(Genesee Beer Sign Outside Genesee Brewery, Brian Stiehler, September, 2010, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GeneseeBeer.JPG)
John Holl (@John_Holl) has alerted to an excellent article just up at All About Beer by Tom Acitelli, here. Tom explores the history of Genesee Cream Ale, an iconic brand of the old Rochester concern.
It’s a good beer especially on draft, and more importantly to some, it recalls a certain time. I’d hope the same malt percentage and hop spec are used as per original formulation. I wonder what Gary Geminn would say of Genesee 12 Horse Ale, particularly its original formulation. By the time I came upon it in the 80’s, it was hardly more flavourful than the Cream Ale. At inception, I’d have to think it was a much better beer.
Off South Winton Drive in Rochester aka the Flour City, the pioneering retailer Beers of the World had its main store for many years – now relocated elsewhere. Because I went there a number of times, I learned about Fox’s Deli next door, an excellent New York-style deli with its own take on things as all good delis should have. It offered Genny Cream on draft in stemmed schooners and it always tasted best to me there. I looked at the current menu and am glad to see Genesee beers are still mentioned, the bottled form specifically. One hopes mavens of the draft cream ale will be rewarded by a quick scribble on the pad followed by a frosty schooner as I remember. A Reuben at Fox’s, schooner of Genny draft, and a Kent with the Micronite filter after. (Oops, let’s lose the Kent).
I hope one day I can meet Tom and John for lunch at Fox’s – give me some dates, gents, and I’ll brave the border.