Tour stops include Empire Farmstead Brewery, Critz Farms and Henneberg Brewing Co., among others

Craft beverage lovers will have a chance to take a behind the scenes tour of craft breweries, sample craft beers, stop at a hop yard and a visit to a historic hop house during the 21st Annual Madison County Hop Fest Brewery Hop Tour on Sunday, Sept. 18.

Reservations for the tour, which is sponsored by the Madison County Historical Society, are required by Sept. 9.

The tour will visit four craft breweries for a first-time behind the scenes tour of two of these breweries and enjoy samples of some craft beer.

The first stop will be Seneca St. Brew Pub located in Manlius that opened on April 29. It is a local craft brewpub that specializes in using New York ingredients and offers New York beers. The Menikheim family owns and operates a one-barrel onsite brewing system in their family-owned brew pub. The family owns 190 acres of farmland between the Villages of Fayetteville and Manlius where they grow their own hops and barley. They have been growing hops for several years and have plans to malt their own barley.

The second tour stop will be Empire Farmstead Brewery in Cazenovia that opened its doors in 2016. The 40,000-square-foot building sits on 22 acres of farmland. The 60 barrel brewery allows Empire to keg, bottle and eventually can their craft beer for regional, national and international distribution.

The farm is being cultivated for barley, lavender, vegetables, herbs, fruits and of course hops. These crops will be used in Empire’s ales and lagers, as well as the food preparation at both the Cazenovia and Syracuse locations. In just over 20 years, Empire has matured from a seven barrel brewpub to one of the largest craft breweries in New York State.

The next stop is Critz Farm in Cazenovia that specializes in the production of handcrafted hard ciders and farm brewed beers made in small batches from ingredients grown on their farm. Their brew house features a 2.5 bareel system that makes 75 gallons per batch. Their malted barley, Critz Farms Pale Malt, provides the base malt for every beer, sourcing hops locally and from their own hop yard this fall.

The fourth brewery stop is at Henneberg Brewing Co. in New Woodstock. It is a farm brewery that began operations in August 2013 and later opened up a tasting room on the farm in 2014. The brewery is owned and operated by John Henneberg.

The brewery brews less than a barrel per batch. Henneberg not only grows his own hops and barley, but he also malts his own barley. In addition to beer, hops and barley, he also has chickens on the farm that provide fertilizer for the hops. The spent grains from brewing process are fed to the chickens.

The tour will continue with a visit to Foothill Hops, a family-owned hop yard established in 2001 in Munnsville. Kate and Larry Fisher began growing hops in 2001, earning the distinction of the second commercial hop yard in New York state. Many acres and equipment inventions later, the Fishers are recognized authorities on hop growing, and are generous with their time and advice to others. The Fishers were instrumental in the incorporation of the Northeast Hop Alliance, and were the King and Queen of the Madison County Hop Fest in 2004.

The tour will conclude with a final stop through the Stockbridge Valley, which was once covered with fields of hops, at an 1867 limestone English Oast house. The last crop of hops grown on the farm was in 1911.

Dot Willsey will guide the tour sharing Madison County’s proud hop heritage during the tour’s journey.

Tickets for the tour are $50. Reservations are required by Sept. 9. Lunch will be at Empire Farmstead Brewery. Attendees receive a complimentary 5-ounc glass.

Attendees are asked to dress accordingly. Close toed shoes are required to tour the breweries. The tour will start at 9 a.m. at the Madison County Historical Society located at 435 Main Street in Oneida and ends there at 5 p.m.

For more information and tickets, contact the society at 363-4136, visit madisoncountyhopfest.org or email Sydney at [email protected].