for further sampling if you so desired. That's a good touch for those who maybe don't like the more bold ST beers and want something they may be more familiar with.

Good selection of glassware too...picked up a couple glasses for 10 bucks.

01-18-2012 02:36:05 | More by NODAK

HopNelius

New York

4.9/5  rDev +12.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

I have been to Southern Tier a few times as it is not far from where I live. The best time to go is in the summer as they have an outside seating area where people just chill and drink beer. The pic as some others have said of the brewery here is outdated. Southern Tier continually grows every years and continually comes out with great beers. When I am down on Chautauqua Lake and have out of town friends visiting I make a point of brining them to the brewery. The tour is worth it as it is only 8 dollars and you get a pint glass and get to try all the beers they have on tap back in the brewery as well as an explanation, there is not much walking though as you really just stand in center of brewery and drink.The bar is the real prize they have all the Southern Tier favorites on tap and a lot of deuce deuce's as well. Look out for the "short" 22's as they will sell them to you for a discount and it is completey worth it. Merch is also great. The only food is pulled pork sandwiches but they are really good. I must stop if you are ever in the area.

01-03-2012 22:29:17 | More by HopNelius

tdm168

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

After finding out that Lakewood was only 1.5 hrs from my hometown, I loaded up my brother-in-law and father-in-law in the car and we headed north to the tasting room.

We arrived fifteen minutes after it opened and it was packed. It was also two days before Christmas and it was a Friday afternoon. It was standing room only. I of course tried the Chautauqua Brew since it was for locals only, and I wasn't about to find it elsewhere. My brother-in-law had Pumpking, and my father-in-law had Krampus.

Since we had to travel and we knew having too many was a concern we thought ahead. We had brought a cooler full of ice so we could mix some six packs, grab some bombers, and with any luck a growler and head back to PA. I grabbed a six pack of Pale, the never seen before 2X Stout, a bomber of Jahva, Choklat, and Creme Brulee. The in-laws each mixed a six and grabbed some bombers. Then we filled a growler of Pumpking, each picked out a glass, and paid for our merchandise.

We may have only been there an hour or so, but we had two pints apiece and despite it being busy, never waited in line. We browsed the well stocked shelves for six packs, 12 and 22oz bottles, as well as hats, t-shirts, jackets, glasses, etc.

The atmosphere was great. Everyone was friendly, staff and customers, the music was on, the bright tanks could be seen through the window, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. All was well in Lakewood, NY.

On the ride back to Ridgway, PA, we all agreed that we had a great time if only a short time. We've agreed to go back probably this summer and bring the wives.

12-27-2011 01:24:04 | More by tdm168

dogfishandi

New York

4.18/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

visited the brewery for a tour of the facility and a couple pints with my father, sister, and brother in law.

very nice entrance, much different than the pic here on BA, kind of like a log cabin/ ski lodge thing going on outside as well as in the bar. very nice bar area with huge windows into the brewery showing off some HUGE fermentors. a nice little outside area which must be really nice in the summer, very cold when i was there but they had some nice tall heaters around which made things comfortable. the place was packed as soon as it opened and we just got the last spots for the tour, so get there early.

they had most simple ST offerings on tap as well as creme brulee and pumking. a nice little shop right next to the bar where you could buy any kind of merch and lots of bottles. when i was there they had backburner and gemini bombers on sale for 3$. the bartenders were very knowledgable about there beers and were as helpful as could be with a full house.

while waiting for the tour to begin i ordered a pulled pork sammy which was ready very quickly. this and a cheddar-brocolli soup were the only food options. the sandwich was pretty good and really hit the spot at the time.

if your going to visit, i definatly suggest going on the weekend and taking the tour, but make sure you get there early if your going to do so. although the tour guide wasnt super knowledgable, (i might have been able to give a better tour) it was a really good time and they definatly keep your glass full throughout the entire tour. my family really enjoyed it.

*some highlights of the day at southern tier was the annoucnment of a new beer called "2x stout" as well as a bourbon barrel tucked off way in the back full of 2x stout and the first sample out of the fermentor of the years first "old man winter".

11-06-2011 23:26:43 | More by dogfishandi

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -9.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Stopped in for a few drinks. The bar is set to look like a big wooden ski lodge. The bar is off the the right and it looks like offices off to the left. Inside the bar you get a very warm soft comfortable feel. There is wood everywhere. Just a nice cozy feel very inviting. The quality of the beer and the place was good. Southern Tier always offers a solid beer and their quest bottles are of equal quality. The service was fairly good, it was very busy and I got my drinks in a good amount of time, but it wasn't service that blew me away. I didn't really have any interactions about beer with the bartenders either but from other conversations they seemed knowledgable. They had about 12 taps of their beer on tap. The regulars and all of their seasonals, they also had a nice list of quest bottles for purchase. The price was reasonable about what you would expect for a brewery with their own beer. Overall a very nice time and a must stop in lakewood.

10-31-2011 19:56:13 | More by goblue3509

wdeck9

Colorado

4.36/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Visited the brewery with some family for the Summerfest and what an exceptional place to stop for a couple beers and a laid back environment. The brewery is very nice with a large outdoor seating area reminiscent of a ski lodge in Colorado with high wooden beams holding up a metal roof. Inside there is a nice seating area with a bar serving about 10 or so beers ranging from their flagship beers to the imperial beers....no one-offs or anything like that (at least when we were there).

We also went on the tour and for $8 it was very good value. They give you a 12-ish oz tasting glass (you get about 3 or 4 oz of each beer after the pitchers have been passed around) and take you into the main room of the working facility for samples. After trying the pale, ipa, 2x ipa, heavy weizen, and creme brulee stout we were taken into the bottling and packaging rooms. All in all a very enjoyable tour.

Worth a stop since their beer is so good!

07-18-2011 14:56:15 | More by wdeck9