BUFFALO, N.Y. — We know beer is a big business in New York State. And on Most Buffalo, we have featured lots of local breweries and learned more about how much juice this business puts into the economy.
We've also done a bunch of stories about the great outdoors, highlighting activities like the WNY Hiking Challenge.
And now, these worlds collide.
For all the breweries we've highlighted, there's only one that has the distinction of being New York State's oldest… Genesee, which is right down the Thruway in Rochester.
Genesee Brewery recently launched an effort to encourage people to brave the elements this winter and explore the Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse areas while supporting the local businesses along the way that also just happen to sell Genesee Beer. They're calling it #GeneSEENY.
"We want to take the opportunity to take a step back and remind people that there's all these amazing things to do in the winter, in the Buffalo area, and there's all these amazing bars and restaurants and stores to stop by and support during these long, long months of the pandemic and to get out and really support your local community in that way as well," said Jaime Polisoto, Genesee brand director.
An interactive map on Genesee's website guides visitors to a location, helps them find a thing to do, a local restaurant or business to visit afterwards and then encourages people to share their adventures online.
"I think people like to stop and have that break," Polisoto said. "It's refreshing. It's kind of like their reward for going out and doing something fun."
After all, it has been a rough couple of years for everybody, especially those in restaurant or bar business: certainly a chapter in Genesee's more than 140 year history.
"There has been generations of families that have supported our brewery since then," Polisoto said. "And we want to make sure that we're always thinking of ways that we can give back to the community and all of the people and the accounts and restaurants and bar owners that have supported us through the year. So we will continue to always think of these ideas to make sure that we're supporting everyone."
The map just launched and you can find it on Genesee Beer's website by clicking here. You can also check out the hashtag #GeneSEENY on social media.