HOPS n DOGS

Have you ever thought about what it would feel like to sit down with a cold pint in a medieval-style great hall where the community can come together? Something different than your traditional town bar, where the walls are decorated in natural wood and stone, rooms with suites of armor, and the head of a dragon mounted to the wall. Something that goes beyond the traditional boring neon signs of a mediocre utility beer. Well, in the heart of Syracuse, NY, you can! Just a few city blocks away from downtown, past Armory Square, you can find the Middle Ages Brewing Company.

Middle Ages Brewing, one of the oldest breweries within Syracuse, might not look like much on the outside, as it sits between industrial warehousing and residential housing. But on the inside is one of the more unique and gorgeous breweries we have ever seen in a large city. Middle Ages is full of décor that plays on the medieval theme, including thick, fortified-style wooden front doors. On the inside, besides the suits of armor and the wall decor, you won't find your traditional brewery setup. There are no windows showing how the sausage is being made, just a simple open floor plan design and a bar to the front.

The brewery is broken up between two floors. The bottom floor is reserved for a standard tap room that is always open, and the upstairs is set up as more of an event space. Depending on the day, the upstairs might be open for regular patrons when more active events like the brewery's weekly line dancing are happening. This open floor plan is extremely important, as Middle Ages focuses on being the place where you want to have your next group meetup or party. During our visit, there were a ton of upcoming advertised live music events and line dancing, but also some more obscure events like Anime night. The brewery is putting in a decent amount of effort to make everyone feel included, which is great to see.

During the summer months, the brewery also puts out quite a few picnic tables for those looking to stay outside. During the summer, they also use the back loading dock as a makeshift stage for all the live music events. The brewery has also gone a little crazy to get an oversized video wall to host special event parties around special sporting events like the World Cup.

One important thing to keep in mind, though, is that there is no on-site restaurant for this brewery. This gives them some advantages, dog-friendly year-round, but can be a bit of an annoyance for those looking for a quick bite to eat and a beer. Of course, outside food is welcome, and there are tons of local options, including the New York-famous Dinosaur BBQ, a quick drive away, or DoorDash in!

This is not Eins' first time at Middle Ages, but it's always a blast for her. This brewery has been a staple visit every time we are in town. To be honest, when it comes to special dog amenities, the brewery doesn't really offer anything special. There are no designated water stations or dog bowls for you to use. The biggest selling point is really the ability to get a delicious beer and take your pup on a hot summer day, or a place to warm up next to a digital fireplace while it snows. It is extremely rare to find a brewery that is open full-time and is always dog-friendly.

The staff here are always amazing to Ein and us. The bartenders truly love to see her, and her brewery tour sticker and magnets are still floating around. On this last visit, the bartender remembered us and told us how her first magnet is still on the warehouse forklift from many years ago.