Ellicottville Brewing Company - Ski Bum

This winter seasonal from Ellicottville is certainly among the hoppier winter beers we've come across in quite a while. Pouring a rich amber hue and capped by plenty of foam, Ski Bum offers up quite an inviting aroma. Prominent citrus notes were clearly what the brewers were going for given their choice of hop varieties, and they succeeded. Look for blended notes of lemon, grapefruit, and orange backed up by hints of stone fruit and melon. The hoppy theme plays out on the palate, too, with bold citric acidity, some herbal spice, and mild pine, but it's supported nicely by a robust lightly toasty malt backbone which offers plenty of structure. But the hops are the stars of this wintery show; look for very juicy notes of orange and grapefruit flesh and lemon zest. For pairing options, we'd recommend playing off the fruity, citrusy notes. Spicy orange peel beef, chicken, or shrimp would be a good call, along with lemon pepper chicken wings. Cheers!

Ellicottville Brewing Company was started by Allen and Walter Yahn and Peter Kreinheder out of a desire to open a family business. The inspiration struck while on a ski trip to Vail, CO, where craft brewing got an early foothold. There was the realization that Ellicottville, sometimes referred to as the “Aspen of the East,” would be the perfect location for a craft brewery and grill. Their instincts were proven right, and over 20 years later EBC is a thriving craft brewery with a devoted following in Ellicottville and throughout western New York.

The original brewpub location in Ellicottville was expanded in 2013 and now boasts a German-style beer garden along with a restaurant and brewhouse. Additionally, EBC has three other locations in western New York state: EBC West in Fredonia, near Lake Erie; their Bemus Point location, which opened in 2016 along the shores of Chautauqua Lake; and a brand new location in Little Valley which is scheduled to open to the public in the spring of 2018. This latter location will offer an outdoor concert venue, a beer garden for the summertime, and winter activities perfect for snow mobilers riding the Pat McGee Trail. Just as cool, in our opinion, will be their all-ages Craft Brewing Science Center, with exhibits delving into the four main components of beer – malts, hops, water, and yeast – along with brewing equipment and more.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, check them out at ellicottvillebrewing.com.