Light Years Fermentation is one of the newest breweries in Broome County, open since October of 2024. This was my second visit to Light Years; the first was when they had only been open for a month. I can see a lot of effort and love put into the space and their offerings. Currently sitting at seven beers on tap—two of which are poured on nitro—and three ciders, they have expanded to offer a wide range of styles so everyone can find something they enjoy, which was perfect for Jocelyn and I to try before we made it over to the Binghamton Black Bears game.
I ordered a Magee, Dry Irish Stout that was poured on nitro. True to the style, it is light in body and alcohol coming in at 4.5% ABV. The malt behind this beer gives a great coffee/chocolate flavor behind the creaminess of the nitro pour. Faint whispers of brown shine around the edges of the glass; it’s not as dark as my next pour, After Midnight.
After Midnight pours pitch black, with a thicker body and mouth feel that’s more coating, alongside its ABV of 6.5%, the highest of the Light Years beers. It brings huge flavor to any glass! This one was on normal CO2 while I visited but I got the inside info that this one too is going to switch over to Nitro, and I think it’s going to just get better with that!
While Jocelyn and I didn’t have time to try the food at Light Years, seeing the items coming from their kitchen, and hearing the feedback from people in the tap room while we were there, we may need to take another trip just to get some dinner. Everything looked amazing and some were making the quite bold statement that it’s the best pizza in the area!
Jocelyn started with Pompeii Pilsner, an Italian Inspired Pilsner (5.2% ABV) that most obviously takes inspiration from Peroni, a beer close to my heart and one that instantly brought me back to our honeymoon in Rome. This beer is crisp and clean, no haze to this one. It’s perfect for walking around some old Roman ruins on a 100 degree day, or sitting at the bar in single digits cold. (It was 5 degrees outside as I wrote this).
Jocelyn switched over to Cider for her other taste. Light Years makes their own, using fresh cider from the hometown favorite Cider Mill. Using only champagne yeast and juice as the base, the Holiday version adds cinnamon and seasonal fruit to bring a tart and dry clarity of flavors, nothing overpowered another. This one is great for a warm and cozy night in, get a bottle and call some friends.
Have some thoughts, comments or questions? What's your favorite brewery that I should try? Email me at pzayac@wskg.org with your feedback.