by Joe Wright – Upstate Beer Tourist & Rusty Nickel Brewtender 

3/25/24

As a brewtender at Rusty Nickel Brewing Company in West Seneca, NY (located 10 minutes from downtown Buffalo)  I’m afforded the pleasure of meeting dozens of Harvest Hosts members every year from all over the United States and Canada who stay with us in their RVs right out in our parking lot.  For those of you who don’t know about Harvest Hosts, it is a membership program that provides access to a network of wineries, farms, breweries, museums and other unique attractions that invite self-contained RVers to visit and stay overnight. 

With March upon us in Western New York, that brings spring and travel season is ramping up here in the Northeast USA.  In particular, the 2024 travel season in the Buffalo/Niagara Region will ramp up fast, so get ready for the April 8th, 2024 total solar eclipse!  

If you’re in a narrow band of U.S. land that spans from Texas to Maine, you will see the moon block the sun and its shadow cast a night-like darkness over Earth for a few minutes.  Luckily, this narrow band passes right over the Buffalo/Niagara Region and Rusty Nickel Brewing Company.  

(Diagram courtesy of Harvest Hosts)

The rest of the U.S. will get a partial view of the eclipse that isn’t nearly as impressive as being in the path of totality here in the Buffalo/Niagara Region.  The earth won’t be plunged into complete darkness and you’ll have to wear protective eyewear to see the moon partially block the sun.

So expect a lot of traffic here in the Buffalo/Niagara Region April 8th, 2024 and during the weekend preceding if you’re visiting as a Harvest Host guest.  Local TV stations are reporting that the region will host up to one million visitors that day to come and witness a once in a lifetime event.

Make an early reservation at Rusty Nickel Brewing Company and plan accordingly if you are a Harvest Hosts member.  Keep in mind, Rusty Nickel Brewing is the only dedicated brewery acting as a Harvest Hosts site in or around the city of Buffalo. The next closest Harvest Host brewery site is over 40 minutes away.  

So what’s planned on April 8th at Rusty Nickel Brewing Company you ask?

A Total Solar Eclipse Party at Rusty Nickel Brewing!

Here is the Event Schedule: 

1:00 PM – Doors Open

2:30 PM – Music by DJ Kevin of Sensational Sounds

3:18 PM – Solar Eclipse totality begins

3:22 PM – Solar Eclipse totality ends

3:30 PM – Karaoke with DJ Kevin (Sing a space themed song!)

5:30 PM – Space Trivia with host Maria

What you need to know: 

1. This event is FREE to attend! 
2. Rusty Nickel giving the first 50 customers a FREE pair of eclipse glasses with a purchase!
3. Great views of the eclipse from the Rusty Nickel patio! (Dress appropriately!)
4. This event will take place rain or shine (or snow or clouds)!
5. Drink Specials will include “Sunny Mimosas”, “Are You Afraid of the Dark” Dark Lager, and more! 
6. Seating is available on a first come, first serve basis.  Seating inside and outside under our covered and heated patio. 

Here’s the scouting report on all that Rusty Nickel Brewing has to offer the public and Harvest Hosts members.   

Rusty Nickel Brewing Company – Located behind Ebenezer Ale House 

(Where you’ll very well find yours truly as your host behind the bar)

Location: 4350 Seneca St

West Seneca, NY 14224

Website: https://rustynickelbrewing.com/

Harvest Hosts Site Click Here:

Sure, I’m probably going to be a bit of a homer here.  But Rusty Nickel was voted by Step Out Buffalo as the 2nd Best Patio in Western New York.  See for yourselves here.  

https://stepoutbuffalo.com/best-patios-in-wny-according-to-western-new-yorkers/

A spacious and picturesque patio built by owners who also happen to be civil engineers.  If the temperatures dip a little in the early spring of fall, no problem.  The pergola area of the patio is equipped with overhead gas heaters to help kick up the temps and keep you cozy.  

Beer, Spirits & Wine:  Check out here  https://rustynickelbrewing.com/on-tap/

As someone who visits a TON of breweries, I’ll put Rusty Nickel’s tap list against anyone else in terms of variety and offering in styles of beer.  If you can’t find a style of craft beer here you like, then you’re not a craft beer drinker.   But if you are not, that’s ok as Rusty Nickel also serves New York State produced spirits, wine, mead, cider and in-house produced seltzer.  

Must try beers:  Slice O’Haven’s Orange Vanilla Imperial Cream Ale 9.8% ABV & Half Slice version (half the ABV) 

Rustifico Mexican Lager, Irish Red, Masked Defenders Pineapple Sour & Masked Defenders Triple Berry Sour, I Remember Buffalo American Pale Ale (many of you Canadians will get the Tragically Hip reference).

Food: A small shareable menu is the food offering at Rusty Nickel with new Mexican options including build your own chicken and pork tacos along and Mexican street corn have been added recently.  

Click here for Rusty Nickel Food menu: 

Rusty Nickel also shares a parking lot with the restaurant Ebenezer Ale House located at the front of the property. So if you’re looking for a burger, chicken wings or a salad, feel free to take out from Ebenezer Ale House and bring back to Rusty Nickel and enjoy on the patio with a Rusty Nickel beverage.   

Click here for the Ebenezer Ale House menu: 

If you have an RV full of kids and/or dogs, no problem.  Rusty Nickel is completely kid, dog and family friendly.  Dogs are welcome inside and out.  Of course, just clean up after them and keep them on a leash.  Rusty Nickel will gladly provide the water and dog treats.    The spacious patio with lawn games will keep the kids occupied.  

Parking:

We share a busy parking lot with Ebenezer Ale House, so please be patient with us during the busy summer months.  Take note on the reservation and parking instructions in Rusty Nickel’s Harvest Hosts listing.  Max RV length is 44 feet and we have 3 dedicated spots.  Small sprinter vans are more easily to accommodate.  If you are one of these RVs, please still try to call us ahead of time.  

Merch & To Go Beer, Spirits & Wine: 

Check out Rusty Nickel’s merchandise section with Rusty Nickel Buffalo themed tee shirts or our famous “My City Smells Like Cheerios” Tee. 

Beer to go: 

We have a to-go cooler full of Rusty Nickel 4-packs to go.  If we don’t carry a certain beer you like in a 4-pack, we’ll gladly fill your own growler and send you on your way.   

Rusty Nickel Brewing is a New York State Farm Brewery.  Which means that we don’t have to be situated on a farm.  It’s just a designation that requires our brewery to use New York State produced ingredients in the beer and beverages we produce.  We also act as a liquor store, where any guest products we retail on a to-go basis as well.  These products must be New York State produced as well.  Our fellow New York State produced partners include the following for in-house or to-go consumption.  

Mead:  Lily Belle Meads – Lancaster, NY   https://www.lillybellemeads.com/

Wine: 21 Brix Winery – Portland, NY   https://21brix.com/

Spirits: 

Black Button Distillery – Rochester, NY   https://blackbuttondistilling.com/

Ask your Brewtender for a sample of Rusty Nickel’s own specially blended Bespoke Bourbon only available at Rusty Nickel.  Bottles are available for to-go sales.  

Cider:  Black Bird Cider Works  https://blackbirdciders.com/

Lockhouse Distillery & Bar – Buffalo, NY   https://www.lockhousedistillery.com/

Steelbound Brewery & Distillery – Ellicottville, NY  https://www.steelboundevl.com

Steelbound actually produces a New York State produced Tequila!  Try some. 

Albany Distilling Company – Albany, NY    https://www.albanydistilling.com/

Niagara Craft Spirits – Lockport, NY    http://niagaracraftspirits.com/

Lastly,  ask you’re Brewtender or a Rusty Nickel sticker for your RV, bumper or cooler.  We’ll be glad to throw you a few.  

To learn a little bit more about Rusty Nickel Brewing Company and its amenities, take a look at their destination page on my platform Upstate Beer Tourist. 

Safety:  

Harvest Hosts guests ask about safety in the neighborhood and in West Seneca, NY.  As a local, it’s widely known that the Southtowns area of Western New York is a highly safe and family friendly area for natives and tourists.  The West Seneca Police station is also located just five blocks from Rusty Nickel Brewing Company.  

 Stay tuned for my following blog posts as I’ll dive into other Harvest Hosts sites and other things to do while visiting the Buffalo Niagara Region.  Where to explore nature and hike, other breweries, wings spots preferred by locals, visiting Niagara Falls and attending games of our professional sports teams – the Bills, Bisons and Sabres.  

About me:

I’m Joe and I like beer. 

For me it’s about beer, but it’s as much about the hunt. Finding new craft beer and craft beverage destinations across this great country, each one unique in its own right.

My life is pretty consumed by craft beer.  As I also happen to work at a brewery just outside of Buffalo, NY named Rusty Nickel Brewing Company.  To learn more about Rusty Nickel Brewing, check out their website here https://rustynickelbrewing.com/

A cool local brewery “brewed just a little different,” which has helped build and shape my appreciation for craft beer and the many styles that make up this dynamic artform and lifestyle.  

When not slinging craft beer, craft beer still consumes me.  I’m usually exploring the picturesque Finger Lakes Region of New York State with my wife and three dogs. Searching for new breweries and styles of beer to try.  We love the Finger Lakes Region so much, and all that it offers in craft beverages and scenery, that we have our own little retreat near Keuka Lake. 

Lastly, my remaining time is devoted to building my travel and craft beer digital platform www.upstatebeerourist.com.  My goal is to assist craft beer tourists in finding breweries when planning or during their travels through my brewery map, while also promoting brewery events and craft beer festivals.  I also help catalog breweries and craft beverage stops on the site by creating individual destination pages for breweries and other craft beverage destinations.  Here breweries can highlight many of their amenities such as; are they dog friendly inside and out, do they also serve cider, wine or spirits?  What is the extent of their food offering? And much, much more. 

If you’re a Harvest Hosts member, I also offer up my property in the Finger Lakes Region just off Keuka Lake as a Harvest Hosts site.  Located within a very short drive to numerous breweries, wineries and distilleries.   

Check it out: https://membership.harvesthosts.com/member/host/profile/upstate-beer-tourist

April 15, 2024

Want to see the video replay of the Total Solar Eclipse at Rusty Nickel Brewing Company?

Check it out here: