Popular NYC-based brewery opens taproom on Canandaigua Lake

Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
·2 min read

CANANDAIGUA, NY — It took longer than many expected, but the Other Half Brewing has opened on Canandaigua Lake.

The New York City-based brewery purchased the former Young Lion Brewing Co. location in the Pinnacle North development at 24 Lakeshore Drive last year.

The upstairs taproom is now open Thursdays to Sundays, with the hope of opening the ground-level taproom next week and adding days of operation in July, according to General Manager Andy Whitaker.

The Canandaigua location — the brewery also has a taproom in East Bloomfield — had a soft opening last Saturday, which drew a decent amount of foot traffic for a non-advertised event, Whitaker said.

“We’re excited to be here,” Whitaker said. “We’ve still got a little way to go, but we can serve beer and operate.”

The second-floor taproom at the Other Half Brewing's new location on Canandaigua Lake, which is the former Young Lion Brewing Co. site, is now open.
The second-floor taproom at the Other Half Brewing's new location on Canandaigua Lake, which is the former Young Lion Brewing Co. site, is now open.

This is the Other Half Brewing's eighth taproom location. The Brooklyn-based craft beer maker opened in 2019 at the former Nedloh’s site on state Routes 5 and 20 in East Bloomfield.

The move of its brewing operation to the Canandaigua location allows for an increase in beer production. The taproom in East Bloomfield will continue to operate, Whitaker said.

“There’s no plans to close that one down,” Whitaker said. “Both areas offer two different experiences.”

The Other Half is hiring an executive chef and other staff for the Canandaigua location. The vision is to have a kitchen operating by the end of the summer, although a menu is still to be developed. The company’s location in Philadelphia offers food such as appetizers, burgers and sandwiches.

The plan also is to make more use of the building for event space, such as special events, rehearsal dinners and the like.

Visitors to the Other Half's taproom in Lakeshore Drive in Canandaigua can experience product such as Oh, as in Oh, that's a great hazy IPA.
Visitors to the Other Half's taproom in Lakeshore Drive in Canandaigua can experience product such as Oh, as in Oh, that's a great hazy IPA.

Whitaker came to the Other Half for a change in pace after a career in the corporate restaurant field. The decision, he said, was an easy one to make.

“It’s a great product," Whitaker said. “Our beer is some of the freshest beer you’re going to get anywhere. That’s something we really pride ourselves on. It’s always fresh. It’s always cold.”

Young Lion beer is poured at K2 Brewing in Wayne County.

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Other Half Brewing opens taproom on Canandaigua Lake in NY